700 Miles, 2 Wheels, and Lots of Sand -- Many Photos

[Colorado CJ]

The below shots were taken with my Nikon D600 and Samyang 35mm F1.4 manual focus lens.

Since I had a long 4th of July weekend, I decided to pack one of my bikes up and head out for an adventure. I chose my DR650 because I knew I'd be doing a lot of dirt riding.

Here she is all packed and ready to go. My photography backpack made for a nice backrest, and it was easy access to my camera for photos along the way (don't make fun of the beaded seat, it makes long miles more endurable


5-July-2013-1 by Colorado CJ, on Flickr


About 100 miles of riding later, after riding up 285, here's what waits on the other side of Kenosha Pass.

Riding down into South Park Basin (yes, South Park is real :p)


5-July-2013-3 by Colorado CJ, on Flickr


A couple of passes later, this is the view you get as you drop down into the little town of Buena Vista, Colorado. The Sawatch Mountain Range to the west is incredible.


5-July-2013-4 by Colorado CJ, on Flickr


Many miles later, riding down the flat, dry and hot San Luis Valley, I finally arrive at the Great Sand Dunes National Park.


5-July-2013-5 by Colorado CJ, on Flickr


I set up my camp, get out of my riding gear, and head out into the dunes. This is a very strange place, it can be absolutely still and silent, and at other times, the wind can be brutal, sandblasting you until any exposed skin is abraded raw. Luckily, the wind didn't show up during my short stay. The weather on the other hand wasn't the greatest (very overcast) and the smoke from fires down in New Mexico and Southern Colorado filled the skies.


5-July-2013-6 by Colorado CJ, on Flickr


The sunsets here can be otherworldly at times


5-July-2013-2 by Colorado CJ, on Flickr


That evening, I planned on staying up to try my had at some astrophotography. But, the clouds moved in and didn't clear off, after midnight, I tried a couple of shots, then called it a night.


5-July-2013-7 by Colorado CJ, on Flickr


The next morning, I got up before sunup and headed out into the dunes once more. Sunrise and sunset are the best times for photo oportunities, besides, during the heat of the day, that sand can get to 150 degrees.


5-July-2013-8 by Colorado CJ, on Flickr


5-July-2013-9 by Colorado CJ, on Flickr


5-July-2013-10 by Colorado CJ, on Flickr


Later that day, I'd had enough of the sand and wanted to get into some high country, so I packed camp back up on my bike and headed up to Cottonwood Pass. The road is nice asphalt on the east side, and maintained dirt on the west. The west side of the pass descends down into Taylor Park, a heaven on earth for outdoors people. Hunting, fishing, camping, miles and miles of off road trails and a lot of old Colorado history is down there, ringed by 14,000 ft peaks.

The east side of the pass


5-July-2013-12 by Colorado CJ, on Flickr


The west side of the pass, looking down into Taylor Park.


5-July-2013-11 by Colorado CJ, on Flickr


I didn't get but one (bad) photos down in the park itself, I was tired from the days ride and hiking the dunes. I set up camp, ate some food and lazed around.


5-July-2013-13 by Colorado CJ, on Flickr


The next morning, I rode some trails, visited the old mining town of Tin Cup (really kicking myself that I didn't get any photos there), then broke camp and headed home. 700 miles all told, I need to do something about that dirtbike seat, near split me in two in that many miles

Thanks for the look.

[Lena]

Stunning views...

[SonicScot]

Wonderful series!

[56 DIN]

amazing places well captured

[tomasg]

Really beautiful photos and landscape i am really envy , looks like you are one of those people who likes to be alone, not to confuse it with lonely. The dunes are my favorite ones, they contain just the most basic elements to make a photo, shape and color, one just has to look for the "right" light.

Tomas

[Orio]

I don't know what to say... I don't remember any other series of photos here that left me so speechless and in awe...
even "stunning" feels reductive... I think that "elevating" is what more approaches my feeling in viewing these.
Thanks much for sharing!!!! Best 5 minutes I spent online in a long time.

[Rick1779]

[RSalles]

It's impossible for me to choose which is the best, all photos are really impressive. This is a series that i absolutely LOVE in every sense and appreciate the results as a above the medium level, even considering myself a some sort of specialist in capturing landscapes in digital format with manual focus lenses. But I do agree with people who thinks that my specialisation in landscape on digital format is something in my brain and nowhere else.



Regards,

Renato

[fermy]

Superb stuff, indeed one of the best landscape series that I've seen not just here, but anywhere.

[hexi]

Quite a landscape, lucky you

[patrickh]

What a great road trip. Thanks for sharing


patrickh

[skida]

Motorbikes and cameras: made for each other, and you captured some magic. Stunned and jealous.

[poilu]

+1 each pic is stunning, wow !

[trifox]

absolutely fantastic -

there is not too much PP, I believe, therefore, all pics look very natural

thanks for sharing these

great job.

tf

[bhargav]

You always post some of the best landscape shots here in the forum. This is possibly the best I've seen. Like others have said, absolutely stunning. Like a good pageturner, each photo leaves you wanting to see more.

[BurstMox]

Thanks for sharing, that's a lot of great shots !

[IAZA]

high class, National geographic one.
Thanks for share

[Colorado CJ]

Sorry for getting back to everyone so late.

[Colorado CJ]

[Gurin]

This is great stuff.

[kds315*]

I'm speechless - what awesome shots and a wonderful story in pictures!
Amazingly well done!

[iangreenhalgh1]

[Nikos]

One of the best series I've seen i a long time.

Especially No 5 is soooooo amazing...
Incredible colors.

[pich900]

, that's quite incredible images, like everybody said, that's probably the most wonderful landscapes serie seen on this forum!!!
The colors are so natural, I'm also speechless by the beauty of the nature.... such lucky guy you are to ride your bike in this kind of surrounding so closed to your home ....and your bike looks in pretty good condition especially for a 20 years old's bike I guess! I'm also a bike rider, I have an old Africa twin 750cc but unfortunately we don't have here in the Netherlands this kind of landscape in our surrounding .......