Kineo Mountain via Seven Bridges Trail, September 2026

When I first hiked to the summit of Kineo Mountain via the Seven Bridges Trail back in the late spring of 2024, I knew I wanted to come back sometime in the fall.  The trail passes through a beautiful aspen grove that I hoped to see covered in golden leaves.  Despite the lengthy drought, I decided to give it a shot this past weekend.

At lower elevations the aspens were still fully green.  I'd hoped to see some fallen leaves adorning the cascades along North Cheyenne Creek, but flowing water is still pretty no matter what.

An early start ensured that the creek was still shaded, which allows for slower shutter speeds, which gives you nice, feathery water.

I was pleased to see the creek still running briskly.  Recent rains undoubtedly helped in that regard.

After a tougher-than-I-recalled section of the hike past the seventh bridge, the aspens I remembered came into view.

The drought appeared to have cut down on the amount of foliage, but I seemed to hit it right at the time I like -- just before peak, when the leaves are a mix of green and gold.

My new Nikkor 10-24mm lens does a fantastic job with sunbursts, and the morning sun was still low enough for me to shoot some.

Straight up into the canopy is a classic fall foliage shot.  I got one with a sunburst...

...and one without, which I think I prefer with the convergence of the trunks.

The day was really perfect -- sunny but too hot, which I was grateful for since my water bottle had somehow managed to get caught on a branch, fall out of my backpack side pouch, and spill most of its contents on the ground.  So it was a dry hike for me.

I loitered in the aspen grove for a while, looking for interesting compositions.

Is this an interesting composition?  Probably not, but I still like the simplicity of the trunks.

My plans to fully retrace my 2024 steps changed when another photographer recommended a detour to another small aspen grove with a mossy forest floor.  So instead of summitting Kineo again, I found myself amongst fallen yellow leaves covered with water droplets lying on a lush, green carpet.

Yeah, I could work with this.

The dense mixed grove resulted in some of the leaves being beautifully illuminated, as if by a soft spotlight.

Sweeping vistas are a great way to experience fall foliage in Colorado.  Intimate scenes like these have their own special beauty.

I got what I had hoped for, covering the 5.51 miles and 1,617 feet of elevation gain in 2:46 of "moving time," as AllTrails has thoughtfully added to their hike statistics.  That's out of a total time of 3:48, which means I spent roughly an hour just enjoying the autumn scenery!

Cascade Canyon 2026: Scenery

After a great time photographing bison in Yellowstone -- and an adequate night's sleep in my tent at the Gros Ventre campground -- I turned my sights the next day to righting a 16-year-old wrong: hiking Cascade Canyon in Grand Teton National Park.

Calling my previous hike a "wrong" might be a bit harsh.  I covered six miles in five hours and saw a mother moose with two calves.  This time I wanted to make it the full 10+ miles to where the trail forks.  So as I had back in 2010, I grabbed the shuttle across Jenny Lake at 7 a.m. and started off.

Being one of the first on the trail meant I had fairly uninterrupted shots from the first bridge across Cascade Creek...

...and at Hidden Falls.

By Inspiration Point, though, the trail was already getting crowded.  But people in shots can add helpful context and scale.  At least that's what I always tell myself when there are people in my shot. :)

The morning was humid, and wispy clouds clung to the peaks flanking the trail.

But roughly a mile and a half in, blue skies appeared just as the trail emerges from the trees and offers these stunning views up the canyon.

One of my favorite things to do with my new 10-24 lens is to shoot a scene at 10mm...

...and then zoom in (relatively speaking) and shoot the same scene at 24mm.  Honestly, I normally end up liking both shots.  This is one of those cases. :)

The middle section of the trail provides a seemingly endless string of breathtaking views along the creek

Wildflowers blooming, waterfalls flowing, clouds drifting by.  The morning was truly idyllic.

Switched to 24mm and landscape orientation.  Truly stretching my photographic skills. :)

Good news: I made it to the fork this time.  And back, in a little more than six hours.  Four more miles in just one more hour had me feeling pretty good about my fitness level compared to 41-year-old me, too.

Teaser time: As good as the scenery in Cascade Canyon is, the wildlife is easily its equal.  Proof in an upcoming post!

Brainard and Isabelle Lakes, July 2026

It had been four years since I'd been to Brainard Lake Recreation Area to take pictures of moose and hike to Lake Isabelle.  That was quite long enough in my opinion, so I talked a fellow photographer in the neighborhood into joining me for a trip up there this past Wednesay.

Setting the alarm for 3 a.m. turned out to be be the right call, because we got there just in time to catch this predawn color in the clouds.

Brainard Lake was noticeably lower than in the past, but no less beautiful during golden hour.

