The jagged, rocky ridge known as "The Dyke", located in northwest Montrose County Colorado, is flanked by one of the world's largest aspen groves. In late September, 2016, the changing aspens created an explosion of color.

Canon EOS 5D Mark III, EF70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM at 90 mm, 1/60 sec at f/11, ISO 100

After talking about it for many years, Alison and I finally visited Colorado this autumn to see the aspens show off their fall foliage. We have made many trips to California’s Eastern Sierra in the fall, and while there are some beautiful aspens to be found there, nothing quite prepared us for the glory of Colorado at its colorful peak. We spent the better part of two weeks in Southwest Colorado searching for beautiful vistas and trying be in the right places when the trees were at their best.

We had tried to visit the spot where this picture was taken a week earlier but were deterred by an early-season snowstorm that made the road unsafe to drive. Luckily, the weather and the intervening week provided the perfect conditions for the trees to reach their peak. A few late-to-turn green aspens and some uncommon orange-red aspens added depth and structure to the blazing yellow hillside and had us standing in awe at this beautiful sight.

Don’t forget to click on the image above to view a larger (and higher-resolution) version of the photo.

Share Button