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The first dusting of winter snow appeared overnight on the high peaks of the Rocky Mountains while my wife Liz and I were enjoying a two week holiday exploring the Rocky Mountain National Park from our base at Estes Park, Colorado.
We were really excited, as snow was one of the elements we'd hoped to see during our stay, so we loaded up the car with all the warm clothing we possessed, plus camera gear of course, and headed on up to the mountains.
Our chosen route for snow viewing took us along the incredibly scenic Trail Ridge Road, the highest paved road in the United States, topping out at just over 12,000 feet above sea level, well into the snow zone.
The roads in the Rocky Mountain National Park are liberally endowed with pull-overs at the points where you would want to stop to admire and photograph the views, so we took full advantage.
Mind you, our excursions out of the heated comfort of our car were necessarily brief as the wind chill, combined with a freezing ambient temperature, froze our extremities in short order.
Taking photos was especially challenging, as removal of my gloves was required to adjust the camera's controls, but there was no way I was going to miss capturing such stark beauty, even at the cost of numb fingers, nose, toes and other bits.
Thanks heavens for the Alpine Visitor Centre, just a short way along the Trail Ridge Road from where this photo was taken, with its lovely warm cafe and hot coffee.
Just what was needed to make the day perfect.
And there's a very helpful (and free) guide to budget friendly vacations in six national parks that provides insight on flying, lodging, and entrance fees, available from creditcards.com at the given link.
Filename - rocky mountains 07.jpg
Camera - Canon EOS 6D
Lens - 24-105mm zoom @ 70mm
Exposure - 1/40 sec @ f11, ISO100
Location - Rocky Mountains, Colorado, U.S.A.
This image - 800x450px JPEG
Conversion - Adobe Lightroom
Comments - Polarising filter used to enhance colours
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