© Efraín M. Padró, All Rights Reserved
I recently spent a week in Summit County, Colorado, photographing wildflowers and landscapes. I lived in Colorado for almost 20 years and like to visit regularly to shoot for stock. July is one of my favorite times to visit the High Country because the wildflower displays are at their peak and the daytime temperatures only reach the 70s.
Summit County includes the towns of Breckenridge, Dillon, and Frisco, among others, and its accessibility (a little over an hour west of Denver
) and number of trails makes it an ideal photo destination. We stayed near Dillon and most of the trails we hiked began within 3-4 miles from the hotel.
One of my favorite outings was the Gore Range’s hike to Eccles Pass following the Meadow Creek Trail. This 10-mile (round trip) jaunt features a tumbling creek, wildflowers, beaver ponds, and of course the grand landscapes Colorado is famous for. For an easier hike/walk, you can also explore the many views of the Tenmile Range from Lake Dillon (get up early and photograph the mountains at first light from the lake’s eastern shore).
As beautiful as the landscapes in this part of Colorado are, hiking at altitude (over 9,000 ft.) on sometimes steep trails requires some effort and a comfortable photo pack. During the trip, I tried on Lowepro’s Pro Trekker 300 AW for size, and was impressed by how comfortable it was, thanks to its padded, fully adjustable harness (disclosure: I am sponsored by Lowepro). Other features include a removable waist pack, a laptop sleeve, and three (count ‘em) tripod sleeves, which can also be used for carrying hiking poles. This heavy-duty pack is ideal for hiking or backpacking trips.
Now go out and shoot something.