Autumn Peaks in Colorado

    The Colorado aspens are at their peak of glorious color today.  It is not hard to find wonder in every glance on days like this one.  We spent all day zwending our way down forest service roads lined with vast glowing aspen groves, with gold-covered peaks in all directions. 

Kenosha Pass is considered to be one of the, if not THE, most beautiful places to view the autumn aspens each year, and these photos, all taken at the top of the pass, clearly show why.  It's been years since we caught the colors at this level of perfection.  It is one of the largest stands of aspen in the state, and there's only a couple of days when the colors are this perfect, before they fall.  And they were beginning to fall today.

  The red rose hips add a perfect touch of red to the vast expanses of golden-orange.  I love the contrast of the dark green spruce and Douglas fir against the gold of the aspens.

Spend even one hour in the Colorado Rockies and you understand from where the phrase "purple mountain's majesty" comes.   

    These photos are taken from the west side of Kenosha Pass, along Lost Park Road.  The storms threatening on all sides only added more drama with spectacular cloud formations and bruise-colored skies.    

Truly, a more perfect autumn drive in the Colorado Rockies could not be imagined.  My hope, and plan, is to post more of the 180 photos I took yesterday over the course of 5 hours!  Digital - another wonder for which I am deeply grateful.  Digital photography makes documenting the wonder each day so much easier.

Comments

[Endment]

I have been coming to check to see if there is a new post but you snuck in while my computer was coing something strange
Beautiful photos - wonderful memories
Thanks so much for sharing

[Pattie Tierney]

Gorgeous photos! I was glad to see another couple of blog entries when I logged on today. We're weeks away from such beautiful color.

[lisa]

sigh... How lovely, makes me want to be in the mountains again-- wanderlustful. Instead we were at our connetquot (state park) yesterday morning where there was barely any color at all yet. Even so, wonderful. thanks for the photos-- vicariously.

[Fran aka Redondowriter]

Oh, Paula. These photos are absolutely spectacular. I cannot even imagine seeing such wondrous things, but thanks to you, I have.