Anja + Jim | Winter Couples Session on Loveland Pass

The few days leading up to Anja + Jim’s Loveland Pass adventure couples session were full of dark winter snow storms that just sat over the Rocky Mountains. This storm dumped feet and feet of snow on Loveland Pass. To give you an idea of the amount of snow the mountains received, this is the first time in over a decade that ski resorts across Colorado were opening early due to the massive amounts of snowfall.

I always have my eye on the Colorado weather leading up to sessions, because if you’ve lived here at least a week, you’ll know that our weather can go from sun to rain to wind to snow in a matter of a few hours. The day before Anja and Jim’s session I was looking at the weather and road conditions and things weren’t looking hopeful for their November afternoon couples session. The roads were icy and snow packed. The weather forecast said it was only supposed to be 30 degrees at the base of Loveland Pass, which probably meant it would be about 15 or 20 degrees up top (and that doesn’t include the 15 mph wind chill). But Anja and I decided to look again the morning of their session and we’d make a game-time decision.

The morning of their session, I took a look again at the weather and road conditions. Thankfully the road conditions had improved a ton – I no longer felt like I was in danger of sliding off a cliff to my death. The temperatures were still supposed to be COLD but the wind chill was a little less. So I told Anja and Jim to wear as many warm layers as possible and get ready for an adventure!

The drive up to Loveland Pass that day was a beautiful, sunny, blue-bird day. Loveland Pass is the highest paved pass in North America and is said to be one of the highest mountain passes in the world that is open regularly through the snowy Colorado winter. As I drove up the pass, the fresh blanket of snow was glimmering, just begging for someone to go run through it (which we did).

I met Anja + Jim on the side of the road and we started their session off with hot chocolate and Bailey’s. I had brought our standard, American hot chocolate packets to make, but Anja, being from Germany, knew how real hot chocolate was supposed to be made. She brought along homemade hot chocolate made with milk and real chocolate. It brought me back to my study abroad days traveling around Europe. I would always comment how freekin’ amazing their hot chocolate was in Europe. So we celebrated Anja and Jim and being in one of the coolest spots in Colorado with a cup of hot cocoa.

Anja and Jim met in Germany back in 2014. Jim was stationed there in the military and Anja was born and raised in Germany. As a part of his job, Jim would often visit the hospital that Anja worked at. Anja was one of the few nurses that could speak English – so naturally they started chatting. The rest is pretty much history.

Anja and Jim got married in Texas when they came back to the U.S. three years ago and then had a big wedding in Germany a year later to celebrate with Anja’s family and friends.

These two now have moved across country many times for Jim’s job, but everywhere they go they love to be outdoors, going on adventures and hikes to explore their new home. They are planning on going ice climbing in February!

Anja and Jim have two adopted pups, Rhodey and Gyda. Rhodey is their “engagement puppy” because Jim proposed to Anja the day they adopted him. Gyda is their newest puppy mutt that they adopted so Rhodey would have a friend to play with. These two were on cloud nine up on Loveland Pass playing in the snow during Anja and Jim’s session.

Speaking of SNOW, I have never seen so much snow up on Loveland Pass this time of year. At one point I wove my hand in the direction of a big field of untouched snow and told Anja and Jim “so….that’s where I would love to get to…” (because I knew the view down the valley from that point was INCREDIBLE!) These two has no second thoughts as we headed into waist-deep snow to get some epic shots. These two were fun and totally down for any adventure I threw their way – waist deep snow, tackling each other, and braving the wind at the tippy top of the pass.

I seriously think that I have the best job in the world because I got to hang out with these two at one of the most beautiful spots in Colorado on a Wednesday afternoon. Enjoy the fun, puppy-lovin’, adventure filled pictures from Anja + Jim’s Loveland Pass adventure couples session!

Need a Colorado adventure photographer for your Loveland Pass engagement session?

Meet Larissa.Larissa is an adventure couples and wedding photographer based out of Colorado. She’d take an adventure in the mountains over shopping + a date night snuggling on the couch over dinner and a movie any day. Larissa’s obsessed with: morning snuggles with her rescue pup, Hazel, hot chocolate, a good book and yoga pants. She believes in making you forget a camera’s even there, that your story is the actual thing she wants to capture on camera and that real, raw moments are more important that perfectly curated poses. Book your Colorado Engagement Photographer.