fall colors – The Denver Post https://www.denverpost.com Colorado breaking news, sports, business, weather, entertainment. Sun, 08 Sep 2024 04:02:48 +0000 en-US hourly 30 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.6.1 https://www.denverpost.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/cropped-DP_bug_denverpost.jpg?w=32 fall colors – The Denver Post https://www.denverpost.com 32 32 111738712 Colorado fall colors map: County-by-county leaf-peeping predictions https://www.denverpost.com/2024/09/06/colorado-fall-colors-foliage-map-leaf-peeping/ Fri, 06 Sep 2024 15:12:24 +0000 https://www.denverpost.com/?p=6605157 Every year, a tourism promotion website around Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina releases a fall foliage prediction map for the entire country.

The map is fun to play with as it shows a week-by-week prediction for each state between Sept. 2 and Nov. 18. It also breaks it down on a county-by-county basis, displaying estimates for the degree of color change, from minimal or patchy to near-peak and peak.

It’s “the ultimate visual planning guide to the annual progressive changing of the leaves,” the website says. “While no tool can be 100% accurate, this tool is meant to help travelers better time their trips to have the best opportunity of catching peak color each year.”

But as it turns out, the smokymountains.com map lines up pretty well with what Colorado State Forest Service expert Dan West told The Denver Post last week.

The map shows that north-central Colorado, including parts of Grand and Clear Creek counties, will get the action going first, with patchy colors starting around Sept. 16 and peaking about two weeks later. From there, the yellows and reds will expand out in all directions, with areas in Boulder and Jefferson counties beginning to show partial changes around Sept. 23.


Fall foliage map
Click the image to go to the interactive map. (Provided by SmokyMountains.com)

By September 30, the state will light up like a fireworks show, according to the map, with colors throughout the northern and central parts of the state, including Summit, Eagle and Lake counties, as well as further south and west toward Park, Chafee and Gunnison Counties.

Between Oct. 7-14, the majority of the mountainous parts of the state will be peaking or near peak, including Ouray, Gunnison, San Juan, Chafee, San Miguel, Lake, Park, Pitkin, Eagle, Summit and Garfield counties. The Denver area should be in full foliage later in October.

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6605157 2024-09-06T09:12:24+00:00 2024-09-06T14:11:31+00:00
Expert predicts spectacular fall colors in Colorado this leaf-peeping season https://www.denverpost.com/2024/08/28/colorado-fall-colors-2024-leaf-peeping-forecast/ Wed, 28 Aug 2024 12:00:51 +0000 https://www.denverpost.com/?p=6577463 Start marking your calendars now, fans of fall foliage, because it looks like spectacular leaf-peeping is in store for Colorado this year.

That’s the outlook according to Dan West, one of the state’s leading forestry experts, who spends a lot of his time in airplanes every August, evaluating forest health across the state.

“From the air, everything is looking very green,” said West, an entomologist for the Colorado State Forest Service and a member of the faculty at Colorado State University. “I was down in Durango last week, looking at the southwest corner and man, they are green. Fields are green, as opposed to tan, as they were a year ago. Everything looks really nice down there.

“Same for the central part of the state,” he continued. “The whole Gunnison Basin has been above-average in precipitation — they’ve been getting the afternoon monsoonal flow — so things look like we’re setting up for a really good season.”

The onset of fall colors is primarily triggered by shorter days and longer nights, but environmental factors do play a role, resulting in variations from season to season.

West is predicting a normal season this year, which would mean seeing the first signs of color change — “a tinge of yellow,” as he put it — around Sept. 9 in the northern regions of the state. As such, the peak there would occur somewhere between Sept. 16-27.

West predicts the peak coming to the Interstate 70 corridor the last week of September.

Healthy forests make for awesome leaf-peeping. And, when it comes to aspen trees specifically, West said they seem to be doing great with few exceptions.

“I mapped almost no disturbance in aspen stands,” West said. “When I say disturbance, I’m talking about insects and disease. Some years we have environmental conditions that are perfect for fungal issues on leaves. We didn’t have that develop this year. That’s usually (caused by) a wet spring, followed by a really warm trend. We didn’t see that this year, so we didn’t end up with foliar issues — the fungi that feed on the foliage of aspens. We mapped almost no foliar issues in aspen.

“There are very small, isolated pockets of defoliating insects,” he added, “but nothing that’s widespread, nothing like what we’ve seen in years past, where the whole Grand Mesa was affected. It just hasn’t happened this year. It’s setting up to be a really good season.”

The 30-day forecast for September by the Climate Prediction Center of the National Weather Service calls for above-average temperatures and below-average precipitation. That may not be good news for ski areas hoping to fire up the snow guns in a few weeks, but it’s great news for fall foliage season.

“That sets us up for another great show,” West said.

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6577463 2024-08-28T06:00:51+00:00 2024-09-07T22:02:48+00:00
Head ranger’s 3 favorite places in Rocky Mountain National Park — and one where you’ll never find him https://www.denverpost.com/2024/06/03/beautiful-views-rocky-mountain-national-park-superintendent/ Mon, 03 Jun 2024 12:00:03 +0000 https://www.denverpost.com/?p=6439718 Nine months into the job, Rocky Mountain National Park head Gary Ingram concedes he has much to learn about the best places to visit across the rugged landscape under his command. Not long after he arrived last August, while he was still getting settled in the superintendent’s chair, the park began transitioning from summer to winter operations. Before long, snow blanketed the park and hiking season ended.

He has seen some of the obvious visitor attractions, though, and found them enchanting.

Related: New Rocky Mountain park superintendent grew up in Yosemite, met Ansel Adams

“I’m looking forward to getting into the interiors of the park,” Ingram said. “I’ve had people tell me these little places are beautiful, but you have to get a mile in, or three, where it will blow your mind.”

Here’s how he describes three of the places that moved him, plus one he has no intention of visiting.

ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK, CO - NOVEMBER 3: Alysia Fostek, right, and her husband Chris, left, take photos at the scenery around Bear Lake on November 3, 2019 in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado. Bear Lake is an easy hike from the parking lot with a multitude of longer hikes in the area. The couple were visiting the park from Collegeville, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Helen H. Richardson/The Denver Post)
ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK, CO – NOVEMBER 3: Alysia Fostek, right, and her husband Chris, left, take photos at the scenery around Bear Lake on November 3, 2019 in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado. Bear Lake is an easy hike from the parking lot with a multitude of longer hikes in the area. The couple were visiting the park from Collegeville, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Helen H. Richardson/The Denver Post)

Bear Lake

Ingram’s introduction to popular Bear Lake came when fall colors made the experience even more intense than usual. There are four switchbacks on the final mile of the drive to the trailhead with lots of aspen to see. “Who doesn’t love Bear Lake?” Ingram said. “You’re driving up those switchbacks, I spilled coffee all over the car. The colors were so brilliant, I didn’t care about the coffee. I didn’t want to lose focus on this insane beauty.”

Sprague Lake

One of the first hikes Ingram took with his wife, Athena, was around Sprague Lake, a family-friendly 0.8-mile loop with wonderful views of the Continental Divide. “It was gorgeous,” Ingram said. “There were elk around. And that’s an easy lake to get to. I was blown away, because the trail was in beautiful shape. There was a little trout (swimming) by. Gorgeous, the background, beautiful lake, it was like ideally perfect.”

Lily Lake

This is another beautiful family-friendly attraction on the east side of the park with fantastic views of Longs Peak, which is only five miles away. There is a loop around the lake of less than a mile, more of a casual walk than a hike, but there’s also the 1.3-mile Lily Ridge Loop offshoot with a 180-foot climb. From the ridge, hikers can look down valley and see the YMCA of the Rockies Estes Park Center, three miles to the north. “We went up on that ridge where you look back down on the YMCA, it’s phenomenal,” Ingram said. “That’s an experience.”

Gary Ingram, Rocky Mountain National Park's newest superintendent, speak during an interview in a conference room at the Beaver Meadows Visitor Center on May 20. (Helen H. Richardson/The Denver Post)
Gary Ingram, Rocky Mountain National Park’s newest superintendent, speak during an interview in a conference room at the Beaver Meadows Visitor Center on May 20. (Helen H. Richardson/The Denver Post)

Longs Peak, Keyhole Route

A friend of Ingram’s, who was a climbing ranger at Yosemite National Park when Ingram was young, wants to lead him up 14,256-foot Longs Peak, the monarch of Colorado’s Front Range. But that involves a 15-mile roundtrip hike with a 5,000-foot elevation gain, which Ingram is reluctant to take on. “He lives here now and he’s trying to kill me,” Ingram said with his usual self-deprecating humor. “He said, ‘This summer, we’re going to go up there.’ I said, ‘Do I look like a guy who needs to go on Longs Peak?’ Then I’m hearing all these stories: ‘Oh, yeah, you look through the Keyhole (an exposed hole in a rock wall at 13,200 feet), you get blown off the mountain.’ I’m like, this sounds like fun? I’d be up there on oxygen, flying through the air.”

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6439718 2024-06-03T06:00:03+00:00 2024-06-03T07:00:39+00:00
Fall colors: Here’s the science behind the reds, golds and oranges https://www.denverpost.com/2023/10/17/fall-colors-science-photosynthesis-leaves-changing/ Tue, 17 Oct 2023 12:00:12 +0000 https://www.denverpost.com/?p=5833169 Winter will be here soon enough, but enjoy those gorgeous fall leaf colors along the Front Range before any snowflakes arrive.

Reach back and recall your grade-school days and the simple science behind deciduous tree leaves changing color every fall. If you said it’s a result of shorter days and less sunlight, which allow tree leaves to take a winter break from all that work they do converting water and carbon dioxide into sugars and oxygen (known as photosynthesis), then you pass with flying colors — pun intended!

Dried, almost burned-looking outer leaf edges are often caused by the plant's inability to take up enough water during tough dry summer conditions.  (Betty Cahill, Special to The Denver Post)
Dried, almost burned-looking outer leaf edges are often caused by the plant’s inability to take up enough water during tough dry summer conditions.  (Betty Cahill, Special to The Denver Post)

There are other processes going on as well. It all has to do with leaf pigments.

In order for the whole photosynthesis process to happen, leaves require help from chlorophyll, which is what gives leaves their green color. The natural substances that make up leaf cells (pigments) visibly become more noticeable each fall as chlorophyll production wanes from less sunlight.

Technically, the fall leaf pigment colors are wired into the green leaf color we see all summer. The dazzling fall colors are simply hidden because of the extensive dominant amount of green pigment (chlorophyll) generated during the summer.

Environmental and plant genetic factors can also affect the pigments in leaves, which play an important role in fall leaf color intensity and duration.

What’s weather got to do with it?

Many warm, sunny days and cool, not-freezing nights allow the anthocyanins (colored molecules produced by leaves) to shine through with all those brilliant shades of crimson, purple and red. Days like this allow more sugar to be produced in the leaf during the day while the cool nights result in a gradual closing of the sugar-producing leaf veins, preventing the sugars from completely moving out.

Yellow, gold and orange leaves are fairly consistent from year to year due to other pigments (specifically carotenoid) that hang around in leaves despite the weather.

Fall moisture helps leaves stay colorful for a longer period of time, conversely, drought conditions while leaves are losing their chlorophyll pigments lead to brown leaves and early drop.

Which trees drop their leaves the soonest in fall or earlier?

