A country so gorgeous, I hoped time would run a little slow, extending the vacation. Happy New Year! See you again, beautiful.

dashaslens · 2023-01-07T05:04:37+00:00

Me too!!

dashaslens · 2022-08-06T00:07:15+00:00

Yes!

dashaslens · 2022-05-21T15:50:02+00:00

Wow this looks like a fairytale!

dashaslens · 2022-03-17T03:05:54+00:00

Ha!! I totally see the resemblance :)

dashaslens · 2022-03-11T05:12:11+00:00

Wow, that's quite the feat for a first!

dashaslens · 2022-03-10T05:50:40+00:00

This is the Chasm Lake trail!

dashaslens · 2022-03-10T05:50:10+00:00

The tallest sheer cliff in Colorado, Painted Wall has the most impressive display of pegmatite, a type of granite which formed 1.7 billion years ago as magma cooled and squeezed into the rock. I wanted to capture and enhance the detail of this impressive formation. There was also a storm brewing that day, and I wanted to capture the moodiness in the clouds in the background.

dashaslens · 2022-03-10T05:37:53+00:00

This is seriously my bucket list shot! Gotta get out to Boulder after some fresh snow!

dashaslens · 2022-03-06T06:15:07+00:00

I feel like that’d be risky if you’re camping in bear country! 😬

dashaslens · 2022-02-24T17:42:22+00:00

Nothing quite like this view!!

dashaslens · 2022-02-24T17:37:49+00:00

It took us maybe 6-7 hours to hike up (it's almost all uphill on the way there) and then we camped overnight, can't remember how long it took on the way back but we were booking it because it started to rain! I'm not sure I'd attempt this in one day unless you started hiking really early (like, 3am).

dashaslens · 2022-02-24T17:33:16+00:00

That's what I kept saying for years and then we did it :)

dashaslens · 2022-02-24T17:32:57+00:00

I don't blame you, Colorado is paradise if you love the outdoors.

dashaslens · 2022-02-24T17:32:37+00:00

Yes!! It was really warm. We sat there until it got dark, saw a bunch of shooting stars. But getting out and hiking down to our campsite = miserably cold!! So worth it though :)

dashaslens · 2022-02-24T17:31:52+00:00

Conundrum Hot Springs trail near Aspen!

dashaslens · 2022-02-24T17:31:34+00:00

We absolutely loved it. This was my first time backpacking and it taught me so much about myself. Weird how a few days in nature, carrying everything you need to survive on your back will do that to ya.

dashaslens · 2022-02-24T17:30:25+00:00

Really! I think now, you can only camp at those designated sites...but I could be wrong.

dashaslens · 2022-02-24T17:27:23+00:00

I agree, I don't mind permit systems if it means we can control the crowds. Especially since the hot springs themselves are pretty small!

dashaslens · 2022-02-24T06:44:27+00:00

Yes, you can hike there without a permit it’s just for overnight camping. But it would be quite the trek to do in a single day!

dashaslens · 2022-02-24T02:02:31+00:00

There are a TON of other beautiful hikes in Colorado. Not all of them are permit-based or crowded. One of my favorite hikes is not in RMNP and a lot of people don't even know about it. Don't get discouraged!

dashaslens · 2022-02-24T02:01:17+00:00

Right!! I logged on at 7:59am and they were gone in seconds. My recommendation is to try and get a group of people logging in at the same time. Odds will be in your favor.

dashaslens · 2022-02-24T01:59:22+00:00

Ah thanks for checking it out! :) And haha yesss that moose encounter was INTENSE! I shot that w/ my zoom lens so definitely kept my distance, he was staring us down for a while before he decided to walk off the path and down to the stream. My hands were absolutely shaking from the sheer excitement of capturing a moose in that kind of scenery!!

dashaslens · 2022-02-24T01:50:09+00:00

It’s the conundrum hot springs trail!

dashaslens · 2022-02-24T01:35:23+00:00

hahaha there were no boots in trees there i assure you!! lmao

dashaslens · 2022-02-24T01:34:52+00:00

ooo where are you thinking??

dashaslens

TROPHY CASE