Natural History Wanderings

Rocky Mountain Nature Photographers has several new fall color updates for the Rocky Mt. region:

• 9/16/14 Drove over Weston Pass today. Not 100%, but will be in next 7-10 days. There are many isolated spots, some easily accessible from the road that are in full color, so worth a trip this weekend and then again next weekend.
• 9/14/14 I was hiking in the Sangres yesterday (west side) The leaves down low are pretty healthy and 10-20% changed–up high it’s closer to 30-40% but there were a lot of dead aspen thanks to tent caterpillars.
• 9/14/14 Drove Aspen–Twin Lakes–Buena Vista– Fairplay–Bailey this morining. Small patches coloring up, but not more than 5%. Undergrowth above Aspen colored up nice. I’d call the 1 week away predictions above accurate. Most trees look healthy with large leaves.
• 9/14/14 Hw9 north of Silverthorne to Green a Reservoir will peak in one week. I think that area can be counted on every year to peak in week 3.
• 9/13/14 Drove over I-70 last evening. Isolated patches starting to turn in high elevations. Some spots with brilliant orange/reds. Aspens look healthy with lots of edges just starting to turn yellow.

See older reports at Rocky Mt. Fall Color 9/12/14