This fall I traveled to Vail, Colorado with a close friend for a week of mountain biking, exploring, and photographing the changing aspens. We spent our first two days riding Vail Mountain, then traveled through Leadville, Independence Pass, Aspen, Ashcroft, Glenwood Springs, and Piney River Ranch. The scale of the landscape was incredible, especially the mountain passes, quiet mining towns, and stretches of fall color along the way.
The weather shifted throughout the week, from clear mountain views to cold, heavy rain and low clouds. Rather than fight those conditions, I leaned into them while editing, giving many of the images a darker, moodier look that felt true to the trip. Piney River Ranch was especially atmospheric, with the bad weather completely changing the character of the landscape.
This gallery is a selection of my favorite images from the week.
All images were taken with a Canon R5mk2 / 24-105, DJI Mini 4 Pro, or iPhone 17 Pro.
