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Archive 2012 · Fall Color 2012

  
 
DonH
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p.6 #1 · p.6 #1 · Fall Color 2012


Good site for current Colorado color:

http://mycolorado.org/images/fall_drives/fall_2012.html



Sep 18, 2012 at 02:43 PM
JimFox
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p.6 #2 · p.6 #2 · Fall Color 2012


bruceali wrote:
Any updates from Yellowstone?


I would be more curious about the Tetons. Has anyone been to Oxbow Bend?

Myself, I haven't really seen any fall color shots worth chasing in Yellowstone. I am sure that there must be some, but I just haven't seen many, not compared to the Tetons or Colorado in general.

Jim



Sep 18, 2012 at 05:20 PM
Kinderspiele
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p.6 #3 · p.6 #3 · Fall Color 2012


love it.
mamankyle wrote:
Here in Carbondale, Co, about 30 miles down valley from Aspen and the Maroon Bells, the oaks are already starting to turn, as are some aspens higher up. I believe the color will be a couple of weeks earlier than normal. I have lived here 15 years and have not seen the leaves start turning so soon. I would be more than happy to post an occasional quick pic of some of the higher valley's over the next few weeks, if that would be helpful to anyone. The peak color last year was in the first few days of October,
...Show more



Sep 18, 2012 at 05:53 PM
garyroach
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p.6 #4 · p.6 #4 · Fall Color 2012


After a six hour flight delay (thank you Frontier Airlines, imagine the Bundy kids from Married with Children) I finally made it to Denver. Yesterday I drove the Peak-to-Peak from Nederland to Estes Park. As has been previously reported, there is one hillside along the way that is spectacular. (yes, that is a Seinfeld reference). I also caught an awesome display of "Gods Rays" shining through the clouds near Morrain Visitor Center in RMNP yesterday. Of course, by the time I stopped and got set up it wasn't nearly as incredible. But, while it lasted it was amazing. Today I covered Bear Lake and Trail Ridge Road to the Alpine Center at the top. Bear Lake Road can be accessed by car before 9:00am and after 4:00pm. Otherwise you'll have to take the shuttle. Bear Lake has a decent amount of color around the lake but hasn't yet peaked. I was surprised by how much color there was on the TRR. I'm thinking what is going to turn on the TRR has already turned or will soon. Off to Aspen tomorrow.

The weather is fine, so come getcha some of this Colorado fall color.

BTW, if you run into me I'll be the guy in the dorky baseball hat with FM written on it in Sharpie.

Edited on Sep 18, 2012 at 08:14 PM · View previous versions



Sep 18, 2012 at 08:08 PM
gdanmitchell
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p.6 #5 · p.6 #5 · Fall Color 2012


Since I correspond with a number of folks, I can offer second-hand reports about some developments in the Sierra, along with my first hand report from the five days including this past weekend.

I have heard from two sources that some aspens are changing color in the Sonora Pass area. The description referred to starting to change, and (no surprise) not to anything like in full color.

I have heard from a few sources who have been up there that there is some color starting in the Bishop Creek drainage, including a (very) few trees that are apparently quite colorful.

My own recent visit was between 9/12 and 9/16. I was in the Tuolumne area for the first two days, though I did make a quick visit to Lee Vining Canyon. Inside the park, the usual high country non-aspen signs of on-coming fall are present - golden brown meadows, corn lilies turning brown and falling over, color coming to willows and bilberry and other plants. But I saw no aspen color inside the park. There might be a bit in a few spots - since I certainly didn't see the whole park! - but nothing remarkable. Again, no surprise in mid-September. (Yosemite itself is not exactly a hotbed of aspen color. You can find it, but most look to the east side of the range.)

Over Tioga Pass I saw more of the non-aspen color, and a bit of color coming to aspens between Ellery Lake and the big rock slide area on highway 120 - for example, in the area of the big right hand bend (descending) before the road heads down to Lee Vining Canyon. I'd classify this more as "hints of color" than as "color to drive 200 miles for." ;-)

In Lee Vining Canyon there was a tiny bit of color, but the trees were almost completely still green. I saw a few trees that perhaps had a few yellow leaves or even a single yellow branch, but that doesn't usually mean much. (Lee Vining Canyon is often a place that changes a bit later, and a good place to look for color after some of the higher areas are spent.)

On Sunday, driving back from McGee Canyon on 395, I tried to squint into the western sun to see if I could spot anything going on up on Parker Bench and the surrounding area, but it anything is happening up there, I couldn't see it. (Later in the season, you can most certainly spot the beautiful color up there from 395.)

