Late in April 2012, I had the good fortune to be in Denver. On the chance that the afternoon I had free would include photogenic weather, I arranged to rent a car and planned to drive to the Rockies (ironically, the gas cost as much as the car rental).
April weather in the Rockies is dicey at best. From Park weather updates, I knew Trail Ridge Road wasn't going to be open all the way to Grand Lake (it still isn't) but it was open to Rainbow Curve which let me drive about 12 miles into the Park. By the time I arrived at Rainbow Curve, however, snow-filled clouds had descended over Ypsilon Mountain rendering it a gray and featureless peak.
After waiting a while, hoping for the clouds to clear, I gave up and drove back down Trail Ridge Road to find a much better opportunity at Many Parks Curve overlook. This photograph was taken from there, specifically, from from a walking bridge reached from Many Parks Curve parking area.
What the photo doesn't capture is the cold wind that was whipping around the parking area. At times I was pelted with dust (or snow), but I was determined to wait until the clouds were not covering or shading Long's Peak. Fortunately I didn't have to wait too long for the clouds to cooperate.
From a technical standpoint, the photo captures what I saw at the time. I've enhanced the contrast on the clouds to better reflect the drama of the moment. I was slightly disappointed that Long's Peak appears to be "glowing" but I think that is the effect of the afternoon sun piercing through the clouds. I've purposely not retouched the sun rays above Long's Peak. I find them mildly distracting but they have grown on me.
I had hoped to see the setting sun illuminate Long's Peak, staying in the Park until it was pretty obvious the clouds were not going to cooperate. Few clouds are without a silver lining as staying the Park until dusk let me have dinner while I watched a large herd of elk graze for their dinner.
