The Denver Botanic Garden is having its annual orchid exhibit from January 12, 2012 through February 20, 2012.  The event has more than 200 flooring orchids on display.  The garden is open from 9 AM to 5 PM.  The exhibit is put on by the Denver orchid Society. Below is a video of our recent trip to the Denver Botanic Garden. This was a great photographic opportunity to photograph these beautiful exotic flowers.

Music by Jimmy Gelhaar. All music made available through the www.jimmygelhaar.com website at:
www.jimmygelhaar.com — Film Composer and Music Downloads

Books on Orchids

Understanding Orchids: An Uncomplicated Guide to Growing the World’s Most Exotic Plants [Hardcover]

Four Seasons of Orchids (Gardening) [Paperback]

Orchids For Dummies [Paperback]

Last spring we made a trip down to the Great Sand Dunes National Park. We decided to take a different route home than we normally take so from the Sand Dunes we headed north on Highway 285 in the San Luis Valley towards Poncha Springs, Colorado. On the way we discovered there was a turnoff (CO Rd L156) close to the small town of Villa Grove which took us to the old ghost town of Bonanza, Colorado with a current population of 14.  The town was originally settled by Lieutenant Kerber sometime after the Civil War.  The town, at that time, was called Kerber City after the  Lieutenant along with the Creek, which still bears his name, Kerber Creek.  Sometime around 1880 silver was found upstream from Kerber City.  After the silver was found, the town took on the name Bonanza because the miners all thought they were going to get rich, which didn’t happen.  At one time Bonanza had more than 500 residents. There are still many old buildings standing in and around the almost forgotten community. Autumn would be a great time to visit and photograph Bonanza as there are many aspen trees in the area. Below is a slideshow of some of the old buildings still standing around the ghost town of Bonanza.

Click on the photo below to view the old buildings around Bonanza, Colorado

Books on Ghost Towns of Colorado

Colorado Ghost Towns and Mining Camps [Paperback]

Guide To the Colorado Ghost Towns and Mining Camps [Paperback]

Treasure Tales Of Rockies [Paperback]

On our last trip to Moab, Utah we decided to take a side trip through Colorado National Monument which is just outside of Grand Junction.  We’ve driven by Grand Junction many times and stopped for dinner or lunch just off the freeway as we passed on by, but never really stopped to see Grand Junction before. Passing through the busy little community made me realize that Grand Junction is a beautiful small city on the western edge of the Colorado Rockies. A short distance from downtown Grand Junction is Colorado National Monument.  I’ve been traveling and photographing Colorado for many years now, but have never visited this destination in the National Park system.  Entering the park and driving up the switchbacks to the top of the rim we fell in love with its beauty and splendor along the Rim Rock Drive as the sun began to set. Taking it slow as we drove into the sun, the road meanders along the edge of the rim with drop-offs of up to 500 feet and few guard rails. Stopping at many of the turnouts along the way gave us a chance to photograph one of Colorado’s hidden gems. The sandstone cliffs and huge monolithic spires rising up from the canyon floor is reminiscent of Monument Valley in Arizona but instead driving on the tops edges of the sandstone cliffs. Colorado National Monument was established 100 years ago in 1911 with the help of John Ottos outdoorsman and promoter of this Colorado natural wonder. We only spent an overnight visit at Saddlehorn campground, but then vowed we would return and explore more of this amazing natural wonder of Colorado’s endless beauty.  So, if you’re in the Grand Junction area don’t forget to visit Colorado National Monument.

Click on the photo below to view the slideshow of Colorado National Monument.