A purple ash puts on a dazzling autumn display in Denver. (Betty Cahill, Special to The Denver Post)
A purple ash puts on a dazzling autumn display in Denver. (Betty Cahill, Special to The Denver Post)

Easy answer: Look around where you live. Trees that are environmentally stressed or unhealthy from drought stress, lack of consistent watering, experiencing pest insect or disease issues often start losing their leaves the earliest, even in the summer months.

It’s easy to spot trees, shrubs and perennial plants dropping leaves that are stressed by leaf scorch. Dried, almost burned-looking outer leaf edges are often caused by the plant’s inability to take up enough water during tough dry summer conditions.

Parts or entire sections of the root system may not be able to meet its water demands. So in addition to scorched leaves, branches or whole sections of a tree can appear dead. Other causes of leaf scorch include heat stress, too much fertilizer, excess moisture and poor root growth as a result of the tree growing close to pavement, or damage from nearby construction and root disruption from tilling.

The remedy to leaf scorch, although not immediate, is proper year-round water management that meets the plant’s needs.

What’s the deal with trees that don’t drop their leaves in the fall?

Oak tree leaf loss — specifically with white, pin, English and red oaks — has its own fall leaf story to tell. In a nutshell, these oaks, along with beech and hornbeam trees, hold on to most or some of their leaves during the winter and then shed them in the spring. This process is called marcescence — pronounced “mar-CESS-enss”.

The reason for this phenomenon is all about the cells in leaves separating from the end of the leaf stem where it is attached to the twig (called the abscission zone). Most trees have the type of cells that drop their leaves in the fall while marcescent trees don’t utilize the abscission cells to drop their leaves until the spring when the new buds form.

Enjoy “Colorful Colorado” at its most colorful!

Resources

Aspen Fall Colors: csfs.colostate.edu/aspen-fall-colors/

Science of Fall Colors: fs.usda.gov/visit/fall-colors/science-of-fall-colors

When Oak Leaves Fail to Fall: internationaloaksociety.org/content/when-oak-leaves-fail-fall

Leaf Scorch: planttalk.colostate.edu/topics/insects-diseases/1400-12-leaf-scorch-trees-shrubs/

Betty Cahill speaks and writes about gardening in the Rocky Mountain Region. Visit her site at http://gardenpunchlist.blogspot.com/ for even more gardening tips.

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5833169 2023-10-17T06:00:12+00:00 2023-10-16T14:06:10+00:00
Denver weather: First day of fall brings warm, sunny weather for outdoor activities https://www.denverpost.com/2023/09/23/denver-weather-fall-corn-mazes-pumpkin-patch/ Sat, 23 Sep 2023 17:54:30 +0000 https://www.denverpost.com/?p=5811683 The first day of fall is here, bringing warm and sunny weather perfect for getting out and about this season.

Saturday and Sunday starts fall off with near-normal highs of 78 degrees on both days. Both days will be slightly windy, with gusts of up to 21 mph.

Skies will be mostly clear and sunny all weekend, so you might want to pack sunscreen if you’ll be enjoying any of the pumpkin patches or the two Reba McEntire-themed corn mazes that opened this week.

If you’ll be out in the evenings this weekend, though, plan for brisk and slightly windy nights, with lows of 45 degrees Saturday and 47 degrees Sunday and wind gusts of up to 16 mph.

Past this weekend, Denver will heat up above normal to highs in the mid-80s. The warmest day next week is expected to be Thursday, when the high is 86 degrees.

It might just be a good time to escape the warmer weather to the mountains, where temperatures are expected to be in the 50s and 60s and prime leaf-peeping season could reach its peak. It could also be the perfect time to take that scenic road trip through the high country.

Campers and hikers, leaf peepers and anyone getting outdoors should also be mindful of fire danger, as the sunny days ahead will also have higher winds that will elevate fire weather conditions.

Todd Farrow, park manager for Golden Gate Canyon State Park, a prime location for experiencing the fall changing of the leaves, warned visitors to be mindful that even parking in the wrong spot could stir up fires.

“We don’t allow any parking along the roadway,” he said. “It destroys vegetation. And with all the moisture we’ve gotten this year, you can see how tall all these grasses are. An exhaust system or a catalytic converter parked over that could spark a wildfire.”

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5811683 2023-09-23T11:54:30+00:00 2023-09-23T11:54:30+00:00
Fall colors are beginning in the northern mountains, but peak season is still a week or two away https://www.denverpost.com/2023/09/22/fall-colors-beginning-colorado-steamboat-2023/ Fri, 22 Sep 2023 12:00:32 +0000 https://www.denverpost.com/?p=5809986 The peak of leaf-peeping season in the northern mountains most likely is a week or two away, but the onset of the great fall foliage transition has begun.

“We’ve had some chilly nights, a few 34s, 35s, some light frost on the deck,” said longtime Steamboat Springs resident Cathy Wiedemer. “That maybe has helped with it. It just seems in the last few days, we’ve kind of rounded the corner and the colors are on – but just starting. (Wednesday) I was noticing some reds in some scrub oak. It definitely feels like fall. Then you look at a row of trees in town, some are yellow and some are still green. There’s this nice melding of colors.”

About 25 miles north of Steamboat at the Vista Verde Guest Ranch near the town of Clark, mountainsides are mostly green but some gold is popping. The ranch’s sales and hospitality director, Roxy Kestner, said the change could be in full force next week.

“I think next week and the week after are going to be great, Kestner said.

Closer to Denver, the change is just beginning around Estes Park and in Rocky Mountain National Park, according to Thomas Pemberton, owner of Estes Park Tour Guides, an outfitter that guides trips in the area. Pemberton says it feels like the change is a little later than usual.

“We definitely have a couple of weeks to go,” Pemberton said. “From what I’ve been seeing, we have a good start, there’s some good foliage beginning, but we are behind by a couple of weeks for sure. If you were looking at the (predictions) for this area, we still have another week or so until it’s supposed to be ‘peak’ season, but I think we’re about a week and a half off. I’d say another week and a half, it will be perfect. We’re definitely more on track for the end of September.”

