Over the past couple of years, I’ve spent quite a lot of time in a few favorite mountain towns in Colorado. While some of these towns have long been favorites, I’ve been lucky to be able to spend a lot more time here recently exploring new areas. In fact, 2025 has resulted in almost monthly time here, either for work or recreation. I believe February has been the only month so far this year that hasn’t involved some time in the mountains. I’ve made many images during these trips, and one recent day allowed me to enjoy some photography in the rain.
Recently, during a day off of work in the Summit County ski town of Dillon, we went hiking in the Eagles Nest Wilderness in Summit County. This is part of the White River National Forest, located above the town of Silverthorne. An hour or so into a 3-hour hike, it began to rain lightly. We had watched the forecast and knew light rain was coming. Of course in the mountains, the weather can change quickly, so it’s important to pay attention to the forecast when heading out.
As participants in my photo workshops know, I strongly advocate photographing in light rain: the moisture on surfaces in the landscape saturates the colors and emphasize the textures. The sky is often far more interesting than on those cliché blue-sky day. Of course, one needs to take precautions to protect themselves and their camera gear, and to be sure to check the forecast ahead of time. If the forecast had been for a downpour, I wouldn’t have gone. But I was very excited to get my camera out and make some images as the rain began. I slid on my camera rain cover, and started photographing.
Here are a few favorites from the day.
While the trail back to trailhead was a little slippery (and the golden retrievers accompanying us were a little muddy), we made it back to the trailhead with no problem. It was a beautiful afternoon.
And after getting back to Dillon, the cloud cover cleared off, and we were rewarded with a beautiful sunset.