I was on the trail up McGee Canyon on Friday 9/14 through Sunday 9/ 16. I expected little or no aspen color in this relatively low elevation valley where I have photographed aspen color two or three-plus weeks later in a typical season. I was surprised to find that some of the large groves a mile or two up the canyon, after it bends to the left, were starting to show color. A few trees were perhaps 1/4 or 1/3 yellow, many had a few yellow leaves, one (!) had some orange leaves... but there was still a lot of green. If I had felt like it, I there were a few trees where I might have taken my pack off and found an aspen color photo - but overall it is still too early.

However, as I mentioned earlier, it sure seems like things might be getting going a bit early this year. I typically expect to find good color in the eastern Sierra sometime during or near the end of the first week of October. (You can find it a bit earlier in some odd, higher spots.) Often the color remains good, if you know where to look, right on into the middle of the month, and it is possible to find good color at lower elevations even a bit later - though this can be effected by the weather the later you wait. I'm pretty conservative about believing reports that interpret a few early colorful leaves as an indication of an early season - most of them seem to start about the same time no matter what. But, for what its worth, I'm betting that things will come along a bit earlier in the Sierra this year. I'll probably be back before the month ends, and normally would not go that early.

Though I may have to eat my words... ;-)

Dan

(If you want to know more in general about eastern Sierra aspen photography, there is a post at my blog with some info and links to even more stuff: http://www.gdanmitchell.com/2009/09/02/sierra-nevada-fall-color-season-coming-sooner-than-you-think )



Sep 18, 2012 at 08:12 PM
ben egbert
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p.6 #6 · p.6 #6 · Fall Color 2012


I am in Vernal Utah 9-18, had heavy smoke all the way from American Fork (near Provo). Did Dinosaur today, Flaming Gorge tomorrow and then on to Ridgway Co. The maps show this smoke all over the area, including most of Colorado.

I saw lots of red in the Wastach area around home and Heber and on up through Strawberry Res. Some aspen were in good color at the higher elevations.

Last week I did Alpine Loop and saw oak but not much aspen color.



Sep 18, 2012 at 09:12 PM
garyroach
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p.6 #7 · p.6 #7 · Fall Color 2012


No smoke in the RMNP area. Rained yesterday. Blue skies today.


Sep 18, 2012 at 10:07 PM
charles354
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p.6 #8 · p.6 #8 · Fall Color 2012


Hi Jim I just left Tetons today too much road construction too many people too much blue sky and way too much smoke you could not even see the mountains this morning. The colors are changing. Went thru Provo canyon and the oaks are going wild but they also have way to much smoke and blue sky, tonight I am in Green River headed for Silverton and Ouary tomorrow.
Thanks charles354



Sep 18, 2012 at 11:12 PM
astv99
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p.6 #9 · p.6 #9 · Fall Color 2012


Colorado update 9/18:

Took a trip today out to Breckenridge for Boreas Pass which I wanted to see for myself, along with Guanella Pass for the return trip home. The fall colors overall in Clear Creek, Summit, & Park Counties were amazing! Lots of color displays directly along I-70 too, mostly around Idaho Springs, Georgetown, Dillon, Frisco, and Breck.

Boreas Pass itself was still amazing, most of the color near the ascent at the beginning, and then again at the end near Como. Guanella Pass had lots of color too, well at least wherever the aspens were, as the forest around Guanella seemed to be mostly evergreens. And the stretch of Hwy 285 between Como and Grant (Boreas Pass & Guanella Pass, respectively) had some decent color too.

I'm not sure the color in Clear Creek, Summit, & Park Counties will last until next week though - everything seemed to be peak today when I went up. I'd suspect that anyone coming into Colorado next week might want to check out spots in other counties.



Sep 19, 2012 at 12:13 AM
JimFox
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p.6 #10 · p.6 #10 · Fall Color 2012


charles354 wrote:
Hi Jim I just left Tetons today too much road construction too many people too much blue sky and way too much smoke you could not even see the mountains this morning. The colors are changing. Went thru Provo canyon and the oaks are going wild but they also have way to much smoke and blue sky, tonight I am in Green River headed for Silverton and Ouary tomorrow.
Thanks charles354


Hey Charles,

Thanks for that update. Too bad about all that construction and all that smoke. What a shame they have to do that right at the onset of fall colors. I hope you find good color coming in Silverton and that area, I should be up there in a few days too.