The annual fall color change typically starts in the northern mountains in the middle of September and runs through the third or fourth week of the month, according to Dan West, entomologist for the Colorado State Forest Service and a member of the faculty at Colorado State University.

In the central mountains — including Vail, Summit County, Aspen, Crested Butte and Gunnison — West expects fall colors to emerge at the end of the month and last into the first week of October. The southern mountains should see fall colors in the second and third week of October.

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5809986 2023-09-22T06:00:32+00:00 2023-09-22T13:20:44+00:00
“We literally get run over”: Golden Gate Canyon State Park braces for another busy leaf-peeping season https://www.denverpost.com/2023/09/18/golden-gate-state-park-leaf-peeping-crowds/ Mon, 18 Sep 2023 12:00:17 +0000 https://www.denverpost.com/?p=5799545 Front Range leaf-peeping season will begin any day now, and at Golden Gate Canyon State Park, that means rangers are bracing for crazy crowds that annually overwhelm the scenic mountain area northwest of Golden when the aspen turn.

“We literally get run over,” park manager Todd Farrow said recently on a tour of the 12,000-acre park, which is located 12 miles up Golden Gate Canyon and seems to have aspen stands every direction a visitor turns. Some of them frame gorgeous views of the Continental Divide.

Golden Gate Canyon State Park will be a very popular destination when leaf-peeping season begins this year. The change is expected to start around Sept. 23.(Bridget O'Rourke, Colorado Parks and Wildlife)
Golden Gate Canyon State Park will be a very popular destination when leaf-peeping season begins this year. The change is expected to start around Sept. 23.(Bridget O’Rourke, Colorado Parks and Wildlife)

Golden Gate consistently ranks as fourth-busiest among the 42 parks operated by Colorado Parks and Wildlife, behind Lake Pueblo, Cherry Creek and Chatfield, and it’s No. 1 among CPW’s mountain parks, attracting 1.3 million visitors last year. Of that, 291,000 visited in a five-week period during prime leaf-peeping season, representing 22% of its total visitation for the year.

There are only 400 designated parking spots at the park’s 11 trailheads, which means lots of headaches for the five fulltime — and five seasonal — rangers when the aspen are turning.

“We have to put ‘No parking’  signs everywhere, because these parking lots fill up, and our visitors will park on the side of the road,” Farrow said. “We don’t allow any parking along the roadway. It destroys vegetation. And with all the moisture we’ve gotten this year, you can see how tall all these grasses are.  An exhaust system or a catalytic converter parked over that could spark a wildfire.”

In many places, there is little or no shoulder, which doesn’t stop folks from parking there anyway.

“Unfortunately we get that kind of behavior during leaf-peeping,” Farrow said. “People park on the side of the road, essentially turning this into a one-and-a-half-lane road. It may not be a big deal to a lot of people, if they’re just thinking about vehicular traffic. But think about a fire truck or an ambulance that needs to get here in an emergency situation and they can’t.”

Golden Gate has geographic complications, too. The three main roads into and through the park are public highways. Farrow says that means CPW wouldn’t be able to impose a timed-entry reservation system, like the one at Rocky Mountain National Park, even if it wanted to. There are no gates at the park entrances, just electronic kiosks — Farrow calls them “iron rangers” — where visitors can buy passes.

Golden Gate Canyon State Park will offer beautiful hikes through aspen stands when leaf-peeping season begins this year. The change is expected to start around Sept. 23.(Bridget O'Rourke, Colorado Parks and Wildlife)
Golden Gate Canyon State Park will offer beautiful hikes through aspen stands when leaf-peeping season begins this year. The change is expected to start around Sept. 23.(Bridget O’Rourke, Colorado Parks and Wildlife)

“You could manage (a reservation system) if you had one way in and one way out,” Farrow said. “With the county roads that go in and out of here, I can’t put staff at each of those areas. I just don’t have it.”

One notable trouble spot for illegal parking on the north side of the park is along Gap Road near Golden Gate’s most popular attraction, Panorama Point, which offers a stunning vista to the northwest that includes the Indian Peaks along the Continental Divide and Longs Peak farther north. During leaf-peeping season, you can photograph that view framed with flaming aspen.

Gap Road also is used by locals who live nearby, with park property flanking both sides of the road. Farrow says people will park cars along the road there “for miles” when the small parking areas at Panorama Point fill up.

“We have people out here walking with strollers and dogs and kids,” Farrow said. “The speed limit here is 25 mph, and locals will go 40.”

There is a similar situation on Colorado State Highway 46 near the south entrances to the park.

“In pull-out areas, we’ve put out ‘No parking’ signs and people don’t care,” Farrow said, “They’ll park right in front of them. Then they’re walking down this road, the speed limit is 35, and you’d be hard-pressed to find people that are going less than 45, 50.”

As with many public lands along the Front Range, population growth and the pandemic have driven a visitation surge at Golden Gate. From about a million in 2019, visitation shot up to 1.6 million in 2020 as pandemic shut-ins sought solace in nature. Earlier this year, the park completed a new 10-year plan to help manage that visitation.

“I don’t think we’re ever going to reach pre-pandemic levels,” Farrow said. “We’re the closest backcountry experience to Denver. You can get up here in an hour and be out in the backcountry. We have certainly been discovered.”

Golden Gate Canyon State Park is filled with great stands of aspen and it will be a very popular destination when leaf-peeping season begins. The change is expected to start around Sept. 23 this year. (Bridget O'Rourke, Colorado Parks and Wildlife)
Golden Gate Canyon State Park is filled with great stands of aspen and it will be a very popular destination when leaf-peeping season begins. The change is expected to start around Sept. 23 this year. (Bridget O’Rourke, Colorado Parks and Wildlife)

Prime leaf-peeping season this year is expected to begin around Sept. 23 and run through mid-October. Farrow recommends visiting during the week if possible. On weekends, you’d better get there before 8 a.m.

