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Archive 2017 · Now I am organizing for Colorado fall travel - need help

  
 
Kee Woo Rhee
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Now I am organizing for Colorado fall travel - need help


Hello...

My flight to Denver will be on September 16, Saturday.

I would like to capture those glorious Colorado fall colors for 16 days until I leave Denver on the 3rd of October.

I would like to add one more area in New Mexico's Bitsi and Ah-shi-sle-pah badlands this time.

Would you please kind enough to give me the best itinerary?

Thanks a lot!!



Jun 11, 2017 at 06:27 PM
Dustin Gent
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Now I am organizing for Colorado fall travel - need help


if you search the forum, there are a "few" from last year that will have the desired info

get the book photographing the SW vol3 - Colorado and New Mexico. Has fall colors and locations in that book.

here are some links with some info - you may have to read through
LINK ONE

LINK TWO



Jun 11, 2017 at 06:46 PM
RobCD
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Now I am organizing for Colorado fall travel - need help


Kee Woo Rhee wrote:
Hello...

My flight to Denver will be on September 16, Saturday.

I would like to capture those glorious Colorado fall colors for 16 days until I leave Denver on the 3rd of October.

I would like to add one more area in New Mexico's Bitsi and Ah-shi-sle-pah badlands this time.

Would you please kind enough to give me the best itinerary?

Thanks a lot!!


I would follow the fall color watch and plan to be flexible. If you're early you could work your way to New Mexico first and then start making your way back into Colorado. On the way to New Mexico you could stop by Great Sand Dunes NP (one of my favorite places). Or if your timing is good you could start with Aspen and Maroon Bells and work your way through Crested Butte, to Dallas Divide, San Juan Mountains and then down to New Mexico. Last time I was there Maroon Bells was just about at peak around September 20th or so. I'm sure someone with more experience there can give you some better options but my best advice is to plan to be able to change your itinerary as you get closer to your departure date.



Jun 11, 2017 at 11:54 PM
Kee Woo Rhee
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Now I am organizing for Colorado fall travel - need help


RobCD wrote:
I would follow the fall color watch and plan to be flexible. If you're early you could work your way to New Mexico first and then start making your way back into Colorado. On the way to New Mexico you could stop by Great Sand Dunes NP (one of my favorite places). Or if your timing is good you could start with Aspen and Maroon Bells and work your way through Crested Butte, to Dallas Divide, San Juan Mountains and then down to New Mexico. Last time I was there Maroon Bells was just about at peak around September 20th
...Show more

Excellent advice Rob!!

Kee



Jun 12, 2017 at 06:14 AM
Kee Woo Rhee
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Now I am organizing for Colorado fall travel - need help


I have formulated my itinerary as following. Depending on the fall color, I will choose either clockwise or counter clockwise. I would appreciate it very much to know if any must-be locations are missing. Also need to know which locations are sunset or sunrise... and reasonable lodging information. Please help me.

DEN Airport
Great Sand Dunes
Farmington, NM
Telluride
Ridgway
Gunnison
Crested Butte
Snowmass Village
Aspen
DEN Airport



Jun 12, 2017 at 06:53 PM
bflood
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Now I am organizing for Colorado fall travel - need help


I suggest you do a search on this website for Colorado fall foliage and search Facebook for Colorado fall color. You'll find reports with dates that will give you a good idea when the best colors can be expected at each location. Searching Google will find even more. If you dig deep into your search results, you'll find posts from previous years - that can give you an idea of year-to-year variation in peak times. In any case, take the advice to be flexible.

Something I suggest you consider - the annual hot air balloon festival in Albuquerque happens in early October. In 2015 I planned my trip for Colorado fall foliage to end in NM for that festival. It's a very interesting photo subject as well as something that's just impressive to see (a mass launch of 500+ balloons in 2 hours is a unique experience). If you go, plan to attend on a weekday (weekends are madhouses with huge traffic snarls) and make sure that "mass ascension" is listed in the schedule for the day you go (they don't do the 500+ balloon launch on every weekday).



Jun 14, 2017 at 02:04 AM
JimFox
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Now I am organizing for Colorado fall travel - need help


Hey Kee,

Telluride and Ridgway will always be after Maroon Bells and Crested Butte.

The only thing I would suggest for you based on what color is there when you come, is simply to have Great Sand Dunes and Farmington be either first or last. There is no way to loop it really.

