October 11-13, 2023

By Tim Briese

Teresa and I decided to combine our annual Colorado fall color trip and our October Utah hiking trip this year, sandwiched around a viewing of the annular solar eclipse in Utah on October 14^th. It was a little on the later side for the Colorado fall colors and a little on the early side for cooler Utah hiking weather, but it all worked out well.

We headed for southwest Colorado, where great fall colors can linger well into October, and we were not disappointed. We headed for Durango on the first day as an early season snowstorm in the mountains approached.

a pretty stream near poncha pass

from a viewpoint on us 160 on the descent from wolf creek pass

The next day we headed north on US 550 to travel around the scenic San Juan Skyway. Colors were excellent at the lower elevations but they were past peak up higher. The overnight snow added a scenic touch to the landscape in some places.

nice colors along us 550 north of durango

a back road near the purgatory ski resort

a view of the needle mountains near molas pass

the us 550 shelf road between silverton and ouray

We went through Silverton, Ouray, and Ridgway and around to Telluride on CO 145.

ouray

The drive south of Telluride over Lizard Head Pass through Rico and down the Dolores River Valley is one of my favorites in the state for fall colors. There is a seemingly endless aspen forest that runs for miles and miles south of Rico.

a view from co 145 south of telluride

lizard head

flaming golden aspens along co 145 near sunset

The sun sank low as we completed the drive and stayed in Cortez that night. The next morning we drove back up CO 145 to see and photo the landscape in different lighting conditions and sunnier weather.

aspens near rico

trout lake, with pilot knob and golden horn at the upper left

another view along co 145

majestic wilson peak

mt. sneffels from dallas divide

After lunch in Ridgway we drove over Owl Creek Pass into the Cimarron Valley for more lovely aspen grandeur. This drive is a hidden and out of the way gem for spectacular fall colors. Other than a few hunters we saw hardly anyone else there.

chimney rock and fall colors from the owl creek pass road

precipice peak

in the cimarron valley near silver jack reservoir

After feasting our eyes and cameras in the Cimarron Valley for a while we drove north to US 50 and on to Grand Junction and Green River, UT, our destination for the night.