“If you come up early enough, you can get a parking spot,” Farrow said. “Know where you’re going, and have alternative plans. One of the challenges we face with our visitors is, they select a trail — normally it’s the Horseshoe Trail or the Raccoon Trail — and they’re just dead-set on doing that trail. They get up here, and there’s no parking for that trail because the parking’s already full.

“What we don’t want you to do is just pull off the road, ‘To heck with it, I don’t have the patience for this, I’m just going to park here and take my chances,’ and cause resource damage, possibly igniting a wildfire,” he added. “When one car parks there, everybody else thinks it’s OK.”

Park rangers are empowered to write parking citations.

“We are law enforcement officers, but we operate in the customer service world,” Farrow said. “The park belongs to the people and visitors of the state of Colorado, and our job is to take care of it.”

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5799545 2023-09-18T06:00:17+00:00 2023-09-18T06:03:26+00:00
8 fall road trip itineraries for Colorado leaf season https://www.denverpost.com/2023/09/14/fall-road-trip-itineraries-colorado-leaf-peeping-foliage/ Thu, 14 Sep 2023 12:00:47 +0000 https://www.denverpost.com/?p=5793284 September is here, and leaf-peeping season is just a couple of crisp nights away. Although Coloradans are spoiled living so close to this annual spectacle, it’s worth remembering that the golden and red (if you’re lucky) displays of aspen and other trees far surpass any other region of the country. So, it’s worth taking a weekend, a day, or even a few hours checking it out.

Not only that, but Colorado boasts other fall delights, from pumpkin patches and roadside peach stands to seasonal flavors in coffee, beers and restaurant dishes.

Here are eight of our favorite fall itineraries.

Autumn color lines a big looping turn on U.S. 550 south of Ouray, Million Dollar Highway, San Juan Skyway Scenic Byway, Colorado. Dan Leeth, special to The Denver Post file
Autumn color lines a big looping turn on U.S. 550 south of Ouray, Million Dollar Highway, San Juan Skyway Scenic Byway, Colorado. Dan Leeth, special to The Denver Post file

Ouray

Ouray is called the Switzerland of America, due in no small part to the towering peaks that surround this quaint town on the Western Slope. And like the Alps, these mountains get pretty chilly in the winter, which is why fall is a great time to don a flannel shirt and enjoy.

Start your adventure with a beginner-friendly hike at Box Cañon Falls Park, where you can see the namesake waterfall up close, alongside wildlife like hummingbirds and chipmunks. (Entry is $5-$7 per person.) Hikers looking for more of a challenge should climb up to Cascade Falls Park and then hop on the Perimeter Trail, which circles the entire town over the course of about six miles. The hike traverses exposed rock faces, forested areas and the iron-laden river that runs through town, offering continued variety and awe – especially when the leaves are changing color.

The Ouray Via Ferrata also remains open until Oct. 31 (weather permitting), as do guiding companies such as San Juan Mountain Guides, Mountain Trip and Cirque Guides.

Now that you’ve worked up an appetite, splurge for a meal at the newly renovated hotel, The Western, at 210 7th Ave., which is serving shareable appetizers and a delectable steak dish with a cheese-and-squash fondue for dipping. (A larger portion of the fondue will be offered as a seasonal side this fall.) On Friday nights, a trumpeter plays pop music covers to compliment the chic atmosphere. (Reservations recommended.)

Craving something more casual? Pop into Ouray Brewery, 607 Main St., where the burgers and beers (try a Silvershield Stout on a cold day) are as good as the view. Well, almost. — Tiney Ricciardi 

Fall colors are starting to peak ...
Fall colors were starting to peak on Kenosha Pass on Sept. 27, 2022 in Park County. (Photo by RJ Sangosti/The Denver Post)

Crested Butte

Kebler Pass west of Crested Butte is one of Colorado’s top driving destinations for autumn leaf-peeping since it famously passes through the state’s largest aspen grove, lauded as one of the largest living organisms — and possibly the very largest — in the world.

Plan to drive the pass — a windy dirt road that nevertheless should be passable for regular cars — early in the day, so you can avoid traffic jams and land in town for happy hour and dinner. Rum fans will find paradise by the glass at Montanya Distillers, 204 Elk Ave., which makes four variations of the spirit to serve in flights and cocktails, including hot beverages on cold days. (Did someone say Rum Chai?) The company also offers tours ($10-$25) of its production facility located 10 minutes from downtown by car.

Do yourself a favor and make a dinner reservation at The Breadery, 209 Elk Ave. The restaurant serves a variety of pizzas that start with sourdough crust. Truthfully, anything involving bread – whether a panzanella salad or “fancy toast” with cantaloupe and prosciutto – will be a winner.

And if you have room for dessert, visit Tin Cup Ice Cream & Desserts, 313 3rd St., for a sweet finish. If you crave a liquid nightcap, the Talk of the Town bar, 230 Elk Ave., has you covered.

Crested Butte is surrounded by forest with plenty of dispersed camping, so if you plan to stay overnight, head north of Mount Crested Butte up Road 317 toward Gothic or west up Road 811 to find a spot. After seeing the starry night sky, you’ll be glad you did. — Tiney Ricciardi 

Fall colors along Tigiwon Road near Minturn, Colorado. (Staff photo/Jonathan Shikes)
Fall colors along Tigiwon Road near Minturn, Colorado. (Staff photo/Jonathan Shikes)

Minturn to Buena Vista

Looks can be deceiving in the Vail Valley where a Tesla-packed stretch of I-70 cuts through a forest of million-dollar ski condos and glitzy hotels. Hidden, almost out of sight, is U.S. 24, which can take you through the rougher-edged town of Minturn and along the outskirts of the Holy Cross Wilderness before winding its way up to 10,158-foot Leadville. It’s in this corridor where you can find some of the most beautiful views and stellar leaf-peeping in Colorado.

