Autumn Mountain Splendor

my, oh, my!  a little fresh snow and peak colors combine to create an incredible landscape

McKee Pond, near Marble, Colorado

McClure Pass

Placita, between Redstone and Marble

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

Rain, fog, clouds, and mountains

We're almost at the cusp of monsoon season and early autumn, when overnight rains produce some fantastic low clouds in the morning.

Today I found a break in the weather to take some photos at McKee Pond near Marble, Colorado.

Huntsman's Ridge

Running north from McClure Pass, Huntsman's Ridge wraps around the west side of the Coal Basin west of Redstone, Colorado.  The trail climbs about 1,700 feet before leveling out.  This used to be a 4WD road, but the gate appears to have been closed the entire season (it was open last fall when I went up there, and a number of hunters had made camp part way up).  The sign says that dirt bikes and ATVs can still use it, but they obviously are not.  Given the downed trees across the road/trail, I can't imagine how even an ATV could navigate this.

I wasn't in the mood to drive far for a hike today, and this one is just a few miles from my home.  I like how steeply it rises (great for exercise), how quiet it is (I was surprised when I saw two other hiking parties on my way down), and the incredible views of the Crystal River and North Fork (Gunnison) valleys.

panorama from the meadow

crooked aspens

Hayes Creek Falls

Hayes Creek Falls is south of Redstone, Colorado.  It flows year-round, but freezes in winter and is used by ice climbers.  In the spring, melt-off fuels its surge as it runs into the Crystal River.

Another early season hike up Avalanche Creek

I've posted a few times to this blog about my favorite early season hike.  Because it's relatively exposed, and tops out at only 9,000 feet, the Avalanche Creek trail is a great one to do when the others are muddy or choked with snow fields.

We saw a number of folks out enjoying the trail yesterday, as it was a Saturday and the weather was great.  Here are a few shots showing the scenery and high water.

panorama from the overlook

Hell Roaring creek

shooting stars

The Avalanche Creek trail begins at the eastern end of the USFS Avalanche campground, several miles east of highway 133, between Redstone and Carbondale, Colorado.