Mark Gruenhaupt and his brother busied themselves setting up camp on the San Juan National Forest in Colorado in July 2020. They were on the second night of a self-guided, multi-day four-wheel-drive trip they had hoped to take with others – until the pandemic hit.
So, they decided to follow the route on their own. As nightfall closed in, Gruenhaupt and his brother focused on setting up their roof-top tent and getting everything organized so they could turn their attention to the night skies.
“We started to set up in a spot in the trees, then I found the opening, so we moved,” said Gruenhaupt, who lives in Overland Park, Kansas. “We were just really busy settling in. Then I turn around, and there was the Milky Way. I grabbed my camera. We hurried and turned on the lights in the tent. I set the camera for long exposure and hoped for the best.”
Gruenhaupt’s hope landed him the grand prize winner in the 2020 Share the Experience photo competition, a contest he didn’t know about at the time. When he found out, he entered about 19 photos. It only took that one to win him more than $10,000 in cash plus other prizes, including having his photo grace the 2022 Annual Federal Recreation Lands Pass.
Originally, Gruenhaupt had planned to photograph the Neowise Comet. Using an app on his phone, he began to figure out where to find the comet in the night sky. That’s when he discovered that the Milky Way would be visible over the top of his brother’s vehicle and the stand of trees just beyond.
“During our test shots, we decided to light up the tent with headlamps to add interest and story to the image,” he said. “It was an amazing night of soaking up the Neowise Comet, the Milky Way and the incredible number of stars on display in the quiet of Colorado’s backcountry.”
The prize, Gruenhaupt said, is great, but there is something more behind the lens.
“This photo is special to me because it was an awesome week that my brother and I were able to share, and it was an opportunity to get out into nature during such a difficult year of being locked inside,” he said, adding that they grew up in a family who frequently enjoyed the outdoors. “With so many negative things associated with [2020], I felt like it was appropriate to share something beautiful and positive from this time…”
Gruenhaupt shot the winning photo on the San Juan National Forest, which
covers more than 1.8 million acres in the southwest corner of Colorado that ranges from high-desert mesas to alpine peaks, with thousands of miles of back roads and hundreds of miles of trail. The forest also is known for spectacular dark sky views that draw stargazers like Gruenhaupt.
The forest features incredible, one-of-a-kind experiences, including hiking several of Colorado’s famous 14’ers (mountain peaks above 14,000 feet in elevation) on the Weminuche and Lizard Head Wilderness Areas. The 4,726-acre Chimney Rock National Monument offers a glimpse into what life must have been in 900-1150 AD. Archeologists found more than 150 documented archaeological resources in eight clusters that date back to the Pueblo II period. Today, Chimney Rock is one of the best-recognized archaeo-astronomical resources in North America, with alignments to the northern lunar standstill, summer solstice, equinoxes and Crab Nebula.
Other top winners in the 2020 Share the Experience contest are:
Second Place
Rudi Jensen, 42, who lives in Northeastern Wisconsin, took a photo of the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore in Michigan, a place he says is his favorite place to hike. “I think sharing photos and life experiences help get people outside to see the beauty for themselves. I have told so many people about my hiking trips and always hear, ‘I need to check that out.’ My friends and I have been accumulating extra gear so we can take people with us, rather than just talk and show people our trips.”
Third Place
Kathy Ritter spent more than two decades working in corporate America, retiring from a Fortune 500 company in a job that helped her travel worldwide. In retirement, she’s fulfilling a dream of being a photographer. “Living in the mountains of Northern Arizona, I enjoy the beauty and nature of the environment I live in and practice my photography often in hopes that I can capture emotion and stories of the many places we visit and love.” It worked. She landed third place for her photograph taken at Carnero Lake on the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests in Arizona. The two forests, considered as one administratively, are more than 2 million acres on mountain country in east-central Arizona. The forest boasts more than 30 lakes and reservoirs and more than 1,000 miles of rivers and streams.
About Share the Experience
The Share the Experience Photo Contest is an annual photography competition encouraging all nature lovers and amateur shutterbugs to capture their favorite views, moments and adventures in national parks and on public lands. The 2021 contest launched on June 17 with a submission deadline of Dec. 31, 2021. The contest is a special opportunity for outdoor enthusiasts to share their love of federal lands beautiful views, unique finds and hidden treasures. The contest, administered by the National Park Foundation, is hosted in partnership with six participating federal agencies: the National Park Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the Bureau of Reclamation, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the USDA Forest Service, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and Recreation.gov.
About the America the Beautiful - National Parks & Federal Recreational Lands Annual Pass
The Interagency Annual Pass may be your best value if you plan to visit many different federal lands across the nation, including lands managed by federal agencies. You may also qualify for other passes. Read more about the federal pass program.