Start your day with a breakfast burrito from Northside Kitchen, 20 Nottingham Road, in Avon, or Benderz Burgers, 105 Edwards Village Blvd. in Edwards, ($6 at Benderz gets you a fat chunk of an egg-and-chorizo handheld). Or, try the coffee at Yeti’s Grind (Vail and Edwards), which offers fall flavors like pumpkin spice and salted maple. Then get on I-70 and off at the Minturn exit for a slow drive through town along the Eagle River. Follow U.S. 24 for about three miles to Tigiwon Road and take it to the Cross Creek Trailhead, where parking is sparse.

Cross Creek Trail can take hikers for many miles deep into the wilderness, but the first two miles also serve as a lovely day hike that runs along a creek, through aspen groves, past a vast meadow that is filled with wildflowers and wild raspberries in the late summer, and along a stunning lookout where you can see Vail’s back bowls as well as the Mount of the Holy Cross. Eventually, there is a bridge crossing and some rock-scrambling to make things interesting, but all in all, the path here is blessedly flat. Moose are known to frequent the area, so keep your eyes out. There are also beavers around – though they are less likely to trample you.

Once you are back at your vehicle, continue up Tigiwon road – it’s dirt but should be passable for most cars – as it switchbacks upward, offering increasingly gorgeous golden aspen groves and vistas. There are pull-offs and dispersed camping sites along the way where you can take a break. Bring camping chairs and a cooler full of seasonal Marzen lagers (for your passengers) and enjoy the sound of the wind in the leaves.

Once you’ve had your fill, retrace your steps to U.S. 24 and continue along the 30 scenic miles up to Leadville. The Golden Burro Cafe will hit the spot for lunch, and you can do some antiquing along Harrison Avenue as well. Oh, and bring your flannel shirt, because the temperatures are likely to be low way up here.

From there, it’s another 40 minutes down the other side to Buena Vista, but keep your camera handy because the views of Collegiate Peaks will take your breath away. Once in town, order a seasonal Pumpkin Patch Ale at Eddyline Brewery, 102 Linderman Ave. Need a place to stay? Check out the stylish but retro Amigo Motor Lodge in neighboring Salida. And don’t forget to book a spot at a local hot spring, like Cottonwood Hot Springs Inn & Spa or Mount Princeton Hot Springs – so nice when the weather turns crisp and the leaves turn yellow. — Jonathan Shikes

A bright pop of yellow aspens near the boathouse at Grand Lake. (Barbara Ellis, The Denver Post)
A bright pop of yellow aspens near the boathouse at Grand Lake. (Barbara Ellis, The Denver Post)

Grand Lake

There’s nothing like being a tourist in your own state to help you realize why people come from all over the world to see Colorado in the fall. The Grand Lake area, which borders the eastern — and less used — entrance to Rocky Mountain National Park is the perfect place to do that.

A few years ago, during the COVID-19 pandemic, a friend offered me a weekend getaway at their cabin on Shadow Mountain Lake, the deep blue reservoir that sits between Lake Granby and Grand Lake. These bodies of water are all enormously popular for people with sailboats, canoes, jet skis and other watercraft, but we were there to enjoy town and some nearby trails.

The 2 1/2 hour drive west from Denver along I-70 and then north on U.S. 40 past Winter Park and Fraser is always scenic, but no more so than when the aspen leaves are in the middle of turning yellow and gold. Like us, you’ll want to pull over a few times to snap photos.

If you’re staying at one of the many cabins that dot Grand County, then it makes sense to stop at the Safeway in Fraser to stock up on groceries and snacks. Once in town, most people walk along the Boardwalk on Grand Avenue, stopping into the cute shops to browse or grabbing a drink and a bite to eat. We enjoyed our dinner at Sagebrush BBQ & Grill.

For hiking, we enjoyed the Adams Falls Trail at the edge of Rocky Mountain National Park and the East Inlet Trail, but there are dozens of hikes available, in varying difficulties. And waterfalls and wildlife abound. Because evergreens dominate at that elevation, you won’t always see leaves changing colors, but when you do? Kapow. — Barbara Ellis

Fall colors in Grand Mesa. (Provided by Kathy Hayes)
Fall colors in Grand Mesa. (Provided by Kathy Hayes)

Grand Mesa National Forest

Located east of Grand Junction, the Grand Mesa National Forest is one of the Western Slope’s most accessible wilderness areas, with a paved road that traverses from the north to the south ends. And yet, it still seems like a hidden gem that’s rarely overflowing with crowds.

Start by filling up your gas tank and your tummy in Palisade. Head to Peach Street Distillers,144 Kluge Ave., for pub-grub-like pizzas and sandwiches or Fidel’s Cocina & Bar, 113 W. 3rd St., for modern Mexican fare. Then pop by The Ordinary Fellow or Sauvage Spectrum wineries to grab a bottle to toast to your adventure later in the day.

If you’d rather end the day in Palisade, consider making a reservation at Pêche, which has earned a reputation for its chef-driven menu and intimate atmosphere.

The Grand Mesa is a sprawling area home to dozens of lakes popular for fishing, hiking and leaf peeping in the fall. The Mesa Lakes picnic and day-use area is an excellent landing spot with a variety of hikes that cater to many skill levels. One of the best is a 2-mile climb through the pine and aspen forests to the stunning, turquoise-colored Lost Lake.

Trails abound near the Grand Mesa Visitors Center, as well. Advanced hikers might like the Crag Crest Recreation Trail, a 10.3-mile loop that climbs more than 1,000 feet in elevation and offers sweeping views of the mesa, its numerous lakes and surrounding mountain ranges.

