Sunday, October 12, 2025

Fall Foliage Road Trip 2025

The fall foliage forecast declared that most locations in the state would be past peak by the time my Fall Break and accompanying road trip with Danelle rolled around.  Forecasts such as this are further evidence that human beings are absolute hot garbage at predicting the future.

Wolf Creek Pass
Pagosa Springs was our first destination, which meant a stop at Wolf Creek Pass.

Wolf Creek Pass
This was my third time stopping at Wolf Creek Pass for photos.  And the third time the views were stunning.

Treasure Falls
Treasure Falls was next up.  It, too, never disappoints.  Late afternoon light certainly doesn't hurt.

Wolf Creek Pass
Rain came in overnight, so my plans to shoot sunrise didn't materialize.  But Wolf Creek Pass was still worth another visit to capture its moodier side.

Wolf Creek
The view of Wolf Creek itself from just across the highway was also beautiful.

Wolf Creek
Overcast conditions often result in boring landscape shots.  Low clouds, however, can be really cool.

Colorado Highway 550
You know what else are cool?  Cows?  And this little herd found me fascinating.

Colorado Highway 550
I find the stretch of highway from Durango to Silverton in many ways more spectacular than the Million Dollar Highway from Silverton to Ouray.  Consider this photo Exhibit A.

Colorado Highway 550
And here I present Exhibit B.

Crystal Lake, Million Dollar Highway
Not that the Million Dollar Highway is hideous.  Crystal Lake may not have been especially crystal on this gloomy day, but water in a scene is nearly always a good thing.

Uncompahgre River, Million Dollar Highway
Even better than still water is running water, and the day's rains had this cascade along the Uncompahgre River flowing briskly.

Uncompahgre River, Million Dollar Highway
And with the recently fallen (and therefore still vibrant) leaves strewn along the bank?  This is quintessential autumn in Colorado to me.

Colorado Highway 135
We made one last stop outside Crested Butte to pick up some log furniture, where this unique piece of roadside art provided the perfect foreground element for the golden aspens and grumpy skies.

Past peak?  Not from what I could see!

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