Approximately 60 miles North of Durango on Highway 550, and about an hour and a half of driving, there is a hiking trail known as Ice Lake Basin. This hike has become renowned since the advent of social media, but it is still spectacular and makes for an incredible place to elope in Colorado. As a Durango photographer photos in this area are some of my favorites in the whole region of my southwest photography scope. Most Durango photographers are familiar with this place, but choose to take their photos in places that are more easily accessible; however, Colorado elopement packages booked here are some of my favorite! Yes, the hike is a bit grueling, yet it is so worth it. Elopement photography here is about as good as it gets in my opinion and I am always anxious to return. For those of you who haven't been here let's talk logistics. The nearest town is Silverton, which is only about 15 minutes from the trailhead. Silverton in itself is an incredibly beautiful old mining town surrounded by majestic high-mountain basins filled with excellent opportunities for adventure elopements. Unfortunately, Silverton does not have an airport. The easiest option is to fly into Durango (a rather small airport), rent a car, and drive up from there. Otherwise, you could fly into Montrose (an even smaller airport), which is North of Silverton about an hour and a half's drive. The drive from either direction is beautiful, but some folks would probably prefer not to have to drive over Red Mountain Pass (because it is scary). For more info on that click here: Red Mountain Pass The hike itself is steep and strenuous. The route is about 7.5 miles round trip to the infamous Ice Lake and back along the most direct path, and the vertical gain along the way is roughly 2,400 feet up to 12,000 ft in elevation. On this particular day we started hiking just after the sunrise to avoid afternoon monsoons. Lucky and his fiancee carried their wedding attire in backpacks, along with some champagne, and changed into their clothes at the lake in order to look fresh. As with any Colorado hikes above treeline it is important to consider summer thunderstorms and elevation sickness. There are several other beautiful lakes in the surrounding basin that add more vertical gain and length to your itinerary, but they are all worth it if you feel up to it (and the weather is holding out)! Hike info and stats: Ice Lake Trail I would love to help you plan and execute your perfect day up in this basin! To contact me click here: Contact
For more wedding and elopement photography from me click here: Wedding / Elopement Gallery
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Dunton Hot Springs, a charming, beautiful, ghost town that has come back to life in the form of a secluded luxury resort, can be found 81 miles Northwest of Durango via a drive through Dolores, Colorado, up Highway 145. This incredible destination is only about 12 miles from Telluride as the crow flies; however, it is still a 73 mile drive due to it's remote location (which really adds to it's charm). Dunton Hot Springs is an absolutely lovely place for an elopement for this reason. It's sleepy charm is dramatized by it's stunning location on the backside of the Wilson Group, the classic mountains memorialized on Coors beer cans. Durango photographers and Telluride photographers alike love doing photography sessions here. When approaching Dunton it seems as if you are driving into an abandoned town straight from mining history; upon further investigation you will quickly realize that this ghost town has been completely revitalized and is now a luxury getaway destination. Guests rent individual cabins within the townsite for lodging and are treated to a full bar, gourmet breakfast, lunch, and dinner, hot springs, and several other amenities for the duration of their stay. Dunton is a dream destination both for guests and Colorado elopement photographers! We met Kenji and Andrea at their private cabin and were immediately impressed by their lodging and their lunch spread! The ceremony was held in the townsite under an old shelter structure and we then perused the townsite during a brief squall. The weather was exceptional for this winter elopement and as a Durango wedding photographer I couldn't have been more pleased! Overcast cloud cover coupled with light snow is about as perfect as winter photography can get. Drinks were served at the historic bar and cake was cut before a game of pool commenced. We then headed to the beautiful, rustic hot springs indoor pool, followed by the library room furnished with lounge chairs and whiskey sips. Kenji and Andrea lodged in one of a handful of cabins in the townsite and although they did not rent out the entirety of Dunton Hot Springs it really felt like we had the whole place to ourselves! Winters in Dunton are exceptionally peaceful and relaxing. These two couldn't have picked a better place for their Colorado elopement package and as a Durango elopement photographer I couldn't have been more excited to work with them! For more information regarding Dunton Hot Springs, bookings, and their amenities go to this website: www.duntondestinations.com/hot-springs/ Dunton also serves several other luxury locations: www.duntondestinations.com/ In regards to weddings at Telluride ski area click here: tellurideskiresort.com/weddings/ For more photos from me click here: Wedding / Elopement Gallery For inquiries click here: Contact
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Andrew F HighDurango / Southwest Photography's photographical journal. Archives
February 2024
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What My Clients Are Saying:"My husband and I have known Andy for years and when we got married he was our first choice for photographers for so many reasons. We wanted someone who would capture our big day without it feeling intrusive, or forced, he was so fun and easy going and put us and our guests/wedding party at ease. His natural ability to capture and highlight landscapes made for pictures that showcase why we choose to get married in the mountains. He paid close attention to details, and got candid shots we absolutely love. Additionally he was so organized and got every posed shot we had asked him for, without us having to worry or keep track. He got the pictures back to us quickly and has been so fun and professional to work with. I highly recommend Andy for any occasion." -Nicole Patrick
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Email: andy.f.high@gmail.com |