See the Changing Fall Colors in Colorado

As inevitable as pumpkin spice…everything, summer has become a smoldering bed of embers, a pale comparison to what it once was only a few weeks ago. In the morning, the dog bowl has iced over. The days are windy and the sound of leaves dancing across the road are the new music of the wind. The clouds sweep overhead at night, rushing past the cold moon hanging in a sky full of strange constellations that have returned to the sky. What always strikes me most is the scent of fall, and it has nothing to do with pumpkin spice. It is quickly approaching the end of September and the changing colors on the first day of fall are a brief flash of brilliance before the landscape descends back into the sleep of winter.

A Season for the Senses

The scent of aspen sap hangs thick in the air. When the wind blows, it brings with it the chill of the mountains, already frosted in the first snows of the coming season. Some leaves still cling to their green, while the rest have begun to slip into the golds and reds. The wind cuts through the aspens, and instead of the whisper that used to accompany it, the drying leaves clatter together like the rush of a raging river.

The scent of the trees is like a warm hug in this chilly season. The light cuts through, making nearly every moment of a sunny day the golden hour. Small towns block off their main streets for Homecoming parades on a Sunday, summer towns shutter their businesses for the season, and campers lumber up the mountain passes in the final migration before the roads are claimed by snow and ice.

This last excursion is to see the changing colors of the Colorado high country. A contrast of nearly black pines and strata of aspen, cottonwood, and red willow. Moose graze in the meadows, with the bulls sometimes clashing with their freshly grown paddles. In the high country, elk bugle and stand proud among their harems of elk cows in the high point of the rut.

Gone is the buzz and itch of the mosquito, but also absent are bees and dragonflies. Hummingbirds have flown to their winter retreats and crows and eagles circle over the golden floodplains and sage hunting for mice. Yellowjackets still prowl as long as they can because those bastards fear nothing. Not even six months of snow and wind. They will start over again when the snows melt and the days get longer.

Best Spots for the Changing Leaves in Colorado

• Gore Pass near Kremmling: take the Toponas exit to 134 about nine miles west of Kremmling on US 40
• Rabbit Ears Pass: about 30 miles east of Steamboat on US 40
• Mt. Zirkel and the Park Range: North Park, CO west of Walden
• Medicine Bow Range: North Park, CO east of Walden. Check out this site for more information about North Park and the Walden, CO area.

Moving Forward with the Changing Seasons

Today was the first day of fall and there has been much to think about. Celebrations and defeats alike. The passing of anniversaries and memories of what feels anymore like another life. A fading dream that sounds absurd when you tell someone else about it. The nights will be longer than the day now, but for a little while Fall is a celebration of light. The threshold of another year passed into memory.

For me, this Fall marks the time I need to get moving forward, many miles to go and still so much to see.

Know Before You Go to See the Changing Fall Colors

Here are some things to keep in mind before heading out to see the changing fall colors in Colorado.

• Weather: This time of year in Colorado, the seasons can change quickly. Dress for all kinds of weather: wind, hot sun, rain, and yes snow.
• Vehicle: Make sure your vehicle is running well, fueled up, and maintained properly. Extreme elevation changes, road conditions, and weather can lead to breakdowns.
• Take Only Pictures: You know the rest. Conserving the forests ensures spectacular views next year. If you are fishing, camping or hiking, pack out trash, and always be conscious of any fires you are using.
• Be Considerate: Other people are sharing the roads, so be sure to consider others when you are peeping the leaves. Stay off private property, no matter how tempting.

The Never-ending Fall

This year, as I made my journey from Colorado to the Arizona desert, fall was not something that was over in just a few weeks. It lasted nearly three months! Check out my YouTube channel and see what three months of autumn looks like from the perspective of a vanlifer.