RMNP, Yellowstone, Crested Butte, Tetons

[hknauer]

We should all have such choices. I would like to take a workshop this fall and

there are 4 workshops in 4 separate areas. While I am sure that they are all

great locations, I haven't been to any of them so your comments would be

appreciated. In each case, the timing of the workshop is the same, September 24-30.

My equipment is a D200, 80-400 long lens, 12-24 wa, and 18-200. I am interested

in both the scenery and the animals so hence my dilemma.

 

RMNP and Crested Butte are hosted by Weldon Lee, the RMNP workshop being

advertised as more a wildlife tour and the crested Butte workshop advertised as

more toward scenic. Joe and Mary Mcdonald are running the Yellowstone workshop

and Jess Lee is doing Yellowstone and Grand Tetons.

 

I am interested in a tour that will be fruitfull as well as physically easy.

Thoughts?

[joseph_smith3]

In Crested Butte, you will not find much if any wildlife. The Fall colors are hard to predict. I would do some google searches of the Crested Butte area for wildflowers and rainfall and see what people say. Lack of rain this summer will diminish the colors as will other factors too. If the colors are there, CB is a beautiful area in the fall. My guess is that the safest area is Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons. You have both wildlife and great landscapes. Go to www.naturephotographers.net and check out the colorado forum and post the same question there. Joe Smith

[bill_proud]

Howard,

 

What a tough choice. Living in Colorado,I've photographed in all those places and without a doubt being in Yellowstone in the fall and hearing the bugling of Elk is a soul stirring experience. Your 80-400mm may be a tad short but might still get you something. Downside is it will be crowded. I've crossed paths with a Joe McDonald tour and they usually are large tours, I'm guessing 20 people. If you like camraderie, that would be great.

 

Yellowstone does not have the great scenery as does Tetons and its mountains. The Teton Valley is one of the most majestic scenes in the country. But so is the Maroon Bells, which you would get in the Crested Butte tour. If you want miles of yellow Aspen you would have to do that one.

 

RMNP has elk but I understand the park rangers are a lot less understanding about approaching them, especially in groups. And if there is no snow up high to drive down the Big Horn Sheep, they may be hard to find. Maybe someone else can comment on whether or not they will be there that early.

 

good luck on your choice,

 

www.billproudphotography.com

[william_bean]

I've got the answer to your problem. I'll be going to Crested Butte in late September. Take the Yellowstone/Tetons workshop, send me the money for the CB workshop, and I'll send you some photos. (Just kidding)

What a choice...I have to agree with my fellow Coloradan since I have also photographed all those locations. Crested Butte will have few to zero wildlife opportunities. Your time frame falls during hunting season so the critters will be difficult to find at best. RMNP will be an elk trip first and foremost. It's kind of like the whale watching cruises in Washington and Alaska. They go for the sure thing first and everything else is low priority. In RMNP, elk is a sure thing.

 

For scenics, I haven't been north that late in September so I can't comment on the fall colors in Wyoming though that far north I'd be a bit concerned if they have an early cold snap. The Kebler Pass area west of Crested Butte sits in the middle of the largest Aspen forest in North America and can be quite spectacular.

 

If I had to make the decision and discount the fact that I live 2 hours from RMNP and 4 hours from Crested Butte, the determining factor for me would probably be to speak with the workshop instructors on the phone and go with the one I had the best rapport with. I've found that when it comes to workshops and seminars the instructor can make or break it no matter what the subject matter. Call em up and talk to them. The main thing for me is rapport but I also want to know if the instructor will be shooting also or merely instructing. I'm not really into financing photo opportunities for a workshop instructor. Let them shoot on their time, not mine.

 

Good luck and good shooting. I think you've come across a classic win/win situation and will not be disappointed with your decision whatever it is. BTW, I'm headed for CB (Wildflower capital of Colorado) this weekend. Hope to see you all there.

[david_henderson]

What do you want to photograph?

 

I've photographed in Crested Butte twice in late September and enjoyed both. My only caveat is that you'll either catch the aspens or you won't. I've been lucky once (try yellow aspens in the snow) and less lucky once at about the same time in September as you'd be there. There are a whole series of roads up there that provide a wealth of photography in each direction, but you need to be sure that the tour has vehicles that are going to get you to Kebler Pass, Ohio Creek etc at the very least and preferably into the Ruby Range north of town. If you're restricted to tarmac I wouldn't bother.

 

I've spent a little time in RMNP too but was much less impressed by the photographic opportunity albeit that the weather was dull and misty. But then I don't want to do wildlife. Do you?

 

I haven't been to Grand Tetons or Yellowstone - the impression I have of the former, from several colleagues who have been there- is that there are a handful of classic views that everyone's got and that its quite hard to find much else of interest. I guess that, from people I'd generally trust- has been enough to keep me away.

[david_shaffer]

I've done the Yellowstone tour with the McDonalds and I can testify that it is a superb experience -- especially for wildlife. Yellowstone's scenery is nice but not grand; for that, I might suggest you drive to or from there via the Grand Tetons and shoot them on your own. As you can see from the Hoot Hollow web site:

<a href="http://www.hoothollow.com/YellowstoneBrochre1.html">http://www.hoothollow.com/YellowstoneBrochre1.html</a>

they limit participants to 10 each week. They are extremely well-organized and knowledgeable, and take great care of you. I posted a photo gallery and trip report from my 2003 trip with them here:

<a href="http://home.nycap.rr.com/dshaffer/Yellowstone/index.htm">http://home.nycap.rr.com/dshaffer/Yellowstone/index.htm</a>

I've not done anything with Weldon Lee and his workshops may be just great, too; but I can vouch for Joe and Mary Ann.

[jimitoucan]

Yellowstone or Tetons, hands down. More to see, more wildlife, much more fun. There

are plenty of new views if you look, and your 80-400 is plenty long for most wildlife,

especially with the D200, 120-600mm effective. Add the 1.4 and you can't go wrong.

 

Teton views, snake river overlook, Oxbow Bend, Moose/Wilson road, wow! I love that

place. Lots of wildlife too, Moose, coyote, bears, maybe wolves. Fall colors, too.

 

Yellowstone, geysers, swans, elk, bear, coyote, and maybe wolves. yea baby.

 

Either one, then go to the other on way home and shoot what you've learned.