Tony's Takes Photography

Wildlife, landscape and weather photography

Fresh snow and fall colors

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Taken back at the end of September from Boreas Pass not far from Breckenridge, Colorado. With the arrival of autumn the aspen trees were aglow and a snow the night before had coated the mountain peaks in a blanket of white.

The mountain in the background is the 13,829-foot high Mount Silverheels. While not one of the Centennial State’s famous fourteeners, it is a gorgeous, dominating peak with a fascinating story. The mountain is named after a dance hall girl from the nearby mining town of Buckskin Joe. Her real name is unknown but she earned her nickname due to the shoes she wore when she danced.

Legend has it that during a smallpox outbreak in 1861 she used her money to bring in doctors to fight the epidemic. She remained at the foot of the mountain while most other women and children fled to Denver. While she survived the smallpox, her face was scarred by the disease and she chose to remain isolated at her home at the foot of the mountain.

Buckskin Joe is now a ghost town and every now and then people report seeing a black veiled woman at the town’s cemetery placing flowers on the graves of those who died during the smallpox epidemic.

A snow covered Mount Silverheels lies in the background while fall colors line the foreground. (© Tony’s Takes)
A snow covered Mount Silverheels lies in the background while fall colors line the foreground. (© Tony’s Takes)

Trees and grasses of gold, skies of blue and white

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Ah yes, the changing of the seasons. It comes quick and never seems to last long enough.

This image was taken 10 days ago and the scene was absolutely gorgeous. Early morning light lit up the trees almost making them look like they were on fire. Above, very pretty clouds with some Colorado blue showing through.

Today if you were go to this same spot, it would not look anything like this. Many of the leaves are now gone in a sign that colder weather is not far away.

Cottonwood trees show off gorgeous gold fall colors on the plains of Colorado. (© Tony’s Takes)
Cottonwood trees show off gorgeous gold fall colors on the plains of Colorado. (© Tony’s Takes)

Pre-dawn light colors Colorado’s Rocky Mountains

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It was an absolutely beautiful morning on the Great Plains today with unseasonably warm temperatures and calm conditions. Looking toward the sunrise the view was ‘just okay’ but not overly impressive. However, turning west toward our mountains it was beautiful. The rising sun colored the mountains and clouds in shades of red. There was a monstrous wave cloud above , the snow-capped peaks below and fall colors in the foreground.

The rising sun colors the clouds and mountains in pastels with fall colors below. (© Tony’s Takes)
The rising sun colors the clouds and mountains in pastels with fall colors below. (© Tony’s Takes)

Towering aspen

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One from my son’s and mine ‘leaf peeping’ trip a few weeks ago. Lying on my back and with a wide angle lens on my camera, I snapped this image of the golden aspen trees on Guanella Pass, Colorado. Above, the high altitude deep blue skies and a passing wisp of a cloud.

My son and I had a lot of fun clambering around the side of this hill seeing what sort of compositions we could come up with. This one is probably one of my favorites.

For more pics of the fall colors from this year and previous years, see here.

Golden aspen trees tower overhead with a beautiful blue sky beyond. Guanella Pass, Colorado. (© Tony’s Takes)
Golden aspen trees tower overhead with a beautiful blue sky beyond. Guanella Pass, Colorado. (© Tony’s Takes)

Star light, leaves bright

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I realized I didn’t really share too many of my pics of fall colors that I’ve gotten in recent weeks so reckon I should fix that. 😉

This particular one was taken near the southern end of Boreas Pass in Park County, Colorado. The sun had been up for a couple of hours and was illuminating the changing aspen trees in all their brilliant gold and as always, our beautiful blue skies were above.

Yes, this is the same area that the infamous South Park cartoon takes place in case you were wondering. 😀

Golden aspen in the fall with a beautiful blue sky above. (© Tony’s Takes)
Golden aspen in the fall with a beautiful blue sky above. (© Tony’s Takes)

Fog, frost and fall colors

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It was probably the last, good weekend to view the changing foliage in Colorado’s high country and Rocky Mountain National Park’s Kawuneeche Valley was one of my stops. Temperatures had dropped to close to freezing and frost coated the grass and trees. In one spot, thick fog settled in obscuring the view but a hint of sun helped illuminate the golden leaves on aspen trees. It made for a very pretty, calm and quiet scene in one of the most beautiful places in the state.