If you are coming into Denver on Sept 16, there is almost no chance of fall colors being peak or looking good that early. So I would do your desert shooting first, then based on the fall colors head up to Maroon Bells. From there you will work your way south. Its really not all that far from Farmington to Maroon Bells, less then 7 hours of driving.

Jim



Jun 17, 2017 at 08:51 PM
Kee Woo Rhee
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Now I am organizing for Colorado fall travel - need help


bflood wrote:
I suggest you do a search on this website for Colorado fall foliage and search Facebook for Colorado fall color. You'll find reports with dates that will give you a good idea when the best colors can be expected at each location. Searching Google will find even more. If you dig deep into your search results, you'll find posts from previous years - that can give you an idea of year-to-year variation in peak times. In any case, take the advice to be flexible.

Something I suggest you consider - the annual hot air balloon festival in Albuquerque happens in early
...Show more

Thanks Bob for your suggestions for my fall color travel top Colorado in September. Now.. upon your advice for the must-be-impressive 500+ balloon festival.. it looks like that I will not be able to witness that. I am leaving Denver on the 3rd tp SFO for another round of travel there. Maybe next year.. I will take a look at the schedule and participate the balloon festival!! Thanks!



Jun 18, 2017 at 08:27 AM
Kee Woo Rhee
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · Now I am organizing for Colorado fall travel - need help


JimFox wrote:
Hey Kee,

Telluride and Ridgway will always be after Maroon Bells and Crested Butte.

The only thing I would suggest for you based on what color is there when you come, is simply to have Great Sand Dunes and Farmington be either first or last. There is no way to loop it really.

If you are coming into Denver on Sept 16, there is almost no chance of fall colors being peak or looking good that early. So I would do your desert shooting first, then based on the fall colors head up to Maroon Bells. From there you will work your way
...Show more

Hello Jim,

This would be my first travel to Colorado to photograph the most talked fall colors.. finally.
I will look at the fall color news over there when I travel to the area. Hoping for early fall color so I would start Maroon Bells then onto Crested Butte and Ridgeway, Telluride... then onto Farmington -> Great Sand Dunes -> etc..

Now my question is where to stay for the Maroon Bells and also if that is morning shots or evening shots!! I will have to do some research on each locations!

I am just looking forward to September!

Thanks Jim again.

Kee



Jun 18, 2017 at 08:43 AM
RobCD
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · Now I am organizing for Colorado fall travel - need help


Kee Woo Rhee wrote:
Hello Jim,

This would be my first travel to Colorado to photograph the most talked fall colors.. finally.
I will look at the fall color news over there when I travel to the area. Hoping for early fall color so I would start Maroon Bells then onto Crested Butte and Ridgeway, Telluride... then onto Farmington -> Great Sand Dunes -> etc..

Now my question is where to stay for the Maroon Bells and also if that is morning shots or evening shots!! I will have to do some research on each locations!

I am just looking forward to September!

Thanks Jim
...Show more
Kee, I have only been to Maroon Bells in the morning and the best light was not early morning but mid morning. What you do have to consider though is whether you want to arrive early enough to get the best viewpoint since there will potentially be many other photographers there. If you can work it out I would go on a weekday and the earlier in the week the better as it will likely be less crowded. When I was there last it was a Monday in late September and I arrived around 7:45am and there were maybe 5 or 6 other photographers but by 9am there were many more people there. The conditions at that time were not great with a blue sky with no clouds and a breeze so the water was not calm. By 9:30 or so clouds started moving in and the breeze died down and the water started looking good and I believe it was around 10:30 that I got the best images (going from memory so I may be a bit off here).


I drove from Denver so ended up stayed in Glenwood Springs which is about a 40 minute drive to Aspen. Of course Aspen is even better if you want to stay close by and if you can find the hotel or campground that meets your needs and budget.



Jun 18, 2017 at 11:29 AM
Kee Woo Rhee
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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · Now I am organizing for Colorado fall travel - need help


RobCD wrote:
Kee, I have only been to Maroon Bells in the morning and the best light was not early morning but mid morning. What you do have to consider though is whether you want to arrive early enough to get the best viewpoint since there will potentially be many other photographers there. If you can work it out I would go on a weekday and the earlier in the week the better as it will likely be less crowded. When I was there last it was a Monday in late September and I arrived around 7:45am and there were maybe 5
...Show more

Hello Rob,

Thanks so much for the valuable information about Maroon Bells photo shooting situations and the lodging!!

I am very much looking forward this Fall season in Colorado.

Kee




Jun 23, 2017 at 03:11 PM





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