Kebler Pass, CO
It's that wonderful time of year in the Colorado Rocky Mountains when the Aspens leaves start their transformation from green, to golden yellow, and in some cases to red.
I took Wednesday off from work and drove 4.5 hours one-way to Crested Butte, and then up Kebler Pass.
The tricky part about the leaves changing is that altitude and temperatures have a huge impact on when they change. A low valley that stays warmer will delay the change, while higher and cooler elevations will cause them to change earlier. So as I was driving up, I reminded myself that just because I'm seeing green leaves at the lower elevations doesn't mean they are still green at the higher elevations. Timing is everything, because once they start changing, it only lasts a week or so, and if wind or a snowstorm rolls through, it will knock the delicate leaves from the trees.
I was lucky, and timed it pretty well. There was still a lot of green, but plenty of yellow and reds as well. I found this really nice ridge that had lots of color and snapped a few shots.
Would have loved to photograph this ridge as sunset during "magic hour", but the mountains behind me to the south eclipsed the sun and cast a shadow across the ridge.
Kebler Pass, CO
It's that wonderful time of year in the Colorado Rocky Mountains when the Aspens leaves start their transformation from green, to golden yellow, and in some cases to red.
I took Wednesday off from work and drove 4.5 hours one-way to Crested Butte, and then up Kebler Pass.
The tricky part about the leaves changing is that altitude and temperatures have a huge impact on when they change. A low valley that stays warmer will delay the change, while higher and cooler elevations will cause them to change earlier. So as I was driving up, I reminded myself that just because I'm seeing green leaves at the lower elevations doesn't mean they are still green at the higher elevations. Timing is everything, because once they start changing, it only lasts a week or so, and if wind or a snowstorm rolls through, it will knock the delicate leaves from the trees.
I was lucky, and timed it pretty well. There was still a lot of green, but plenty of yellow and reds as well. I found this really nice ridge that had lots of color and snapped a few shots.
Would have loved to photograph this ridge as sunset during "magic hour", but the mountains behind me to the south eclipsed the sun and cast a shadow across the ridge.