quick tips for canon t1i
 

just got a t1i, any quick tips before I head to colorado?

Thanks :)

Learn to use the manual mode as quickly as you can.
If you can, get a good wide-angle lens. Mountains are big. :D

Probably won't be able to get a wide angle in time :(

I have a 18-55mm, 80-210 and 28-90 that i'm hoping will cover most everything..

for a wide angle lens do I need to get a fancy one? there's a lot of cheap chinese ones on ebay..

That lens lineup should do you just fine. I definitely wouldn't go out and get a new lens unless it's what you really want. Your question is a bit too general to answer in an online post. If you're pretty new to photography, your best bet is to pick up a good book like Understanding Exposure. But otherwise, just have fun with it. If you don't have a decent understanding of aperture, shutter speed and ISO, I'd stick with the automatic modes of the camera. The manual and priority (i.e. AV & TV) modes are probable just going to frustrate you if you don't understand what they're doing. That's definitely a goal to work towards, and you can certainly try them out, but it's not worth coming back home with a bunch of terrible pictures if you can't figure them out.

If you're planning on doing landscapes (or really any outdoor pictures), try to get out there within about an hour of sunset or sunrise when the light is nice and soft. That can often be the difference between an OK picture and a great picture. Of course, the there isn't as much light, so you'll generally want a tripod, since the camera will usually have to use a shutter speed that's too slow for you to hand hold the camera steady enough.

Thanks for the advice!

Past few days i've been using iso 800, looks good on the camera screen but will it blow up well?

I've been using manual on my point and shoot for a while now so i'm pretty familiar with shutterspeeds, iso and things of the sort. Bring a tripod with me too.

I have no lens hood/shades, do I need one to block out the light for doing landscapes?

Also picked up a 28-80mm today at a yard sale for $10. :D