Jim



Sep 19, 2012 at 11:26 AM
JimFox
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p.6 #11 · p.6 #11 · Fall Color 2012


Asrale wrote:
Colorado update 9/18:

Took a trip today out to Breckenridge for Boreas Pass which I wanted to see for myself, along with Guanella Pass for the return trip home. The fall colors overall in Clear Creek, Summit, & Park Counties were amazing! Lots of color displays directly along I-70 too, mostly around Idaho Springs, Georgetown, Dillon, Frisco, and Breck.

Boreas Pass itself was still amazing, most of the color near the ascent at the beginning, and then again at the end near Como. Guanella Pass had lots of color too, well at least wherever the aspens were, as the forest around Guanella
...Show more

Thanks! Since I won't be there for another 5 days or so, it's good to know area's that are already peak so i do't bother heading there.

Jim



Sep 19, 2012 at 11:28 AM
garyroach
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p.6 #12 · p.6 #12 · Fall Color 2012


RMNP was mostly sunny and hazy this morning.

Lots of color north of Nederland on 72. Also lots of color along I-70 between Denver and Glenwood Springs.

Maroon Bells is ablaze. Hasn't reached peak, but it's close.

In general about 50% of the aspen have turned. The ones that have turned have completely turned. The other half haven't started or are just getting started. Of course, this varies from place to place. I'm just sayin overall.

Edited on Sep 19, 2012 at 10:12 PM · View previous versions



Sep 19, 2012 at 10:09 PM
Derek Weston
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p.6 #13 · p.6 #13 · Fall Color 2012


charles354 wrote:
Hi Jim I just left Tetons today too much road construction too many people too much blue sky and way too much smoke you could not even see the mountains this morning. The colors are changing. Went thru Provo canyon and the oaks are going wild but they also have way to much smoke and blue sky, tonight I am in Green River headed for Silverton and Ouary tomorrow.
Thanks charles354


Ack. Hopefully conditions improve around the Tetons. Will be heading out that way this Saturday. Be there next week. Oh well, will make the best of it, just excited to get out there.



Sep 19, 2012 at 10:09 PM
jctriguy
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p.6 #14 · p.6 #14 · Fall Color 2012


Colours are in a state of random change in Alberta/BC Rockies. Larch are starting to change in the alpine areas. Other trees in the valleys have totally dropped leaves while some are still completely green.

Here is one from yesterday.


2012Sep-0327.jpg



Sep 19, 2012 at 11:03 PM
NCAndy
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p.6 #15 · p.6 #15 · Fall Color 2012


It feels like Fall in the Smokies with temps in the low 50s at elevation, but the trees are still green. A few of the steeper slopes are starting to turn a lighter shade of green so things are slowing changing.


Sep 20, 2012 at 03:49 PM
garyroach
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p.6 #16 · p.6 #16 · Fall Color 2012


Hi, Andy.

Look forward to shooting the Smokies and BRP when I return from my trip. With all of the haze here (it's really not that bad), it reminds me of home. The Smokies aren't called the Smokies for no reason.



Sep 20, 2012 at 04:04 PM
NCAndy
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p.6 #17 · p.6 #17 · Fall Color 2012


Gary, let me know when you plan to be over this way. Maybe we can meet up.


Sep 20, 2012 at 07:29 PM
as75
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p.6 #18 · p.6 #18 · Fall Color 2012


Dan, Thanks much for sharing about Eastern Sierra.

Am thinking of Lee Vining - Bishop - Lone Pine area in the 2nd week of October. If anyone knows the progression of colors in the area, could you please share.

Thanks much in advance,
Arun.



Sep 20, 2012 at 09:53 PM
JimFox
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p.6 #19 · p.6 #19 · Fall Color 2012


as75 wrote:
Dan, Thanks much for sharing about Eastern Sierra.

Am thinking of Lee Vining - Bishop - Lone Pine area in the 2nd week of October. If anyone knows the progression of colors in the area, could you please share.

Thanks much in advance,
Arun.


Arun,

The 2nd week in October won't be leaving you much color, especially not this year. If you can move that up a week, I think you would be much better served if it's fall colors that you want to see.

Jim



Sep 21, 2012 at 01:10 AM
as75
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p.6 #20 · p.6 #20 · Fall Color 2012


Hi Jim,
Thank you. I'll plan to visit the first weekend of October. Looking forward to good colors, and to meet fellow FM'ers there
Cheers
Arun



Sep 21, 2012 at 05:00 AM
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