Bright yellow...

The days are colder now, and we’re waiting for the first real snow. The leaves are gone, the branches are bare, and everything looks a little faded and dull. But, believe it or not, just a couple of months ago the world looked completely different - bright, golden, glowing yellow. I still remember that vibrant day when we drove up into the mountains to see the fall foliage at its peak. We started on Squaw Pass Road and headed toward Echo Lake - Beautiful Sunday high in the mountains.

 

Beautiful Sunday high in the mountains

I can’t believe it’s already November. It feels like just last week we were driving up into the mountains to chase the fall colors, and yet, somehow, a whole month has slipped by. Still, that Sunday stays vivid in my memory - chilly, crisp, sunlit, and painted in gold.

 

Rain and gold leaves

We really enjoyed the foggy landscapes along the road (click here to see where it all started - On the Way...). The rain had returned, low clouds, golden leaves... everything looked simply beautiful!

 

On the Way...

Someone once asked me what’s the best time to visit New Mexico. Well… it depends. I guess any time is good, but fall is twice as good as any other season. It’s not as hot as summer, and if you time your visit right, you can enjoy the beautiful and vibrant fall colors.

So, we planned carefully, hoping to catch that perfect moment when the Colorado mountains had already shed their golden beauty, but the colors were just beginning farther south. On October 11th, we jumped in the car and headed toward New Mexico. The forecast didn’t look too bad, but once we passed Walsenburg, the clear blue sky began to change. We were stunned to see a cloud shaped like a tornado stretching across the horizon. Well… this trip was already promising a bit of adventure.

 

Fall in the Garden...

Yeah... it’s October, and everything tells us that fall is here. The foliage is changing colors and... surprisingly, the flowers are still blooming. But let’s stop for a second and look at the leaves... bright red with brownish edges... aren’t they simply beautiful?

 

Mountains Dressed in Gold

When I returned to the car after hiking around Beaver Brook Reservoir (click here - Beautiful morning... fall morning...), I realized I wasn’t ready to go home yet. So I decided to drive up Squaw Pass Road and take in some fall colors... those beautiful mountain colors.

 

Beautiful morning... fall morning...

Fall is here! Not just because it’s September 27th and the season officially started a week ago… but because the Colorado colors have finally arrived. It was a bit late this year, and for a while it felt like we wouldn’t see much of those bright hues. But we were wrong and now they’re HERE! 

Early Saturday morning, I headed out… though I wasn’t exactly sure where I was going :) I took I-70, turned toward Evergreen, and before reaching the town I veered off onto one of my favorite mountain highways - Squaw Pass Road. Soon I pulled into a small parking lot and decided to hike up to Beaver Brook Reservoir, a little man-made lake not far from the road. The sun was just peeking over the tree line, and as I was getting ready to start, the first rays lit up an aspen across the lot. I took it as a good sign ;)

 

Bald Eagles on Barr Lake

Barr Lake State park is an amazing place to hike or bird watch. And while mid-November may not be the best time for birds, it is definitely a good time for a hike. An easy hike, or more challenging one. We weren't sure what we would find there on this chilly Sunday morning. But as soon as we got out of the car, we knew that we had come at the right time... Because high in the sky, a huge flock of birds were making some intricate patterns but we weren't sure what kind of the birds they were...

 

Day of roses

The storm that had broken so many trees was in the past (click here to see - After the storm) and the sun was working very hard to get the snow melted, disintegrated, evaporated... The roads and trails were clear, so we decided that the best way to spend a Sunday morning would be a walk in some beautiful place... And one of the most beautiful places we know is the City Park ;) It is magnificent in spring with flowering trees, beautiful in summer with its green leaves, stunning in fall with these leaves in yellow and red, a bit dull in winter with faded colors and cold... but today it promised a pleasant walk and some vibrant colors in a nice contrast with the white snow. And we weren't disappointed at all... despite the snow, everything was still breathing fall...

 

Before the storm...

Fall is still here and the leaves are still colorful... But there are fewer and fewer of them still left on the branches. And the forecast promises some wind, rain, and, maybe, snow... so I guess today was our last chance to see some color in Denver before it finally disappears. So let's go outside and enjoy another day that is still warm and sunny (actually, it's unbelievable to see all of this in November, but I don't complain).

 

Yellow walk

Believe it or not, but the forecast promises some snow tomorrow... But today we still had a chance to walk along the trail and enjoy the rich and vibrant fall colors. Don't believe me? Let's walk along the Highline Canal together then...

 

Golden... golden... Golden...

When it's fall and the leaves are bright and yellow, we all want to spend some time walking and enjoying these vibrant colors and the feeling of fall... Especially when the days are still warm and the sky is blue :)

 

Marble sky

The Castlewood Canyon is a stunning place to spend a few hours. And fall is definitely the best time to do it ;) All the trails in the park are easy (except the longest one, but who takes it, right?) and the weather is... um... the weather is actually challenging. On the flatlands it is often windy, which makes you think about more clothes to wear, but in the inner canyon it's windless and hot, and you immediately start peeling all the clothes you just put on... But... this is a small inconvenience, other than that this park is absolutely beautiful and popular... Especially in fall time... click here to see what you can find there, if you start from the less crowded side - Castlewood Canyon park again, but from another angle.

Today we started from the main parking lot and quickly figured out that today was special... special because of the sky that was looking absolutely amazing...

 

Beautiful day...

This morning we headed to the Botanic Garden, where we planned to spend a couple of hours enjoying the quiet morning and vibrant fall colors... And we weren't disappointed a bit...

 

Fall gems...

The days are shorter and the nights are cooler... I guess that's what they call Fall... And everything is slowly changing... the leaves are changing their colors... the trees are losing the leaves... the birds are flying somewhere south... It's a time when you feel sad... but also a time when you can find some gems everywhere. Small gems for sure... but they are beautiful nonetheless...

 

Bright colors of Fall

This fall is unusually warm. And it's late too. But... slowly the colors are changing, and we see more and more of them every day... And the nights are getting cooler and cooler... I guess we have just a few weeks left to enjoy the mild weather and nice bright colors before everything changes for good.

 

First signs...

Actually not the first. Fall is coming and we've known it for a while now. The leaves have started turning yellow (or red), the nights have gotten colder... And it's been happening for a couple of weeks. But... this is the first time I've tried to capture these beautiful colors so... I guess you can say these are the first signs of fall...

 

Just days before colors changed...

Staunton Park is one of my favorite Colorado state parks. It is also becoming increasingly popular, so get there as early as possible if you want to hike there. And the easiest hike is just over 2 miles to Davis Ponds.

 

Gold in Golden, again :)

Hmm...actually I'm not talking about real gold. I just refer to leaves in the color of gold. Just go there in September and walk along Clear Creek and... you won't regret it!

 

Yellow, bright yellow...

What is the most colorful time of the year, I would like to ask... And I think the answers will vary. Some will say that it is spring, when flowers bloom and bring different colors into the world. But some will say that it is fall, when bright hues of yellow and red dominate and overpower all other colors...