Autumn...when the pine trees turn red

Took a trip last Saturday and Sunday through Independence Pass, up by Ashcroft, up Pearl Pass (where I ran into Brent, Darren, and Glenn), and then camped on Kebler Pass. This photo was on the west end of Kebler Pass. I had never seen the pine trees so red, it was only this clump of trees, all the others were brown. Following photos from, Pearl and Kebler Passes.

At Ashcroft

Fairly high up on Pearl Pass on the Crested Butte side

Pearl Pass on the Crested Butte side

Lower on Pearl Pass, storm coming through, rained most of the night and through Sunday

Nice stuff! That first one is gonna make a great Christmas card.

Kebler Pass. Still mostly green, as you go west it was more green, as Todd noted in his post

That first one looks like an example of what a Photoshop guru can do with selective coloring, very interesting and definitely a great stock photo.

I noticed some red pine trees around Frisco and thought they fit in nicely with the fall color.

Nice shots, the contrast between the dark sky and bright aspens in #5 is great.

I have never seen red pines before. What causes that?
John

Nice. That storm photo is sweet.

Beautiful shots, Scott, that storm shot is killer!
John, i believe the red pines are beetle killed.

Very nice collection of images, Scott. Looks like the pine trees started turning early this year....

That Pearl Pass storm shot is KILLER.

I bet the red pines are the ones the beetles have just began to kill. They are on their way to eternal brownness.

Actually, I believe that your trees are dying/dead, not necessarily turning colors like a deciduous tree turns. The culprit is the Western bark beetle, which has a liking for conifers.

When I was in Colorado about fourteen months ago, the damage was very evident as you entered RMNP from the west side and I confirmed it with a ranger as we entered the park. Heading east and once you're above treeline, like on Trail Ridge Road, the altitude and climate seems to have been too difficult (so far) for the beetle to have migrated east (although, that's not to say that the beetles won't find another way around the park at lower altitudes).

Sorry that this is an issue out west. Here, we have gypsy moths, spruce bud worms and the emerald ash borer with which we're dealing...

Tim!

I agree that storm picture is awesome, but it's a nice set too! Bark beetles are doing damage everywhere. It's crazy

Thanks everybody for your comments. I'm always interested in which photo everyone likes, more often than not it is a different one than my favorite, so its a great learning experience.

It is sad about the pine beetles, it didn't seem like there was as much damage in the Crested Butte area as there is in Summit County where I travel for work a lot.

Actually, I believe that your trees are dying/dead, not necessarily turning colors like a deciduous tree turns. The culprit is the Western bark beetle, which has a liking for conifers.

I knew I should've putt the guys after my sarcastic comment.

Yep - this is the bark beetle eating it's way through our forests, and it's taking a nasty toll out here. I'm scared to think what it'll look like out here in another few years....

A couple of good hard winters and summers of wildfires should slow them buggers down.
I like the color mix on the third one down Scott. Nice!