Thanks to everyone who put in the miles and posted some good (and some not quite as good) aspen shots. Your reports were the kind of info that helped me (I think) save almost $1000 on a trip that might have yielded limited results for me. I've shifted that investment to New England, which is supposed to have a great season.
In the past, I would have made the trip out there from North Carolina, with all-night driving (I was limited to the weekend), only to have a measure of disappointment in the colors. I know that there are opportunities there, but I was not ready to take that risk. This forum saved me a lot of grief. Thanks again!
Posted by Bill Pelzmann on September 30, 2006 at 12:54 AM
Hmmm...I think these negative reports are just a conspiracy by the guys entering the Fall Photo Contest to scare away the competition...
Michael, good luck with the New England colors.
Posted by James H Egbert on September 30, 2006 at 2:51 PM
Wow!
Posted by Ron Bailey on September 30, 2006 at 7:42 PM
Wow. I found great color this year. Good luck back East!
Posted by Todd Caudle on October 1, 2006 at 6:29 PM
I agree with Mike's decision. He was going to have a gruelling schedule that didn't allow for a lot of hunting around for the best locations. We here in Colorado, or those who have more than just a jet-into-Colorado weekend to find color, have the luxury of going to some slightly more obscure places than the usual haunts, by following fall color reports wherever they may lead us. Mike didn't have that option.
I have been to the San Juans enough, however, that I had two specific groves in mind to shoot, with the possibility of branching out. It wasn't so much that the color in Colorado was looking bad, but that I had the opportunity to focus more of my resources in New England, and I wanted an excuse to lengthen THAT trip.
I've never had the luxury of living out West, only took advantage of 8 years of free flying while I was at American Airlines, enough to whet my appitite! :)
Posted by John McMillin on October 2, 2006 at 1:28 AM
So you fell for that disinformation campaign, Micheal? You poor sap--- actually, we all fell for it. I think we had two different aspen color crops this year. Last weekend I was in the Front Range near Denver, driving Peak to Peak Highway and Golden Gate Canyon. The colors ranged from dusty green to olive drab. The only time I took out the camera was when we picknicked at a Boulder County Open Space Park that had a rusty hulk of a city bus artfully placed in the parking area. My wife and I debated whether the storm of early September had frozen the leaves from changing any further, and we decided it probably had.
A week later, I found some of the brightest color I've ever seen in the Elk Range. Cottonwoods were peaking at the same time as aspen, making for unbropken sweeps of gold from riverside to ridgetop. I think of cottonwoods as turning a week or so after aspen. I think the aspen were fine, just late to change this year. Thanks to the urgency of the internet and all the reports of mystery plagues in the quakies, I think many of us rushed to a negative conclusion about this year's Colorado color.
That's no bother to me. I still have plenty of film ready for next week in New England. This weekend was just a shakedown cruise for some old film and new equipment (Pentax 645 and an OM-2S). I'm usually no globe-trekker, but this is shaping up to be the most colorful fall of all for me. "Stay tuned, film at eleven... or twelve" (We're talking months here.)
I think if you have an either/or decision about fall colors, you go with the odds. No doubt there was still some great color recently - Dallas Divide was gorgeous this past weekend, good stuff near Silver Jack, etc. - but as Todd said, it's quite a bit different to hop in the truck and drive a few hours vs. driving 1500 miles all the while hoping that it's going to be worth it. Even though the colors were good, whereever there was wind, those leaves fell quickly.
Good luck with the New England trip - let us know how it turns out.
Discussion
7 repliesIn the past, I would have made the trip out there from North Carolina, with all-night driving (I was limited to the weekend), only to have a measure of disappointment in the colors. I know that there are opportunities there, but I was not ready to take that risk. This forum saved me a lot of grief. Thanks again!
Michael, good luck with the New England colors.
I have been to the San Juans enough, however, that I had two specific groves in mind to shoot, with the possibility of branching out. It wasn't so much that the color in Colorado was looking bad, but that I had the opportunity to focus more of my resources in New England, and I wanted an excuse to lengthen THAT trip.
I've never had the luxury of living out West, only took advantage of 8 years of free flying while I was at American Airlines, enough to whet my appitite! :)
A week later, I found some of the brightest color I've ever seen in the Elk Range. Cottonwoods were peaking at the same time as aspen, making for unbropken sweeps of gold from riverside to ridgetop. I think of cottonwoods as turning a week or so after aspen. I think the aspen were fine, just late to change this year. Thanks to the urgency of the internet and all the reports of mystery plagues in the quakies, I think many of us rushed to a negative conclusion about this year's Colorado color.
That's no bother to me. I still have plenty of film ready for next week in New England. This weekend was just a shakedown cruise for some old film and new equipment (Pentax 645 and an OM-2S). I'm usually no globe-trekker, but this is shaping up to be the most colorful fall of all for me. "Stay tuned, film at eleven... or twelve" (We're talking months here.)
Good luck with the New England trip - let us know how it turns out.