Books on Colorado National Monument

Colorado’s National Parks & Monuments [Hardcover]

Rim of Time: the Canyons of Colorado National Monument [Paperback]

A Guide to the Rimrock Drive-Colorado National Monument [Paperback]

]]> http://dougniedermillerphotography.com/2011/12/11/colorado-national-monument/feed/ 2 http://dougniedermillerphotography.com/2011/07/29/alpine-tunnel-pitkin-colorado/ http://dougniedermillerphotography.com/2011/07/29/alpine-tunnel-pitkin-colorado/#comments Fri, 29 Jul 2011 15:01:06 +0000 Doug Niedermiller http://dougniedermillerphotography.com/?p=4142

The Alpine tunnel was a part of the narrow gauge rail system between Denver and Gunnison Colorado. Construction on the tunnel began in 1880 and started service in 1882. The tunnel was then abandoned in 1910 due to tunnel cave-ins. This was the first tunnel to be constructed through the Continental Divide. The tunnel sits at an elevation of 11,523 feet and has a length of 772 feet. At one time this was the highest tunnel n the world.

Click on the photo to view slide show

You can get to the Alpine Tunnel from the small town of Pitkin Colorado. The trip from Pitkin is about 10 miles. The road to the tunnel is in good condition, but a little rocky and rough in places. It can be driven by most 2 wheel drive vehicles, but I do recommend an SUV or pickup. From the Pitkin General Store and Gas Station head East on Forest Service road 765. A couple of miles down the road you’ll make a right on Forest Service road 968 (You’ll see the sign Alpine Tunnel). From here you’re actually driving on the old railroad track bed that leads to the tunnel. On the first three quarters of the trip along the way you’ll see a water tower and a little further down the road you’ll see a small section of the narrow gauge railroad. If you are afraid of heights or don’t want to drive on the cliffs road this might be a good place to turn around. However, the last 3 miles are the most spectacular with magnificent vistas and sheer drop-offs along the road. Along the way you come to the Palisades — a man-made retaining wall holding up the road that is still there from the 1880s. The wall is about 30 feet high and about 425 feet long. Continue on to the end of the road and take a short walk to the Alpine tunnel station. At the restored station there is also a small section of track that has been reinstalled. Take short hike past the station and you will reach the entrance of the tunnel. Unfortunately, the tunnel has been sealed off for safety reasons, but it is still well worth the trip.

I am always amazed traveling the back roads of Colorado finding new, amazing photographic opportunities in small towns and new discoveries like the Alpine Tunnel. So get out there and visit the Alpine Tunnel. You won’t be disappointed.

Books and Map List

4WD Adventures: Colorado [Paperback]

The Colorado Guide (5th Edition) [Paperback]

 Gunnison National Forest Recreation Guide (National Forest Series) [Paperback]

Gunnison Basin Public Lands (America’s Great Outdoors) [Folded Map]

This spring we made a trip to Rifle Falls State Park. We traveled from Colorado Springs to Buena Vista, up over Independence pass into the beautiful town of Aspen. From there, up to Glenwood Springs and then west on Interstate 70 to Rifle Colorado. With over 200% snow pack from last winter, the Colorado waterfalls put on a great show this year and Rifle Falls was no exception.  Rifle Falls are one of the most beautiful waterfalls in Colorado and one of the easiest to get to.  East Rifle Creek splits into three different sections that flow into three separate falls that thunder over the limestone cliffs. Along with the falls there are several small caves to the side of the falls. The small state park campground is just a short walk from the falls. A small day pass fee is required to visit the park and waterfalls. Other activities the area are hiking, biking, fishing, hunting and one of my son’s favorite activities -  rock climbing! So if you’re traveling along I 70 and come across Rifle, it’s definitely worth a stop to see these falls.  Below is a slide show, video and a map to get there.

Books & Maps

Colorado Road & Recreation Atlas

Colorado’s Best, Second Edition: The Essential Guide to Favorite Places

Colorado Guide, 5th Edition Updated: The Best-Selling Guide to the Centennial State

Click the photo below to view the slide show

This is our new 2011 Colorado Calendar. All of the photos in this calendar were shot in Colorado. Click on the Calendar below to View, Save or Print the new FREE 2011 Full Year Colorado Calendar in Adobe PDF file format.

By Doug Niedermiller Photography

All content in this website is the Copyrighted property of DougNiedermillerPhotography.com and DCM Travel Reviews. You may use any of our content for your personal use for free. All other uses please Contact Doug.

