Fall colors updates?

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Bill Reed

 
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by Bill Reed » Sun Sep 27, 2009 11:37 pm

Did a big loop this weekend - Fort Collins to Saratoga, WY then south over Cameron Pass and down the Poudre Canyon. Changing leaves seem to be running late by a week or more. Also, the colors generally didn't seem to be as vibrant as usual.
Some areas only 30 - 50% (Centennial, Snowy Range & west slopes of the Medicine Bow range in Colorado), others at 50% or better (east slopes Sierra Madre in Wyoming and the Park Range in Colo). Upper Poudre seemed to be close to peak in most areas. Best color we saw was south of Saratoga in places and approaching Gould. Cottonwoods and Willows along the North Platte from Saratoga south are completely unchanged.
Next weekend could be prime time for color in Northern Colorado and Southern Wyoming.

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MarthaP

 
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by MarthaP » Thu Oct 01, 2009 4:57 am

Friday afternoon up and over Berthoud Pass there wasn't much exciting happening. It was an interesting mix of trees gone by next to those still green. The colors that had appeared were pretty "blah."

The wind was howling all day today and there's an inch of pine needles strewn all over my yard. I suspect that any aspen leaves left hanging are now on the ground, at least in this area.

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thebeave7

 
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by thebeave7 » Thu Oct 01, 2009 7:51 pm

Was up in RMNP around Bear Lake this weekend. Colors up there are near or past peak around Bear Lake with some great oranges, reds, and golds. Bierdstadt Moraine was about 75% changed and will peak this week if the wind doesn't knock all the leaves off the trees. Lots of wind this past weekend(26-27th) causing the leaves to fall fast.
Photo album from the trip
http://www.ericjlee.com/Photo/thumbnails.php?album=215
Image

Eric

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Gorg

 
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Elks

by Gorg » Fri Oct 02, 2009 3:53 pm

elks peaked on the last day of september
then it snowed yesterday
still beutiful watchiing the harvest moon rise above the golden hillsides

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chicagotransplant

 
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by chicagotransplant » Fri Oct 02, 2009 4:28 pm

A lot of leaves have been dropping the Vail/Beaver Creek area the last couple of days on the higher ridges, probably a lot of that is from the wind. This might be the last good weekend for us before its too far past peak on the hills. The valleys are still turning over though!

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MarthaP

 
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by MarthaP » Sat Oct 03, 2009 3:50 pm

Trees are starting to turn in the city, now - down around the Tech Center they're looking pretty durned nice.

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TyeDyeTwins

 
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by TyeDyeTwins » Sat Oct 03, 2009 4:57 pm

Went to the Lake Blanche on Thursday. The trail was snow covered and the Aspen Trees at the lake were just starting to turn. The bushes along the trail were on fire. Went to the Great Western on Friday (from Gardsmons Pass to Mill D North) and the colors were better at Lake Blanche. There was an occasional Aspen that was golden but most of them were still green, brown or already dead.

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armorfoot

 
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by armorfoot » Mon Oct 05, 2009 1:37 pm

Went up to Cottonwood Pass this last week. The trees in the whole upper Arkansas valley were amazing. The backpacking trip was not. Damned miserable wind.

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