Flattop Mountain, 2007

Flattop Mountain in Rocky Mountain National Park is one of my favorite winter destinations. Although I've dayhiked the trail many times throughout the seasons, I've never camped along the trail - something that can only be done in winter months (due to park regulations). Hoping to get some uniques photos of the area, I spent a cold night on Flattop Mountain.

My primary goal was to photograph the alpine scenery at sunset and sunrise. Camping near treeline gave me excellent, easy access to this typically harsh winter environment. Thankfully, park service regulations allow you to camp nearly anywhere in the park in winter ... as long as you are a mile from any road and can find a spot that offers at least a foot of snow. The latter was not a challenge after recent snowstorms.

I encountered a typically ecclectic mix of winter conditions during my 24 hour visit to the area. Thick cloud cover, no winds and mild temperatures dominated my first day on the mountain. Enjoyable hiking conditions made up for the extremely boring light. The mild weather also made me feel good about setting up camp near treeline in this notoriously brutal environment. Later that evening, a break in the cloud cover occured as I was wandering the mountain somewhere near 11,800 feet. This brief show in the sky (along with having the whole mountain too myself) was well worth the unexpected distraction of having my tent pummeled by strong winds later that night. A storm that was supposed to bring calm and light snow for much of my trip showed up the next morning. As a result, I didn't linger on the mountain after a very muted sunrise. I hiked back to Bear Lake in an invigorating calm disturbed only by the softly falling snow.

The following photos are my favorites from the trip. (Back to the Journal)