As the calendar turns September, I eagerly await the changing colors of the Aspen groves in the mountains and around our house. This year, Autumn and the colors have come surprisingly early, so I drove early this morning to one of my favorite spots near Nederland to view the oranges and yellows of the Rocky Mountains.
The Peak-to-Peak Highway connects the town of Idaho Springs to Estes Park and traverses up to elevations as high as 9500 feet. It is so named because of its breathtaking views of the high peaks, especially of the Indian Peaks Wilderness. This scenic byway is also one of the most beautiful drives during a crisp, autumn day because of the extraordinary colors you will see.
Living in Nederland, you don’t have to drive far on the Peak to Peak to glimpse the beauty of fall. Just about 10 minutes north of town on Highway 72, is an Aspen grove on the west side of the highway spanning over hundred acres. Aspens have the unique ability to clone or sprout from a parent tree, producing many sucker trees spreading for acres around. Because they share the same DNA, it means an entire grove spanning for acres and acres will reach the same exact peak color all at one time, making for a spectacular burst of color during the fall months.
This particular grove north of Nederland is so breathtaking when it reaches peak, it creates traffic jams. Living in the mountains, we are used to having elk jams or moose jams for wildlife sightings, but this grove is the only place I have ever lived that created a “foliage” jam. Local residents take advantage by setting up lemonade and snack stands along the turnout to “serve” the leaf peepers refreshments as they gaze in awe over this lovely vista.
I know that the peak usually only lasts around a week before leaves start to drop and eventually the trees go dormant. I read somewhere a quote comparing the burst of fall colors to the grand finale of a fireworks show. I do think of it as the last fabulous explosion of color before the quiet and silence of winter is soon to follow. So I try to make many special trips to my viewing spot, knowing it won’t be long before breathtaking beauty of autumn in the Rockies will be but a distant memory.
