From Telluride/Ridgeway to Aspen/Capital Creek is pretty much all done! You might be able to find some small patches, but those are fading fast as well.
Thanks, Koveh!
Anyone been in the Spanish Peaks area recently?
Posted by Grant Collier on October 10, 2011 at 5:58 PM
I'm in Alamosa and there's lots of green leaves but they're more brownish-green, so I'm guessing there won't be much color. Lots of snow on the mountains to the east, so I'm guessing Spanish Peaks won't have much color. There was some decent color around Creede yesterday but there's not enough aspen or cottonwoods to create much in the way of photo ops. Anywhere around Lake City, Silverton, Telluride, Cimarron is pretty much gone. Maybe far south San Juans has something or La Sal Mountains, Utah, but I haven't been there.
Posted by Paul Wegemann on October 10, 2011 at 6:26 PM
Bierstadt Moraine in RMNP, Morris. There was a beautiful combo of color and snow yesterday AM. Still quite a few trees that haven't changed yet too.
Posted by Todd Caudle on October 10, 2011 at 7:07 PM
The only color I've found since the Big Fall Color Collapse of 2011 was when I was driving home yesterday. From the east side of Wilkerson Pass to Woodland Park, the aspens still have nice color and look healthy, unlike the Elks/San Juans/Sangres/insert-every-other-Colorado-location-here. I was up on Rampart Range this morning, and there's a bit of color here and there. I thought that might mean the route to Cripple Creek might still hold promise, but I talked to a client today who told me the leaves have really fallen since she was up there last weekend.
Posted by Arthur Lund on October 10, 2011 at 7:22 PM
Drove from Grand Junction to Gateway today. Very often the oak brush saves the day, but not this year. Even the
cottonwoods along East and West creek don't look like they will be worth a shutter click.
Posted by John Mumaw on October 10, 2011 at 7:30 PM
Yes! In between Lizard Head Pass and Dolores is prime right now and was the best show I saw all weekend. I plan on being there next weekend, in fact. There are a couple of forest service roads south of Rico with access to the hills. I suspect the same may be true up on the West Fork of the Dolores River, though I didn't go there. The Dunton Hot Springs webcam may show those conditions
Aside from that area, the 'Big Fall Color Collapse of 2011' about sums it up, Todd.
Posted by David Kingham on October 10, 2011 at 7:49 PM
Grand mesa might have some color left, I drove through there Thursday afternoon as the storms were rolling through and there was a lot of color and healthy trees, it was in much better condition than the san juans on the same day
Posted by Stan Rose on October 10, 2011 at 9:57 PM
Well, i just got in my best fall shoot ever up in Teller county--so im finished, any more and i want get laundry done...
Im looking forward to Zion now.
Posted by John Mumaw on October 10, 2011 at 10:06 PM
Some helpful info. there, Stan.
Forgot to mention that the Transfer Park/Sharkstooth trailhead area north of Mancos is at its peak right now, while the LaPlata Canyon area is typically two weeks behind.
Posted by Monte Trumbull on October 10, 2011 at 11:49 PM
I drove from Denver to Buena Vista this morning on 285. Pretty much all the aspen leaves are blown off. I then drove to Yampa via 91 to Copper, 9 to 134 over Gore Pass and that is all gone (except for a few pockets north of Silverthorne). I came back on 131 to Edwards and down 24 to Leadville and that was the same. I will check around Buena Vista tomorrow.
If you stay in Durango and drive north towards Silverton and west towards Cortez you'll find plenty of color. I just returned from that area yesterday and assure you it will be good for at least another week.
Discussion
14 repliesThe fall color thread seems to have dried up.
Anyone been in the Spanish Peaks area recently?
cottonwoods along East and West creek don't look like they will be worth a shutter click.
Aside from that area, the 'Big Fall Color Collapse of 2011' about sums it up, Todd.
Im looking forward to Zion now.
Forgot to mention that the Transfer Park/Sharkstooth trailhead area north of Mancos is at its peak right now, while the LaPlata Canyon area is typically two weeks behind.
If you stay in Durango and drive north towards Silverton and west towards Cortez you'll find plenty of color. I just returned from that area yesterday and assure you it will be good for at least another week.