Home · Register · Join Upload & Sell

Moderated by: Fred Miranda
Username  

  New fredmiranda.com Mobile Site
  New Feature: SMS Notification alert
  New Feature: Buy & Sell Watchlist
  

FM Forums | Trip Location Advice & Meet-ups | Join Upload & Sell

  

Archive 2015 · Colorado Fall Colors

  
 
Doc4659
Offline
• •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Colorado Fall Colors


I'll be in the Aspen / Montrose part of Colorado from Sept 30th thru Oct 6th.
Looking for locations to shoot Fall colors, old barns, etc...
Planning on a morning at the Maroon Bells and maybe a trip to Crystal Mill.
I'll have a 4wd so I plan on hitting the some of the backroads.
Thanks in advance for input.



Jul 27, 2015 at 04:49 PM
ckcarr
Offline
• • • • •
Upload & Sell: On
p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Colorado Fall Colors


Sounds like a plan.

If you want a nice place to stay at in Paonia try the Bross Hotel.



Jul 28, 2015 at 08:11 PM
Doc4659
Offline
• •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Colorado Fall Colors


Thanks, I'll check it out.



Jul 28, 2015 at 09:06 PM
Sharona
Offline
• • • •
Upload & Sell: On
p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Colorado Fall Colors


Tagging on here - when is generally peak for color in Colorado?


Jul 29, 2015 at 02:06 PM
luigi645
Offline
• •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Colorado Fall Colors


I've had the best luck with Fall Color in Colorado in the fourth week of September...now having said that, it's not IMPOSSIBLE to get great views 4-5 days before or after that time period. Good luck, it's an inspiring location!


Jul 29, 2015 at 04:32 PM
Doc4659
Offline
• •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Colorado Fall Colors


Does anybody know what the current water flow is like around Crystal Mill?


Jul 30, 2015 at 03:07 PM
JimFox
Offline
• • • • • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Colorado Fall Colors


Doc4659 wrote:
Does anybody know what the current water flow is like around Crystal Mill?


If you can even get to Crystal Mill this year. There was issues last year with a land owner running around with a rifle and threatening people photographing in the Crystal Mill area.

Jim



Jul 30, 2015 at 07:34 PM
JimFox
Offline
• • • • • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Colorado Fall Colors


Typically, Sept 30th will be too late for a lot of fall color. Maroon Bells in most years is best shot from Sept 24th to maybe the 28th.

But with that said, nothing seems to be typical anymore. All of the wildflowers bloomed about 3 weeks early in most locations, so will fall colors turn even earlier this year then? I think it's anyones guess at this point.

Jim



Jul 30, 2015 at 07:36 PM
Dustin Gent
Offline
• • • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · Colorado Fall Colors


I am moving to Salt Lake City in 3 weeks and am planning a trip in 3rd week of September. It will be hard to tell. Fall color is already setting in up in the North Cascades - as crazy as that sounds. Huckleberries are changing as well.


Jul 30, 2015 at 10:55 PM
Doc4659
Offline
• •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · Colorado Fall Colors


Thanks on the heads up on Crystal Falls. Is that private property or public land?
Changed my arrival date to the 24th. Earliest I could make it.
Sounds like I'll head straight to Aspen and hopefully the colors will still be in.



Aug 01, 2015 at 12:06 PM
ckcarr
Offline
• • • • •
Upload & Sell: On
p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · Colorado Fall Colors


My personal opinion is that you are in the proper date range now. Anything's a guess. And one good windstorm can blow everything away.

You can go to my SmugMug at this location, click on a picture and then click the "i" button for photo information as to when pictures were taken. Once you click the "i" button it will stay visible as you scroll through.

Fall Colors

I was too early for the Crystal Mill color (pics 37-41). Think I was there on September 15th.

If you look at the pictures notice the two from Grand Mesa (pics 21-22). Only one week apart. Gone due to wind. So, you never know.

Hope that helps.



Aug 01, 2015 at 01:07 PM
Doc4659
Offline
• •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · Colorado Fall Colors


Ckcarr, thanks for the info.
I'll check out your Smugmug site.



Aug 01, 2015 at 01:15 PM
Darren K
Offline
• •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #13 · p.1 #13 · Colorado Fall Colors


I guess I'll be the lone local, and native, to chime in thus far, though ckarr is close. There won't be any Crystal Mill access issues (and our flowers are still currently in peak form at their standard time in the upper mountain basins, regardless of what out-of-staters might say). People travel to the mill every day. I was by there yesterday, though didn't stop and continued uphill, as there were people there. Water flow is normal for this time of year and is always weak during the fall. The mill lies on private land and only the road is public. If you hadn't run across it yet, the mill owners put cable fencing up last October, so no more access at the edge of the bank, or going down to river level. The only good thing about this is that they did clear out some brush which opens up the view better. If you have a Facebook account, you can see the Crystal River Jeep Tours' pictures of the new setup here. Anyway, something to be prepared for.

Your original dates were better, unless you plan on spending half of your time at the Maroon Bells waiting for other forests to turn. The eastern side of Independence Pass (around Twin Lakes, for example) is always one of the first areas to peak, so that would be another option for your early dates.



Aug 03, 2015 at 02:26 AM
Doc4659
Offline
• •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #14 · p.1 #14 · Colorado Fall Colors


Darren,
Thanks for the info.
Depending on the status of Fall colors I'll probably run up to the Tetons either at the beginning or end of my time there.
Is it still worth the time to go up to Crystal Mill?
Maybe I'll look for some old ghost towns instead?



Aug 03, 2015 at 10:20 AM
msoomro
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #15 · p.1 #15 · Colorado Fall Colors


tag for reference. I am dying to capture fall color


Aug 24, 2015 at 12:31 PM
Doc4659
Offline
• •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #16 · p.1 #16 · Colorado Fall Colors


Msoomro, Come on down, I'll be there for a couple weeks.
Then I'll come up and shoot Mt. Rainer NP and Hurricane Ridge this spring.
Looking at other threads the timing should be about right.



Aug 25, 2015 at 07:30 PM
msoomro
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #17 · p.1 #17 · Colorado Fall Colors


@Doc4659: Thanks. Also if u need some local info and maybe shooting partner - ping me. Rainier is 2 hours and Hurricane about 3 from my place :-)


Aug 25, 2015 at 08:43 PM





FM Forums | Trip Location Advice & Meet-ups | Join Upload & Sell

    
 

You are not logged in. Login or Register

Username       Or Reset password



This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.