autumn comes to Colorado

Autumn thrills the photographers, the hunters, and almost anyone with a pulse.  Autumn in the mountains is even more amazing than autumn elsewhere, as the color rises up all around you and entire mountainsides are ablaze in fall colors.

On this trip to Lyle Lake, there were few of the aspens for which Colorado is famous, but plenty of vibrant color from the rest of the flora.

Early Septober Colors

Over the next few weeks, something magical happens in the Colorado mountains, and many thousands of people will flood into the area to witness it.  The autumn color explosion is an amazing thing to view, and I've enjoyed having front row seats for over a dozen years.

It begins with the small plants, then spreads to the scrub oak, and reaches full peak when the large groves of aspen trees change their hue.  Before moving out here, I thought that aspens simply went from green to yellow.  While many do only that, many also turn orange and even red.  The mountain sides are ablaze with color for a couple of weeks, and walking, biking, or driving through the area is an experience you must enjoy.

I took my tripod and camera out yesterday to capture some of the early color.  The fading wildflowers completed the tableau:

Autumn is coming to Colorado

a hike on Friday revealed the start of autumn colors creeping into the landscape