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McClure Pass Spring Aspen Grove

This past week’s weather has me thinking about spring. I know it officially begins today and I’ve seen photos of balancing eggs to prove it but up here around 9000 feet we’ll have another two months of white stuff before any hints of green. Still, the temperatures lately have been hinting that spring is on the way. Perhaps it’s finally time to wash the down coat and put it away for another 8 month rest. Our local crazy spring antics are fully underway with the Al Johnson Memorial Uphill/Downhill ski race taking place this afternoon and the prediction of wind and dust for tomorrow. Let’s face it, green or not, it’s spring.

Even though what most people think defines spring, grass turning green, flowers blooming, flip flops, shorts and running around without a jacket, doesn’t seem to happen here until the end of May my thoughts have been on spring photo trips. In another month it won’t take much of a drive to find spring so I’ve started dreaming, if not actually planning some trips. If anyone has any great ideas for some great photo spots within about 400-500 miles of Crested Butte, I’d love to hear about them.

This week’s photo, “McClure Pass Spring Aspens” was captured on Fujifilm Velvia film using a Hasselblad XPan panorama camera a number of years ago. Every spring when the Aspens start to leaf out we witness a cool transformation. The progression of leaf colors and transparency usually only takes a few days. The forest goes from looking like “kitten’s ears” (green of course) to limeaide almost overnight. Once the leaves are fully formed they are somewhat transparent and lime green for a day or two before finally becoming the opaque green we will enjoy until September. Catching the transparent lime color is tricky (or lucky) business. I’m living with luck for the above photo since I didn’t really go out looking for the situation. I was returning to Crested Butte from Aspen and thrilled to be traveling over Kebler Pass which had been closed for the previous six months or so. At the base of McClure pass there is a huge Aspen grove which always intrigued me but had never really offered any great photographs. But this was the day! With the afternoon sun behind the trees and a slightly overcast sky conditions were just right to capture the glowing transparent leaves and the intense green color. The saturation of the Velvia film didn’t hurt the situation either.

This image has been presented on traditional photographic materials as well as fine art cotton papers and on canvas gallery wrapped on a stretcher frame. The canvas version is a 20″ x 48″ edition limited to 25 signed and numbered at $750 for number 5 in the edition. I’ll pay for shipping if you’re interested. Have a wonderful Springy week.

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