Stephen,
If you get lost leaving Denver and find yourself down south check out the Great Sand Dunes Nat. Park near Alamosa. Or, as I do, get the Hell out of Denver as fast as you can on I-70 west... turn left onto Hwy 91 to Leadville, south on Hwy 24 to Hwy 82 to see the high country. Than west over Independence Pass into Aspen. Stop and photograph the Maroon Bells like every other tourist on earth... if you must. Continue down Hwy 82 (avoiding rush hour!) turning left onto Hwy 133 at Carbondale. Stop in Redstone for a bite to eat, and stop at the top of McClure Pass for a photo op. than down into Paonia. Time permitting, check out the Black Canyon of the Gunnison before heading west into Grand Junction on Hwy 50. That's how I'd get to Grand Junction from Denver... And the next time you come to visit you should explore the SouthWest corner of the state.
The weather should be great that time of year... ether mild summer or mild winter or, if your lucky, beautiful fall weather. The aspens should be turning and we should have our first dusting of snow.
Enjoy your trip...Dave
Beautiful country! I lived near Gunnison CO several summers ago, and now work in YNP. A side trip on your way to Grand Junction would be the Maroon Bells near Aspen... cliched perhaps, but beautiful nonetheless.
I've been working w/ my Cambo for three summers now in the YNP area, and the grand vistas present in other parks just aren't here, IMHO. Instead, focus on the geysers and travertine formations around sunset in Lower, Midway, and Upper Geyser Basins north of Old Faithful. Grand Prismatic is one of my favorites, but requires a very wide angle lens (which I don't have) to wrap around the edges of the pool. The colors of all of them seem to come out best mid to late mornings, so you should have options all day.
The northern range of the park, where I spend my days tracking pronghorn, provide for some nice scenics, particularly in the Soda Butte valley near the NE entrance. Some wildlife shots are possible, as the bison in particular are currently milling about in the Lamar valley and should be rutting in Sept. They aren't moving much, so adequate focus, a small aperture, and cropping should yield some images that will put our resident EOS hordes to shame. The elk will be rutting in the Mammoth area then too... watch out for the bulls! They enjoy attacking cars in front of the hotel.
The trip up and over the Beartooths, between Cooke City and Red Lodge, MT (out the NE entrance), alone is worth the drive from Denver. Absolutely stunning. I'm sorry I won't be around in Sept, otherwise I might join you for an LF expedition. We don't see too many coming through!
If you are going to be in Grand Junction at Colorado National Monument you should check out Rattlesnake Canyon just to the west of the Monument. There are a number of arches in Rattlesnake Canyon. You should be able to get directions on how to get there from the rangers at the monument. You will need 4-wheel drive for the last couple of miles. Every time I have been to Rattlesnake Canyon, I have had it to myself.
In the Dinosaur Monument area you should check out Fantasy Canyon. It is South of Vernal Utah and is an area of fantastic eroded rock formations. You can get directions to Fantasy Canyon at the Vernal BLM office
I agree with Kerey about the Beartooths - its an absolutely stunning area. One thing you can do there is hike into high mountains with hardly any elevation gain on the trail. You can drive to the campground and hike almost level trail starting at 10,000 feet or so.
Two things to watch for: grizzlys and weather - September could bring almost anything weather wise and its always a good idea to check out the bear situation when you arrive. I was there three or four years ago in September backpacking - it went from a daytime high near 80 to below freezing each night. The next week it snowed ass deep to a giraffe. The highway down to Cody is a wonderful drive. http://www.byways.org/browse/byways/2168/
Kerey, I'm going to be out your way in about a week. One day I have a chance to be on Yellowstone Lake in a fast boat. Are you familiar with what is accessible from the water? What should I be sure to visit for photos? I may post this question again in its own thread.
Ah... As a Colorado native, I have a good piece of advice for you... In fact, this place is so beautiful, you may want to divert days from your trip to Yellowstone to the Great Sand Dunes National Park! It has been a favorite place of mine forever and I am to travel there on the 23 of August to take photographs.
It is in the central southern part of Colorado and it sounds as though it might be a little out of your way if your going to be tipping Colorado up in Dinosaur. It's a 4 hour drive from Denver and well worth it. It contains the highest dune in North America at some 700 feet. It is nestled between surrounding 14,000 foot peaks. It blows away Death Valley and is widely unknown amongst travelers. Look it up.
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The elk will be rutting in the Mammoth area then too... watch out for the bulls! They enjoy attacking cars in front of the hotel.
Re: Suggestions for Colorado and Wyoming
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