Photographing wildflowers in Colorado's high country

PSA Journal, July, 1991 by Diane Cooper

Photographing Wildflowers in Colorado's High Country

I will do almost anything to get a good shot of a wildflower, because that is the type of photography I enjoy the most. So, when I saw photographs of exquisite wildflowers growing at an altitude of 13,000 feet in Southwestern Colorado, they beckoned me like nothing else ever had. I knew I had to go there to photograph them. Yet, I was not prepared for what it would take to reach these mountain beauties. To put it succinctly, I not only got the photographs, but I got a lot more excitement than I bargained for.

I drove from central Texas to the small village of Ourey, nestled among the San Juan mountains of southwestern Colorado. As it was, the drive from Durango to Silverton to Ourey was a test of nerves. The highway twisted and turned, climbing to precarious heights; then, after reaching the top, I was faced with inclines that tested my vehicle's braking power to the limits...switch-backs so sharp I had to slow to speeds of 10mph to negotiate them. These are the most rugged mountains of the Rockies, but this was not the time to enjoy the magnificent scenery, I can assure you. By the time I negotiated the Million Dollar Highway and drove down into Ourey, I was ready to stop! Little did I know that this was a piece of cake compared to the adventure that lie ahead!

I soon learned the only way to photograph the lovely flowers in the alpine meadows was to either drive my own jeep, rent a jeep or take a jeep tour. I did not have a jeep, and I didn't know how to handle a 4-wheel drive. The tours in Ourey were primarily geared for sightseers, not serious photographers. However, I learned that the motel where I was staying offered full day and half day jeep tours--taking one to three people on each trip. I opted for the all day trip because it would take me where the alpine meadows were at their best. We would climb from 7,700 feet to more than 13,000 feet during the course of the trip.

I really didn't think about what lie ahead when I booked this jeep ride. Oh sure, I had read the Ourey Vacation Guide, but all I retained was that we would be traversing some of the most beautiful scenery in the world. Well, OK, I did notice that the Imogene Pass trail (where we were going) was rated a Class 4/5, which meant it was very difficult and to use extreme caution. Never mind that it rained, and rained hard the night before. Somewhere between reality and a dreamlike state, I visualized myself sliding around in a 4-wheel drive on that yet to be seen mountaintop. When I woke to sunshine the appointed morning, I began to have second thoughts, but there was no turning back. So I met Chuck Whitehead and two other passengers from Texas. Chuck is a pleasant man with an easy smile who has been taking people on this highly exciting ride for more than eight years and has been four-wheeling for 20 years.

We headed south on the Million Dollar Highway for a few miles and then took a trail that would lead us to the wildflowers, abandoned gold mines, waterfalls and a bird's-eye view of the wonderful San Juan mountains. As we climbed up the trail, the road narrowed, the rocks became larger, the ruts deeper and the drop offs could paralyze one with fear. This was not a trip for the fainthearted. But it was obvious that Chuck knew the capabilities of his jeep. Right away he put me at ease so I made up my mind to sit back and just enjoy the day. The switch-backs were not built for jeeps--it took at least two to three turns to negotiate each one. The abuse our jeep took was incredible, but this didn't seem to bother Chuck. Every once in awhile he would stop to point out the possibility of a winning flower shot, allowing as much time as we needed. The fields were full of the Columbines (the state flower), Lupines and Paintbrush, to name a few. I was pleased to learn that Chuck tailors his trips to suit his passengers needs. He knew I was a serious amateur photographer so he gave me the time to set up my wildflower shots as he was an amateur photographer himself. He had a wonderful knowledge where the loveliest display of wildflowers were and he could name just about every species we saw.

The trail took us past the Tomboy mine site, once the largest gold mine in North America. It was discovered in 1880. At one time the valley was filled with mine buildings, a large 60 stamp mill, livery stables, a school, homes, a store, a boardinghouse for 250 men and a bowling alley. The mine was shut down in 1925 when the gold was exhausted and most of the buildings were razed for scrap during World War II, though one can still see remnants of this history making area. It was difficult to imagine people travelling this road in the dead of winter during snow and ice storms either on foot or by mules. We also passed several waterfalls and when we reached the top of Imogene Pass it was snowing! But this didn't mar our enjoying the grandeur of the Mount Sneffels range that lay before us! We continued our drive into Imogene meadows and found the most beautiful array of wildflowers I had ever seen grouped together. We were favored with an ambient light and not much wind (the dearth of close-up photographers).