On every 4 of July weekend we head up to Crested Butte, the wildflower capital of Colorado.  It was 1880s old mining town and is now  one of Colorado’s world class ski destinations in the winter. Crested Butte Mountain Resort Ski Area has a 2700 vertical feet rise and over a thousand acres of ski runs.  It’s also a great place to visit in the summer.  Crested Butte is known for its mountain bike riding,  hiking,  horseback riding, fishing, white water rafting, kayaking,  camping and of course, photography with beautiful fields of wildflowers and mountain views.

Click photo to view photo slideshow of Crested Butte & Lake Erwin

We like to camp up at Lake Irwin with a group of friends from all over the country.  It’s always a great time.  Lake Irwin is at an elevation of about 10000 feet above sea level with hiking and fishing.  Sometimes the campground is still closed on the 4th because of too much snow!  This is a great place  for family with children.  One more thing — don’t forget the spectacular summer wildflowers and golden aspens in autumn on the road over Kebler Pass which is at an elevation 10000 feet.  The  CO-12 Road starts in Crested Butte and is about a 30 mile dirt road and ends at CO-133.  It’s well maintained and suitable for most cars.  Because of the weather and the high elevation, the road is only open from late May to early October.  So, do your homework and take a trip to the Crested Butte area.  You wont be disappointed!

We make a trip up to Aspen Colorado about once a year in the summer or fall. Aspen is an amazing place to photograph, with beautiful scenery like the Maroon Bells,  independence pass,  Mabel Colorado,  the frying pan river for the fishermen,  Glenwood hot Spring,  Colorado river and hanging lake just a day trip away.  This gallery was Photographed on  a walk around the beautiful town of Aspen Colorado in the evening last august.  The photos  were shot with up to 9 long exposures all at the same aperture and all at different shutter speeds. Then combined in Photomatix Pro HDR software. This allows you to see the detail in the shadows and highlights.

Click photo to view photo slideshow

The Cruise Above the Clouds Car Show was on Saturday September 11, 12 2010. It is annually brought to Woodland Park, Colorado by the Teller County Classic, Custom and Special Interest Car Club.  The show featured over 200 Classic Cars, Hot Rods and Muscle Cars.  This was the second year we photographed this car show with temperatures in the 70’s and a beautiful sunny day made for an incredible event.  In the afternoon the car owners went on the Poker Run to Cripple Creek, Colorado.  The car show continued on Sunday in Cripple Creek.  Each photo in this gallery starts off as 5 separate photographs at 5 different exposures and combined with a process called HDR or High Dynamic-Range photography.  This allows one to see the detail in the shadows and highlights.  It also has the ability to create some pretty cool special effects.

Click photo to view photo slideshow

Cruise Above the Clouds Car Show 2010

Visit part 1

For more information on HDR or High Dynamic-Range photography and the program I use, Photomatix Pro 3.2, click on the links below!. Photomatix Pro 3.2 is a standalone program and also has Plugins for Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2.

Books Videos & Software

Master Photo Workshops DVD: HDR (High Dynamic Range) Photography Made Easy by Tony Sweet

Photo-Shop-Cafe CD-Rom: HDR &Photoshop CS3 by Colin Smith

Photo-Shop-Cafe DVD-ROM: Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2 for Digital Photographers by Colin Smith

Map of Woodland Park Colorado

Queen’s Canyon is located just north of  Garden of the Gods Park on 30th Street in Colorado Springs.  The trail head is on the private property of the Glen Eyrie Christian Camp and Conference Center and is a part of the Ministry of the Navigators.  Hiking is open to the public by advance reservation ONLY.  Hiking is only available Monday — Thursday, 9:00am to 4:00pm. This makes a beautiful hike in the spring, summer or fall and is only about a 2 mile hike round trip. Information and maps for hiking at Glen Eyrie.  The photos in this gallery were shot in Queen’s Canyon.

Click photo to view photo slideshow