We had been wanting to do a fall Colorado trip for a few years. The stars just didn’t seem to align for us, and even this year, we thought we were a week too late for the peak color. Most of the Aspen trees we passed had more bare branches than leaves. That is, until we climbed a hill, took a turn to the left, and this vista opened before us.
Due to family issues over the summer, we weren’t sure where or when we would take a fall trip. Thus, we left home with no clear destination other than a short visit with cousins. We would decide where to go when we got there. We had driven the road from Crested Butte to Paonia over Kebler Pass early in the summer a few years ago. We knew there would be good vistas with 3,600m (12,000′) mountains and lots of aspen trees. We thought we would be too late in the season for good color in the high country.
It turns out, Aspen trees have a wide range of when they turn color. In this picture, some trees are bare, some are green, and a great many are a rich Aspen gold.
Just like a sunrise, with fall colors, you never know what you are going to get until you get it.
