Darren K Offline Upload & Sell: Off
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Ah, yes you did! I totally didn't process that one. Usually, the question is when as opposed to how it will be, so I got caught in that rut. Well, two for one, then. The question is much easier to answer for how, and that would be it will be the same brilliance as it always is. I've really only ever seen one time when more than a few forests had brown leaves on a good portion of trees, which was about four or five years ago. However, that wasn't the case throughout the peak duration and hardly state-wide. Otherwise, the brown and mustard yellow will only occur after a substantial snowstorm, but in the case of the big 2006 storm, I saw a good rebound to the full brilliant yellow some days later. We had another big storm in 2011, and though I was out of the state for that one, I saw some pictures from a friend from a few locations and the day after the snow fell, the leaves went black at an impressive rate in whole forests. We also had quite a bit of snow last year a couple of times during peak season and I witnessed black leaves first-hand about a day later as well on some stands (not whole forests). This will mostly affect leaves that have already turned more than the ones that haven't. Multi-inch snowstorms are rare, though, and are a real treat if you get to experience the conditions immediately afterward. In the weeks or months leading up to peak color, the amount of moisture, or lack thereof, will have zero bearing on the color, or the timing, as I mentioned previously.
Anyway, aspen leaves don't seem to be as affected as the likes of the maple reds (from what I understand) in regards to color variation, of which the only reds we have are scrub oak and patches of aspens here and there. I will say that the scrub oak was absolutely crazy blazing last year (the whole range from their browns to a brilliant crimson and even some scarlet), which is the first time I can say I was ever taken aback by that. Whatever the case, there will always be great color to shoot somewhere between Steamboat and Silverton.
You wanted to talk autumn?
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