springtime in the mountains is probably my favorite season - it’s not yet seeing the crowds you get in the fall, the rivers, streams and lakes are at their max capacity or soon will be, there is still plenty of snow on the mountains (and up high in the forest as well which helps keep the crowds to the parking lots or just beyond) and the late afternoon storms or shower season is upon us.

on this day i left in the afternoon on my way up to bierstadt lake taking a path i’d never taken. not only is it more scenic and interesting than the typical path, but it’s even less populated with people. my trusty weather app that i’ve complained about in the past said there was a chance, albeit not great of a decent sunset. it was cloudy the whole way up and cleared just as i made it to the lake. i had about twenty minutes of low sun, beautiful clouds and gorgeous scenery with hallett lit just enough to make it interesting. and after that it was done - the sun went below the low clouds (or vice versa) the clouds turned gray, the light became flat and no light on my subject - hallett peak.