Those who travel to the south side of the mesa should consider timing it with Ciderfest at Big B’s orchard in Paonia on Oct. 27-29. The weekend includes live music, house-made cider tastings, and a chance to camp among the apple, peach and apricot trees. — Tiney Ricciardi 

Aspen trees are at their peak as they change from green to yellow and red along Highway 119, the Peak to Peak highway, on Sept. 18, 2018 in Nederland. (Helen H. Richardson, The Denver Post)
Aspen trees are at their peak as they change from green to yellow and red along Highway 119, the Peak to Peak highway, on Sept. 18, 2018 in Nederland. (Helen H. Richardson, The Denver Post)

Nederland to Brainard Lake by bike

The 55-mile Peak to Peak Highway between Central City and Estes Park is Colorado’s oldest scenic byway, designated as such in 1918. Much of it is great for leaf-peeping by car, but there is a section on Colorado 72 between Nederland and the Brainard Lake turnoff that makes for a fabulous bike ride.

This ride offers views of the Indian Peaks along the Continental Divide, which are seven to eight miles west of the highway, with miles and miles of aspen in the foreground. About 12 miles north of Nederland, take a left turn off the highway onto the Brainard Lake Road. The lake is about 4.5 miles west of there, with plenty of aspen along the road. The ride’s distance from town to the lake to about 16.5 miles, with a 2,000-foot elevation gain.

The road from Nederland to the Brainard Lake turnoff rises about 1,000 feet, and the road from the turnoff to the lake adds another 1,000 feet of climbing. Motorists are required to have reservations to park in the Brainard Lake Recreation Area ($16), but cyclists don’t need them, and there is no cost for them to enter.

At an elevation of nearly 10,400 feet, Brainard Lake is set at the foot of 13,000-foot peaks and is one of the most picturesque spots in the Front Range. Once at the lake, cyclists can ride a one-mile loop in the park before heading back to Nederland.

Perhaps the best parking option in Nederland is an RTD Park & Ride, two blocks west of the town’s roundabout. Good places in Nederland for food and drink include Knotted Root Brewing Company for beer and the Crosscut Pizzeria and Taphouse for beer and great pizza. — John Meyer

Fall colors seen at Guanella Pass ...
Hyoung Chang, The Denver Post
Fall colors seen at Guanella Pass by Georgetown, Colorado on Friday, Sept. 24, 2021.

Georgetown to Guanella Pass by bike

The Guanella Pass Road is well known as one of the best leaf-peeping drives on the Front Range. It’s also one of the best road rides for cyclists in the mountains. Admiring the aspen at the slower pace of cycling on one of Colorado’s official scenic byways allows time to savor every vista.

It’s not for everyone, of course. From the parking lot at Georgetown Lake to the summit of the pass, it’s a 12-mile ride with an altitude gain of 3,200 feet. It’s especially challenging on the switchbacks just south of town, which climb 500 feet in a little more than a mile. The rest of the ride climbs pretty gradually, though, and the ride from the pass back to town is all downhill.

In addition to gorgeous views of aspen and other colorful foliage, the rugged backside of Mount Evans rises to the east. South of Evans is a neighboring fourteener, Mount Bierstadt, which is just a couple of miles east of the top of the pass. Riders should be sure to bring plenty of fluids and a jacket, because it can get pretty chilly up there, especially at the high speed of the descent.

The Guanella Pass Brewery in Georgetown, near where the road starts to climb up the pass, is a great place for hydration recovery on a patio with aspen views. Another good option is Cooper’s on the Creek. If you want a table on the patio there, reservations are recommended. — John Meyer

Everywhere you turn as you wander along the walkways and corridors around the plaza in Santa Fe, the colors and trappings of Southwestern style can be found. (Denver Post file photo)
Everywhere you turn as you wander along the walkways and corridors around the plaza in Santa Fe, the colors and trappings of Southwestern style can be found. (Denver Post file photo)

Trinidad to Santa Fe, N.M.

The gorgeous drive south between Trinidad and Santa Fe along I-25 trades dense bouquets of high-country trees for earth-toned expanses and, at your destination, one of the southwest’s prettiest little towns. Believe it or not, Santa Fe has a leaf-peeping window too, although it’s even shorter than Colorado’s (about a week).

If you’re driving from Denver, stop in Trinidad for a wood-fired pie and people-watching at Bella Luna Pizzeria, or a drink at the triniDAD Lounge — a lovingly preserved bit of late 20th-century western decor that offers live music (punk, honkytonk, roots) and a hip atmosphere.

From there it’s a little less than 3 hours to Santa Fe. Situated about 7,200 feet above sea level, Santa Fe is reputed for its ritzy spas, Kokopelli-soaked galleries and well-heeled artists and collectors. It’s got a world-class collection of southwest U.S. art and a growing, thoughtful emphasis on Indigenous art and artists. Be sure to visit the acclaimed Georgia O’Keefe Museum, but also browse one of the 200-plus other galleries and dozen-plus museums. Indigenous craftspeople and artists sell items along the street, where you can get handmade jewelry, toys and other items for cheap.

Lesser-known are the area’s kid-friendly offerings, which my wife and I take advantage of when we visit each September with our two children. The walkable city’s central square is usually bustling with booths, vendors and/or live music, and is ringed by historic churches, handsome hotels (Inn of the Governors is our fave) and excellent food.

You can’t miss the Plaza Cafe Downtown, a quirky, retro-minded diner with phenomenal breakfast and some of the freshest and tastiest green chile anywhere, thanks to the fall harvest. For fire lovers, Horseman’s Haven (outside of town along Cerillos Road) offers insanely spicy green chile — along with savory carne adovada and meat enchiladas. (Don’t even attempt to try the Level 2 unless you are a veteran spice warrior. Trust me.).

There’s plenty of hiking and exploration available, as the city sits in the Rio Grande valley, right in the middle of 1.5 million acres of national forest. Peaking in late September, the hillsides between Hyde Memorial State Park and Ski Santa Fe feature an eye-popping array of fall colors, along the Santa Fe National Forest Scenic Byway.

