Ice Lake Basin
Ice Lake - Nikon D300, Nikon 35mm f/2 @ f/8, 1/80 sec., ISO 200
Flowers - Nikon D300, Tokina 11-16mm, f/14, 1/50 sec., ISO 200
Sweet Water - Nikon D300, Tokina 11-16mm, f/13, 8 secs., ISO 100
Columbines - Nikon D300, Nikon 35mm f/2 @ f/2.8, 1/1600 sec., ISO 100
Late Sun - Nikon D300, Nikon 35mm f/2 @ f/11, 1/25 sec., ISO 100
Ice Lake Minor - Nikon D300, Tokina 11-16mm, f/8, 1/80 sec., ISO 200
I went on a backpacking trip with my brother last weekend to Ice Lake basin near Silverton, Colorado. It is a phenomenally gorgeous area of the San Juan mountains. I believe we hit the peak of the wildflower season perfectly because the hills were virtually carpeted with flowers. Though the trail was busy during the day, I’m sure it wasn’t as busy as Yankee Boy or American Basin which are the well known photography destinations this time of year. I highly recommend Ice Lake Basin for anyone up for a high altitude hike. The blue color of the water at Ice Lake is truly mind blowing. It’s as blue, if not more so, than anything in the Caribbean or Mediterranean.
This trip was the my first opportunity to use my new Gitzo GT1541T carbon fiber tripod, which I invested in specifically for backpacking and overseas travel. It weighs less than 3 lbs and folds up to 16 inches long but can still hold the weight of my DSLR. I’ll be posting a review of my experiences with it here shortly.
Unbelievable shots—and affirming of my assessment that the San Juans are the best area of Colorado.