Ohio Pass

A short post, but I thought these images deserved to stand alone. Twelve hours after I left Littleton last Saturday morning on my epic fall foliage drive I reached the turnoff on County Road 12 for Ohio Pass. I was pretty tired at this point and looking forward to just getting into Crested Butte to rest and eat. But after I passed the turnoff, that little voice in my head asked, "So, when exactly do you think you're going to get back to see the pass at peak foliage?"

I love that little voice sometimes. :)

The vista really sneaks up on you.  You're driving through fairly nondescript pine forest for a couple of miles, then BAM!  I had to pull over and shoot, partly because there were so many other cars parked on the narrow road that I had little chance of getting by them.  But mostly because the view was awesome, even after 12 hours of foliage.

I continued on for a bit, parking at a small pullout and walking a short way up a hillside to get a nice solar burst.

The side lighting in this spot was also good.  I wish I'd done more to capture the shadows of the trees on the grass.

Is there a single example of man trying to improve on nature's beauty and actually succeeding?  This certainly ain't it.  But hey, it's great to know BJ was here in '93.

Heading back up the pass the storm that had been forecast seemed to be gathering to the northwest.  So I resumed heading to Crested Butte to beat the rain, though I was certainly glad I'd made the time for this short detour!