Natural History Wanderings

Updated twice on 10/1/14

Rocky Mt. Nature Photographers have the following updates on fall foliage and snow in the mountains.

10/1 Ironton – Red Mountain Pass was much more yellow – remarkably stable from the shedding last week though I did find spots, its still pretty wonderful. There are some freshly changing trees near the Mineral Creek trailhead. Silverton – is done. Lots of shed stands. But go just a bit away from Silverton and good trees are available.
Molas Pass – Old yellow, but it gets better as you head into Coal Bank Pass. There I had fantastic color. Some of the first stands to change are shed, such as the one you sweep around between Molas and Coal Bank. The color goes away as you round Engineer Mountain / Purgatory.
Hermosa Cliffs – Lots of green stands, but some older yellow ones too. Not sure that area is going to develop well this year.

10/1 Telluride/Ophir-50%
Ridgeway cr5,7,9- 30-35%

10/1 General observation over 10 days fall travel.
Seems the west sides of major mountain ranges are slow to change this year.  Kebler West, McClure West, Owl Creek Pass, so on.   Could be wetter on those sides when storms go through?   I am sure there are holes in that theory.
McClure Pass west side looking south toward Chair Mountainis the most yellow aside from the summit I could afind.  Trees that are yellow shedding leaves; lots of green.
Others –
Mt Sopris – Lots of yellow, may be past peak.
Marble – Looks to be nice, probably heading toward past peak.
Owl Creek Pass (near Ridgway) Lots of green but definitely some yellow stands.  It was nice heading up to Katies Meadow, though the meadow is green with only touches of yellow. See photo at http://www.naturephotographers.net/imagecritique/bbs.cgi?a=vm&mr=77350

9/30 Ridgway update. Best bang for the buck is the end of CR7. The aspen on the left from the big curve shot are good, with color back near the wood fence too. CR 5 is a mixed bag, but the big patch to the east side of the Sneffels range is getting there. CR9 is pretty green yet, just spotty color here and there.

9/29 Gothic Mt and all peaks in the area are snow covered. Local Forest Service employee said they are expecting significant snow overnight on Ohio Pass.
still a lot of good color with a spectacular grove of all red in East River Valley on far side of the river about half way to Gothic.

9/29 Star-Taylor-Greg Mace peaks basin all a winter wonderland; but from the Cathedral trailhead on back its gray stands and what is left is barely hanging on.  Good trees on Castle Creek up to midway this afternoon; lets see if the temp drops into a freeze. Independence Pass had 3″ snow.

9/29  has been nothing but rain in Aspen today; the snow level is easily visible on the slopes from downtown. I hear from others that about everything above 10K is getting snow, including Kebler and Ohio (hat tip- DB).

9/29 The San Juans are definitely white. I am in Ridgway right now. I can’t see the peaks right now, it has been raining pretty good but I could see them when I was in Montrose earlier. From what I could see of the color earlier it looks like the top third of the aspen are good with green on the bottom two thirds.

Snow Event evening of 9/28-9/29  Maroon Bells and other Colorado Peaks got a good layer of snow last night. While Maroon Bells is past peak as evidenced by the central gray stands, it is good to see the white peaks. I understand second-hand that the San Juans are also white, with more snow in the forecast.