We scoured the willows on Brainard Lake's southern shore, but moose were nowhere to be seen.  So we were left with shooting reflections in the still waters at the lake's western edge.

Some driftwood in the water did its best to make up for the absence of moose, with compelling textures.

After giving up on the moose it was time for my favorite hike in Colorado.  My sixth time on this trail, and it never disappoints.  The wildflowers and cascades were as striking as ever.

The final cascade before reaching the lake was absolutely bursting with bluebells.

I have never not taken a picture at this spot in all my visits.  Why wouldn't I?

Like Brainard, Lake Isabelle was also lower than I've seen it in past years.  There was less snow on the surrounding peaks, too.

The outflow was likewise modest.

As we headed back, my buddy hiked a bit farther down along the cascade you walk across right before reaching the lake.  Not surprisingly, it's just as lush and picturesque wherever you look.

As pretty and plentiful as the wildflowers are along the trail now, I didn't find myself compelled to stop and shoot close-ups of many of them.  Just this lone Subalpine Fleabane poking from between some rocks.

Even without moose, the hike was as enjoyable as ever.  We covered 5.89 miles and 627 feet of elevation gain in a little more than  2 1/2 hours, not counting the roughly 45 minutes we spent taking photos.  A truly terrific morning!

Related Links:

• Lake Isabelle, June 2022: Part II
• Lake Isabelle, June 2022: Part I
• Brainard and Isabelle Lakes, July 2018
• Lake Isabelle, July 2015
• Lake Isabelle, August 2014
• Lake Isabelle, July 2012

Columbine Trail

Prior to today I'd gone hiking in North Cheyenne Cañon Park in Colorado Springs three times, and enjoyed every one.  So when I was looking for a place to hike today, I decided to make Trip #4!

The Columbine Trail was today's option, which was made even more attractive by the road being closed for construction so I wouldn't hear cars as I was enjoying my nature.  North Cheyenne Creek was looking pretty as I started off from the trailhead around 7 a.m.

It's not immediately obvious how big this waterfall is.  Not sure I can even call it a waterfall, since it's only about two feet tall.  Charming, though.

I'm getting some really nice sunburst shots with my new Nikkor 10-24 lens.  Possibly because it hasn't gotten sand and oil inside yet to add distracting lens flare?

Helen Hunt Falls were flowing more briskly than I'd expected.  I didn't lug my tripod with me, but handheld was still fine.

I lowered the ISO to 100 and shut down the aperture to f/29 to see if I could get that nice feathery look to the water.  This was the best I could manage, which tells me that if I intend to shoot waterfalls in the future I should bite the bullet and carry the tripod to get the longer exposures.

I did the 9.18 miles and 1,674 feet of elevation gain in a tidy 4:06.  Apparently I can hike faster with only one camera body, a smaller lens, and no tripod. :)

Related Links:

• Mount Muscoco
• Kineo Mountain via Seven Bridges Trail
• St. Mary's Falls, April 2024

Cheesman Canyon

My hike to Elk Falls made me optimistic that there was more water still to be seen.  I decided to give Cheesman Canyon a shot and see how the South Platte River was doing.

Good news.  The river was doing quite well. :)

There weren't too many wildflowers blooming just yet.  Lambert's Locoweed was the first I saw.

As the morning warmed up, the Prairie Lizards came out to soak up some sun.  Most were really tiny.  This guy was the biggest I saw, and roughly a whopping six inches or so from the tip of his nose to the tip of his tail.

I spotted a mother Common Merganser with a small crew of babies on the river.  Unfortunately, she spotted me as well and hastily took her brood downstream to safety.  The only shots I got were from quite a distance away and not well exposed, so I decided to get creative with my favorite of the bunch.  I'm not disappointed with the result!

Most of the canyon trail is up above the river, providing some great overlooks down to the water.

The ruggedness of this stretch of the river is special, with sizable boulders sprinkled liberally in the water.

I was delighted to see a pair of American Dippers working on a nest in one of those boulders.  The light unfortunately frustrated me in getting great shots of the birds themselves.  But it was really cool to see them taking turns gathering moss and adding it to their home.

I had never heard of Blue-Water Speedwell before uploading this image to iNaturalist, but I loved seeing this flower blooming right in the river.

The clouds started to gather as I made my way back to the trailhead, but just enough to enhance the views of the river.

I didn't notice all the Blue Columbine along the trail on the outward portion of my trek, but was delighted to see them on my way back.

I did notice this sad-looking Fragrant Evening Primrose, and made sure to capture it in all its wiltedness.

Exactly six miles (AllTrails, as usual, underestimates the trail at only 5.6 miles) in a leisurely 2:31, and I thoroughly enjoyed all of it.  I look forward to coming back, possibly in winter to see its beauty in another season!