It's here! Maybe fall is coming ;)

Today we woke up early and just couldn’t stay home. The foliage downhill is only starting to change… and we hoped to see more of it up in the mountains. So, without much thinking, we drove up to Central City to check if we were right... and… we were!

 

It didn’t start exactly as we expected, though. Sure, we knew it would be colder up there, but we didn’t expect the temperature to be below 50°F combined with a piercing wind. Still, that’s what we found when we unloaded and started walking up the hill.

At least it wasn’t raining, and the colors more than made up for the chill. It was the perfect moment to see leaves shifting from green to delicate yellow... just a beautiful transition.

When we reached the top of the nearest mountain, we stayed there for a few minutes soaking in the incredible view. There was no wind, and even when a few raindrops started falling, we didn’t really care. Honestly, it wasn’t real rain anyway but just a sprinkle.

We turned back toward the car, stopping here and there to take in the clouds and the mountain ranges stretching out in the distance.

Since it was a quick hike, we weren’t ready to head back to Denver yet. So we took another turn, and a few minutes later we pulled over to check out the abandoned mines of Nevadaville.

Nevadaville is almost a ghost town. This time we just passed by without stopping, but if you’re curious, here’s a story and some photos of the town - Old town... ghost town... 

On our way back, we wandered off the road to see if we could find a few more hidden gems in the area. And we did ;) Nothing crazy, just the ruins of an old mine and more patches of changing foliage kept us entertained.

Well... it was a good hike by all means and we really enjoyed it.

Not too long, not too steep, not too far... just the kind of outing you need on a Sunday when you’re not quite ready to go home, not tired enough to call it a day, and still want a bit of mild adventure.

The last time I was in the area it was the end of September, and everything looked completely different (just look here to compare - Golden leaves and old mines...).

This time it felt like the changes were only beginning, just a promise of the beauty still to come. We really enjoyed this in-between moment, watching aspens painted in every imaginable shade of green, yellow, and orange...

What can I say… it was a good Sunday. And we plan to repeat it again… maybe next week? ;)

Photos taken on September 14, 2025.