To me, fall colors have always seemed so incredibly elusive. When I'm lucky, the most perfect combination of peak autumnal colors and crisp liquid sunshine makes an appearance, and then, like observing a total lunar eclipse, it disappears in a matter of seconds. So I felt extra fortunate this past year when it seemed the best of everything autumn made an appearance not once, but multiple times over the course of multiple weeks. Maybe it was due to having the luxury, in Colorado, of instantly transporting yourself to a different ecosystem simply by changing altitude. In the Midwest, you can drive for hundreds of miles and barely notice change.
But in the mountains if it's too hot in the city for my liking, I can simply drive 20 miles west and change my altitude and climate by 4000 feet.
Above 10,000 feet fall arrives early.
Aspens peak in all their golden glory beginning in the second half of September.
A little closer to the city, say around Woodland Park where the elevation is close to 8500 feet, the colors will be delayed another couple of weeks.
This set up is fantastic if you really enjoy relishing in fall.
And add to that the very likely, almost certainty that your September/ October weekend in Colorado will be filled with loads of sunshine and sapphire blue skies, and you have quite an extended period of heaven on earth.
So, last year, for the first time I experienced a fall that was not fleeting.
It lasted and lasted until I even began to feel a bit guilty and undeserving of the picture perfect weather and scenery.
I always wondered if fall only felt so special because it was so intangible, but I proved this theory wrong when after weeks of golden color and crisp sunshine I still was simply enchanted.
 |
| Jones Park, Seven Bridges Trail |
 |
| Old Stage Road |
 |
| Woodland Park, Colorado |
 |
| Divide, Colorado |
No comments:
Post a Comment