Pancake Rocks

I ran into a local on my hike at Lovell Gulch a couple of weeks ago, and while we were chatting he recommended Pancake Rocks for foliage.  When I get advice from a local, I typically heed it.  So this past weekend I found myself at the Pancake Rocks trailhead before sunrise.

The first couple of miles of the trail are fairly typical Colorado mountain fare -- beautiful, fairly heavily treed in, and moderately steep.  Then things started to open up and the vistas began to peek through.

Aspens grew denser, and I popped off the trail to shoot in the midst of this small grove.

The canopy thinned, the trail widened, and I could feel my destination approaching.

Your first sight upon arriving at Pancake Rocks is an overhang so deep it's practically a cave.  I got there early enough to have the sun bursting through the golden leaves.

It is not hard to figure out how Pancake Rocks got its name.  There are several stacks like this one dotting the area.

And the views?  Epic.

Fall seems like the perfect season to visit this spot, with the vibrant yellow aspens, red rocks, and deep, blue skies.

I spent nearly an hour exploring the space.  As the crowds began to arrive, I took my leave.

Two Grey Jays gave me the opportunity to feed them on my descent.  They figured out quickly I had nothing to offer, so I was lucky to get this shot before they abandoned me.

I started my hike before sunrise but made note of the creek I passed along the way thinking it might be worth a stop once the light was better.  I was right.

Water always adds something to a scene, especially when you can get even a little reflection off of it.

I heard two other hikers comment that they didn't even think the foliage was quite at peak yet.  Hard to believe given the spectacular color I witnessed.

The parking area had two other cars when I arrived at 5:45.  When I returned about five hours later, cars were lining both sides of the road as far as the eye could see.  Not hard to understand why, given this view to the west.

Once again, trusting a local pays off as I enjoyed some truly stunning foliage.  I covered 7.39 miles and 1,915 feet of elevation gain in a tidy 4:27:46, which as I mentioned included an hour of bliss at the rocks themselves.

Happy fall, y'all!