But for a more modest, semi-outdoors experience, you can also rent a yurt on a llama farm, as we did once. For guests on Fridays, owners Bill and Robin Spencer offer free admission to their Roswell alien-themed roller rink, Rockin’ Rollers. It’s a trip. — John Wenzel

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Is Denver in a “false fall”? https://www.denverpost.com/2023/09/11/false-fall-cool-weather-seasons-denver/ Mon, 11 Sep 2023 17:41:32 +0000 https://www.denverpost.com/?p=5796659 When a cold snap hit the Front Range in early August, many people thought fall had come ahead of schedule, only for the summer heat to return.

With lower temperatures teasing the Front Range once again, the question becomes: “Is Denver in ‘false fall’ or is the weather here to stay?”

“False fall” isn’t a real meteorological term, but a local reference to a cold snap that comes near the end of summer and fools people into believing the fall weather will come early. It falls right between “fire season” and “second summer.”

Now, with a week of temperature highs in the mid-70s ahead, National Weather Service meteorologist Bernie Meier says the season is here to stay — for real this time.

And after several heat-driven weeks with above-average temperatures and below-average precipitation in Denver, the arrival of fall weather is more than welcome.

“We won’t see much more of those hot summer-time temperatures,” Meier said. “We could maybe see another 90-degree day or two toward the end of September, but that hot weather is likely done for the Denver area.”

It’s hard to tell for sure though, because Colorado has such weather extremes and things can change rapidly, he said.

Looking at the forecasted temperatures for the next week, Meier said that for the first time in weeks, none of the highs will break 80 degrees, with Sunday coming the closest at 79 degrees.

“Those mid to high 70-degree temperatures are characteristic of the transition into fall,” he said. “We’re pretty on track for this time of year.”

Beyond next week, the National Weather Service forecasted stable temperatures, with highs remaining in that mid- to high-70s range and overnight temperatures reaching the high 40s and low 50s.

“We’re not anticipating another strong warm-up, and we also don’t see a strong cool down on the horizon,” Meier said. “This is fall-like weather, and it should hang around until winter.”

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Leaf-peeping preview: Here’s what Colorado can expect for fall colors https://www.denverpost.com/2023/09/07/colorado-leaf-peeping-preview-fall-foliage-colors-2023/ Thu, 07 Sep 2023 12:00:15 +0000 https://www.denverpost.com/?p=5791579 Colorado’s aspen stands are thriving, and that bodes well for fabulous leaf-peeping this fall according to one of the state’s leading forestry experts.

Dan West, entomologist for the Colorado State Forest Service and a member of the faculty at Colorado State University, spent most of the past two months flying over the state’s 24 million acres of forest. The main purpose of his annual aerial observation tour is to assess forest health, but it also gives him a unique perspective to forecast the quality of fall foliage colors.

“They look better than they’ve looked in a very long time,” West said. “Aspen look really well, even in places that over the last several years have kind of struggled.”

As a result, West also is predicting a return to normal timing for the color change.

He expects to see aspen in the northern mountains — generally north of Interstate 70 — to start turning in the middle of this month and run through the third or fourth week.

In the central mountains — including Vail, Summit County, Aspen, Crested Butte and Gunnison — he expects fall colors to emerge at the end of the month and last into the first week of October.

The southern mountains should see fall colors in the second and third week of October.

Last summer, West saw signs of recovery from years of drought stress in some forests. This year has seen drought disappear in most of the state, along with fewer days of abnormal heat.

“Going into the season, it was quite wet and I was bracing myself, thinking there was going to be quite a bit of leaf fungi that were going to be able to work their way through the aspen,” West said. “The pests that attack aspen leaves prefer wet and warm. What ended up happening, by and large, was really wet and cool. In a nutshell, the environmental conditions just weren’t conducive for some of these pathogens that attack the leaves.”

The general health of aspen and other trees that provide fall color, especially oaks and cottonwoods, is only one factor in the quality of leaf-peeping. September weather also plays a critical role.

“It’s been nice and warm and sunny, and that’s what we want during the middle of the day,” West said. “We want to burn off that chlorophyll, the green pigment, and that’s what the sun does. As the day length shortens — we’re losing about two and a half minutes every day right now — you really start to see the greens fade out. It looks like we’re shaping up beautifully right now.”

Fall colors are starting to peak on Kenosha Pass on September 27, 2022 in Park County, Colorado. (Photo by RJ Sangosti/The Denver Post)
Kenosha Pass on September 27, 2022 in Park County, Colorado. (Photo by RJ Sangosti/The Denver Post)

Events that could detract from great fall color include major fluctuations of temperature, early frost and heavy rain or wind events that could cause leaves to fall prematurely.

“We don’t want it to be cold,” West said. “Once it gets cold and those cells start to freeze, that pretty much ends the game, as far as the show.”

Aspen aren’t the only attraction in leaf peeping season. West says the oaks and cottonwoods appear healthy, too.

“The oaks are looking so good,” West said. “I’m already starting to see some of the oaks starting in the southern part of the state. They turn before the aspens do. We’re just starting to see some of that orange. Not quite the reds yet, but certainly the oranges are starting to come through. They look like they really might have a good year. Last year wasn’t so good, with some of the frost that happened, and they look like they’re rebounding quite well. I only mapped a couple of locations in the state that looked as though oaks were struggling a little bit. Cottonwoods also look like they’re doing really well.”

West conducts his aerial forest inspections in July, August and sometimes into the beginning of September in partnership with the U.S. Forest Service.

“We’re looking predominantly for bark beetles that are affecting conifers,” West said. “We’re also looking at aspen stands across the state, and oaks and willows and cottonwoods, to get a feel for anything affecting these particular areas so we can have early detection and a rapid response, from a forestry perspective.”

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