![\"fall2\"](\"http:\/\/nsrider.com\/journal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/fall21.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nI love hiking this time of year, especially in the western Rockies. \u00a0 In the right light (back-light) the aspen often look like they have been plugged into a Christmas tree and light up their surroundings.<\/p>\n
Since I took the high ridge route up, I was unable to see the color in the lower groves, but I am pretty sure that they will be in peak form in the next week or two.<\/p>\n
This stretch of aspen that line the boulder field about 9,500 feet have not yet changed colors, even though they are surrounded in spots by those that have.<\/p>\n
This is the same slope that I photographed back in March, only from this angle you can see the aspens on the north side of the boulders. \u00a0The spring image<\/a> shows the ones that are on the south looking down from several hundred up the boulder field.<\/p>\n Turning to the north, and looking at the summit ridge, you can see that the trees at 10,000 feet and above have indeed reached almost the peak of their color.<\/p>\n I know that section of trees very well for part of the upper trail overlooks that section of the mountain.<\/p>\n At the maximum that grove may last two weeks before most of the leaves are gone.<\/p>\n Once I reached the level path to the tram at 10,000 feet I encountered several different patches of trail with trees in full color.<\/p>\n Although we don’t get the blazing reds and bright oranges of the northwest, we also don’t get all their rain, so I suppose I’ll trade the reds for the rain.<\/p>\n The colors don’t last long here, especially at the top of the mountain. \u00a0Enjoy them while you can.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" I’ve got a bit of updating to do now that we are back from hiking in Europe. \u00a0However, first chance I got I headed on up to do the summit this Saturday. \u00a0Granted, it took me quite a while to … Continue reading <\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n