Season offers chance to take a drive, explore trails and slow down
Aspens begin to change into their fall colors Tuesday on Coal Bank Pass north of Durango. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)
Break out your fuzzy sweaters and your “Nat King Cole Sings for Two in Love” album – the autumn leaves of red and gold are putting on their annual show once again.
Daylight hours are decreasing and temperatures are dipping, causing trees to stop producing chlorophyll – the chemical that gives leaves their green pigment. The absence of chlorophyll reveals yellow and orange carotenoid pigments and red and purple anthocyanin pigments already present in the leaves, resulting in the vibrant collage of fall colors.
According to the San Juan National Forest Fall Colors Report, the color change in the region typically begins in mid-September near Silverton, then moves through Pagosa Springs, Purgatory Resort and Dolores by mid-October.
Golden yellow quaking aspen at high elevations and narrowleaf cottonwoods in colder, low-lying areas are usually the first to change color, said San Juan National Forester Matt Tuten in the report. Aspens in general, which produce an especially bright display and make up for 20% of Colorado’s forests, typically peak from late September to early October, Tuten said.
The Fall Colors Report indicates minimal to patchy color changes this week from Purgatory Resort north over Coal Bank and Molas passes; partial color change in the Silverton area; patchy to partial change over Lizard Head Pass; and minimal change from Dolores to Mancos.
Aspens begin to change into fall colors on Wednesday up La Plata Canyon west of Durango. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)
Dan West, a forest entomologist for the state of Colorado, said the color change is occurring slightly earlier this year, but drought conditions may make colors less vibrant compared to past seasons. The color peak in Durango is expected during the first or second week of October, West said.
According to Visit Durango, some of the best spots for fall color viewing in the region include the Hermosa Wilderness Area, U.S. Highway 550 over Molas Pass, the Million Dollar Highway, the San Juan Skyway, La Plata Canyon and along the Animas River Trail in Durango.
While colors can be eye-catching along major highways, Lisa Schwantes, spokesperson for Colorado Department of Transportation, urges tourists and locals to keep safety in mind while leaf peeping.
Henry Newton of New Mexico takes photos of a stand of aspens Tuesday on Coal Bank Pass that is rich in red colors year after year. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)
A safety briefing from the Colorado State Patrol and Department of Public Safety reported that troopers investigated 212 injury and fatal crashes in the high country between September and October last year.
Schwantes encouraged motorists to stop only in designated pull-offs with adequate space to park safely. Drivers should be patient in sightseeing traffic and keep an eye out for other stopped vehicles and pedestrians enjoying the scenery.
West’s professional advice for the color-changing season: “Get out and go for a picnic with your sweetie!”
epond@durangoherald.com
The overlook on Molas Pass on Tuesday offers great views of the changing aspens on Tuesday south of Silverton. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)
Jerry McBride
A cow grazes as aspens begin to change into fall colors on Wednesday up La Plata Canyon west of Durango. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)
Jerry McBride
Aspens begin to change into their fall colors near Purgatory Resort on Tuesday north of Durango. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)
Jerry McBride
A stand of aspens on Coal Bank Pass on Tuesday that is rich in red colors year after year. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)
Jerry McBride
Aspens begin to change into fall colors on Wednesday up La Plata Canyon west of Durango. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)
Jerry McBride
Different kinds foliage on Molas Pass on Tuesday add to the changing aspens on Tuesday south of Silverton. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)
Jerry McBride
Aspens begin to change into fall colors on Wednesday up La Plata Canyon west of Durango. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)
Jerry McBride
A stand of aspens on Coal Bank Pass on Tuesday that is rich in red colors year after year. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)
Jerry McBride
Aspens begin to change into fall colors on Wednesday up La Plata Canyon west of Durango. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)
Jerry McBride
Aspens begin to change into fall colors on Wednesday up La Plata Canyon west of Durango. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)
Jerry McBride
A stand of aspens on Coal Bank Pass on Tuesday that is rich in red colors year after year. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)
Jerry McBride
Gambel oak begins to change into fall colors on Wednesday up La Plata Canyon west of Durango. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)
Jerry McBride
Aspens begin to change into fall colors on Wednesday up La Plata Canyon west of Durango. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)
Jerry McBride
Aspens begin to change into their fall colors between Coal Bank and Molas Passes on on Tuesday south of Silverton. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)
Jerry McBride
Henry Newton, of New Mexico, takes photos of a stand of aspens on Coal Bank Pass on Tuesday that is rich in red colors year after year. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)
Jerry McBride
Aspens begin to change into their fall colors between Coal Bank and Molas Passes on on Tuesday south of Silverton. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)
Jerry McBride
Aspens begin to change into their fall colors between Coal Bank and Molas Passes on on Tuesday south of Silverton. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)
Jerry McBride
Aspens begin to change into their fall colors on Coal Bank Pass on Tuesday north of Durango. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)
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