Sep 16, 2009 6:37 pm US/Mountain
The Most Brilliant Fall Colors Are Almost Here
Reporting
Stan Bush
VAIL, Colo. (CBS4) ―
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Lynn Clannin of Lakewood took this photo on Sept. 15, 2009, at the top of Golden Gate Canyon.
Lynn Clannin
That nip in the evening air is a sure sign the annual gold rush is descending on the high country. Right now it would be very hard to find a bad spot for viewing fall colors in the mountains.
Some say the best spot now might be the drive from Vail to Leadville over Tennessee Pass.
"Visitors from all over the world come here to see the fall colors," Tom Gaylor with the Vail Nature Center said.
By next Saturday, trees all over the high country will be filled with gold.
"As the trees start going into dormancy they're losing their chlorophyll and the pigments that you see are actually what's left over, not the greens, but the oranges and the yellows in the leaves," said Cary Green with the U.S. Forest Service.
"I don't expect it to be a banner year, but will be worth seeing," Gaylor said.
Stormy, wet summer weather turned some leaves prematurely brown, or even polka-dotted. But fall leave experts say recent conditions should help the leaves pop with color.
"The longer the nights, the shorter the days, and then also the warmer the days and the cooler the nights; basically that's going to kick out the more brilliant colors," Green said.
Gaylor said the mountain roads to Leadville and Silverthorne should provide good viewing.
"Maybe 45 minutes to an hour drive would be just a wonderful treat for people to view," Gaylor said.
Experts say to see the best colors, hit the road just after sunrise.
Experience Fall Colors In Colorado's High Country
The following is CBS4 forecaster Dave Aguilera's annual list of some terrific drives you can take to get a glimpse of fall colors in Colorado's high country.
- Rocky Mountain National Park From Denver take highway 36 through Boulder, Estes Park and straight into the park, using Trail Ridge Road. Enter Rocky Mountain National Park and follow the road to Bear Lake. One of the best places for viewing the aspens is the area around Glacier Gorge Junction. If you're lucky you may see a few bugling elk welcoming in the new season.
- Peak to Peak Highway This drive will take you on the peak to peak highway. On U.S. 6 through Clear Creek Canyon, take highway 119 past Blackhawk and Central City up to the mountain town of Nederland. Look for highway 72 heading to Ward and Allenspark. You should see thousands of acres of golden aspen with the Continental Divide as the backdrop.
- Poudre Canyon From Denver take I-25 north to exit 269. Take Colorado 14 west through Laporte and into Poudre Canyon. You will be driving through Roosevelt National Forest. On this drive you will go over Cameron Pass and have a good look at the Medicine Bow Mountains.
- Aspen From Denver, take I-70 west to Copper Mountain, where you will follow highway 91 through Leadville to highway 82. the aspen should big and bold as you travel from Twin Lakes over Independence Pass and down into the town of Aspen. While your there you can take a little detour to the Maroon Bells, one of the most photographed areas in Colorado. Check out the John Denver Sanctuary while you are in Aspen.
- The I-70 Corridor There are no complicated directions for this one. Drive from Denver west on I-70 all the way to Avon. The viewing is awesome as you travel from Vail Pass to Avon. The aspens will highlight the slopes on both sides of the interstate.
- Hoosier Pass Go west along I-70 to the Frisco exit and head toward Breckenridge on highway 9. Continue over Hoosier Pass down into the towns of Alma and Fairplay.
- Boreas Pass Again go west along I-70 to the Frisco exit and head south through Breckenridge on highway 9. Look for Boreas Pass Road on the south side of Breckenridge. Follow the road around 14.5 miles to the town of Como. Most of this road is unpaved, so don't take the Cadillac. The view of the Blue River Valley is great. And the waves of aspen groves are quite impressive.
- West Elk Loop From Denver, take I-70 west to Glenwood Springs where you will follow highway 82 south to Carbondale. Take highway 133 through Carbondale and continue over McClure Pass, there you will find one of the largest expanses of aspen in Colorado. The loop will take you through Paonia, where you'll head east on highway 92 to Gunnison. The loop back takes you on highway 135 to the ski town of Crested Butte where you'll drive a gravel road over Kebler Pass and then back to Carbondale on highway 133. This is a longer trip but, well worth it.
- San Juan Skyway The San Juan Skyway starts in Durango and travels north on U.S. 550 to Silverton where you'll follow the "Million Dollar Highway" over Red Mountain Pass down through Ouray(Colorado's little Switzerland) and into Ridgeway. Take Highway 62 over Dallas Divide on your way to Placerville where you'll want to turn south on highway 145 and head toward Telluride. Continue over Lizard Head Pass down to Cortez. Heading east on U.S. 160 will return you to Durango. This is considered one of the most scenic drives in America. I might also, add this is a great drive in the summer when all the wild flowers are blooming.
- Cottonwood Lake Take U.S. 285 south from Denver to Buena Vista. Drive about seven miles west of Buena Vista on Main Street, and turn left on county road 344. You'll find Cottonwood Lake about four miles down the road surrounded by beautiful groves of Aspen.
- Poncha Pass Take U.S. 285 south from Denver, or from Pueblo take U.S. 50 to Poncha Springs. Continue south on us 285 over Poncha Pass where you'll find stands of aspens along San Luis Creek.
- Guanella Pass (Closed due to rock slide danger likely through 2010) From Denver take I-70 west and exit at historic Georgetown. Follow county road 381 over Guanella Pass to the town of Grant for some spectacular aspen viewing. The road is mostly unpaved, so a truck or 4 wheel drive might be a good idea. This is also a great time to ride on the Georgetown Loop Railroad. A steam locomotive will take you on a scenic ride to Silver Plume.
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