finding beauty in the common and the uncommon


Welcome to the website of photographer Mikel Detmer


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Boulder sunrise


Good morning Boulder.

From,
Flagstaff Mountain

suspended dew


Spring is a magical time of growth and rebirth, of amazing beauty.
Here you see two flower buds delicately suspending a lone drop of dew in the evening sun.

Fire and Ice

Snowy paradise


The last picture from my spring trip to Grays and Torreys Peaks. Or is it the last?
On the left is Grays, and towards the center is Torreys. This peaceful photo belies just how windy and harsh the day really was, but stays true to the majestic beauty of the Rocky Mountains.

bzzz bzzz


A humble bumblebee collects pollen from a wildflower, swaying in the cool summer breeze that flows down from nearby Shoshoni Peak. Welcome to the Indian Peaks Wilderness area in Colorado.

serenity

Windy Edwards!!


Here’s the photo I promised of blowing snow on Mt Edwards… wow!
This photo was taken from most of the way up neighboring Grays Peak.

Early spring visit to Grays Peak


April 2, 2011

I had never given much consideration to climbing a 14er outside of the summer season, until a friend called up (okay, actually he texted) and said “Hey, wanna go up Grays and Torreys this weekend?”. Of course I did!

The winter trailhead is just off of I-70 at the Bakerville exit, only about 50 miles west of Denver. We hit the trail shortly after sunrise at 7am and enjoyed a rare chance at climbing a 14er ‘standard’ route without sharing it with 100+ other people. Priceless! We didn’t make it up Torreys Peak because it took us so long to summit Grays Peak (14,278 feet), but it was still a near-perfect day. Curse you, high altitude!

Here you see a view back towards Grays and Mt Edwards in the mid-afternoon. Edwards is just to the left of the center in the picture, while Grays is towards the right side – where my tracks are coming from. Later on I’ll share a picture showing the incredible winds blowing snow from the south face of Mt. Edwards. Enjoy!

Fly to the moon


A robin in late winter, perched and waiting for spring.