Hi everyone. New here, just posted in the introduce yourself thread.
I just moved to Colorado and have a question for those who might know. How will the late snow affect the aspens for fall this year? Last year the color was somewhat muted compared to the year before. Any ideas on how things will play out come September?
Thanks,
Joshua Warrender
Posted by Grant Collier on June 10, 2010 at 10:04 PM
Posted by Adam Schallau on June 10, 2010 at 11:55 PM
Hi Joshua,
Please excuse Todd's lame attempt at humor, and Grant's lame attempt at welcoming a new member. Remember guys...I love ya both.
It's probably too early to tell what kind of season it will be. The best thing to do is hangout on the forums and check for updates. Alternatively, you could do what a lot of us do, hit the road and hope for the best. Even when the color is less than spectacular, there are always great images waiting to be made.
Yeah I would go shoot regardless. In fact, my favorite pic is one from last year, when the color wasn't quite as good as the year prior. I just was curious if late snow tipped colors one way or the other. Thanks for the welcome. :)
Posted by Todd Caudle on June 11, 2010 at 12:59 AM
But most people think you're kidding. Only a few of us realize that you were serious, and thus, only a few of us will get the shot.
Posted by Jack Garrett on June 11, 2010 at 1:27 AM
By Todds calculation, that would be September 26th and I'd be willing to bet on that date for some pretty interesting color, especially in the San Juans and Kebler area. Last year was an off year for sure. Hopefully this year will make up for it.
Sept 26 at 8:24:30 to be exact. Adam's right, my reply was a bit hasty. Welcome to the group, Joshua! It's actually a half-decent group despite a few smart asses.
Kidding aside, it's worth noting that aspen are in decline, specifically Sudden Aspen Decline (SAD). Fall color in recent years hasn't been as spectacular as many of us would like; but this group will find the color! Here's a bit from a 2008 article in Smithsonian:
By 2006, close to 150,000 acres of Colorado aspen were dead or damaged, according to aerial surveys. By the following year, the grim phenomenon had a name—"sudden aspen decline," or SAD—and the devastated acreage had more than doubled, with some 13 percent of the state's aspen showing declines. In many places, patches of bare and dying treetops are as noticeable as missing teeth, and some sickly areas stretch for miles. Aspen declines are also underway in Wyoming, Utah and elsewhere in the Rockies. Surveys of two national forests in Arizona showed that from 2000 to 2007, lower-elevation areas lost 90 percent of their aspen.
Posted by Todd Caudle on June 11, 2010 at 10:50 AM
Last year was off because I was off. Didn't take a single serious photo in September '09, because I was too busy turning 50 and driving to Chicago to see the best band you've never heard of (Porcupine Tree). This year I will be prepared for awesome color, so you all better be, too, dammit.
Posted by Jack Garrett on June 11, 2010 at 1:57 PM
I read that article a while back Dave and it was distressing news...when you couple that with the pine beetle disease we could be in for some serious times.
Welcome to the group! And it has proved impossible to predict with any accuracy is the only given about aspen color in the fall as far as I am concerned. Just keep checking here later in the year when the moderators post an aspen color thread with updates from guys all over the state. It is a huge resource for finding places to shoot.
Discussion
15 repliesI just moved to Colorado and have a question for those who might know. How will the late snow affect the aspens for fall this year? Last year the color was somewhat muted compared to the year before. Any ideas on how things will play out come September?
Thanks,
Joshua Warrender
Please excuse Todd's lame attempt at humor, and Grant's lame attempt at welcoming a new member. Remember guys...I love ya both.
It's probably too early to tell what kind of season it will be. The best thing to do is hangout on the forums and check for updates. Alternatively, you could do what a lot of us do, hit the road and hope for the best. Even when the color is less than spectacular, there are always great images waiting to be made.
Welcome to RMNP!
By 2006, close to 150,000 acres of Colorado aspen were dead or damaged, according to aerial surveys. By the following year, the grim phenomenon had a name—"sudden aspen decline," or SAD—and the devastated acreage had more than doubled, with some 13 percent of the state's aspen showing declines. In many places, patches of bare and dying treetops are as noticeable as missing teeth, and some sickly areas stretch for miles. Aspen declines are also underway in Wyoming, Utah and elsewhere in the Rockies. Surveys of two national forests in Arizona showed that from 2000 to 2007, lower-elevation areas lost 90 percent of their aspen.
I don't think that its really been all that sudden!
Welcome aboard Joshua!
Welcome Joshua ...