Fog, frost and fall colors come together in Rocky Mountain National Park's Kawuneeche Valley. (© Tony’s Takes)
Fog, frost and fall colors come together in Rocky Mountain National Park’s Kawuneeche Valley. (© Tony’s Takes)

Two seasons in one

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Aspen trees with golden leaves indicate it is autumn but the snow on the ground might make you think it is winter. This is a pretty typical scene in Colorado’s Rocky Mountains this time of year and one that was captured in this image taken this past Saturday morning.

A fresh layer of snow covered the landscape as I ascended toward the summit of the 11,293 foot high Boreas Pass. It made for a beautiful and peaceful scene as the clouds began to break and a hint of blue appeared above.

The road follows the path of the old South Park and Pacific Railroad between the Town of Breckenridge, Colorado and Como. When in use from 1872 to 1938, it was the nation’s highest narrow-gauge railroad. Today it makes for a gorgeous fall drive and affords incredible views of the Blue River Valley and Tenmile Range.

A tale of two seasons as snow and fall colors come together on Boreas Pass in Colorado. (© Tony’s Takes)
A tale of two seasons as snow and fall colors come together on Boreas Pass in Colorado. (© Tony’s Takes)

Colorado gold and blue

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It is peak time for the fall foliage in the Centennial State’s high country and it is absolutely gorgeous up there. My son and I took a 230 mile trip yesterday, leaving well before dawn.

We headed west from Denver to Breckenridge then up and over Boreas Pass, our first destination. On the north side of the pass, it was quite like winter with 27 degree temperatures, strong winds and a fresh layer of snow.

Just over the other side, where this image was taken, it was a good bit warmer but not so warm that there hadn’t been some overnight snow (you can see it on the ground on the left). The road was lined with golden aspen trees and the clearing skies provided just a hint of drama. The sun shining through the trees lit up the leaves making for a very nice scene.

Fall foliage is illuminated by the morning sun on Boreas Pass in Colorado. (© Tony’s Takes)
Fall foliage is illuminated by the morning sun on Boreas Pass in Colorado. (© Tony’s Takes)

Leaves of autumn

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With the changing of the seasons, Colorado’s high country has been a sea of gold in recent weeks. This year, in addition to trying to capture images of these expansive areas of fall foliage, I tried to turn my lens to some of the smaller details.

My photo partner and I (my son) spent a lot of time walking through these areas of aspen trees, oftentimes literally crawling on the forest floor to get a different angle. That type of shooting isn’t my normal cup of tea but I have to say we had an absolute blast doing it this year. Here are some of the pics I captured – I hope you enjoy them.

Taken in Rocky Mountain National Park?.

Sunlight shines through golden oak leaves. (© Tony’s Takes)
Sunlight shines through golden oak leaves. (© Tony’s Takes)
The fall colors extend to the plants on the forest floor. (© Tony’s Takes)
The fall colors extend to the plants on the forest floor. (© Tony’s Takes)
Golden aspen leaves. (© Tony’s Takes)
Golden aspen leaves. (© Tony’s Takes)
The top of an aspen tree is lit by the early morning sun. (© Tony’s Takes)
The top of an aspen tree is lit by the early morning sun. (© Tony’s Takes)

Aspen paint the mountains in shades of yellow

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The fall foliage in Colorado’s high country is at its peak right now and absolutely resplendent in bright color. If you live here and want to see this year’s show you need to go ASAP. A cold front will be arriving tomorrow and that is going to drop temperatures and bring some precipitation. Snow levels could drop to 10,000 feet above which a few inches are possible. With conditions like that, an abrupt end to the mountain leaf peeping season can be expected.

Scroll down to view the complete gallery of images from this past weekend’s fall colors in Rocky Mountain National Park.

The road to gold. Yellow leaves on aspen trees create a bright scene in Rocky Mountain National Park. (© Tony’s Takes)
The road to gold. Yellow leaves on aspen trees create a bright scene in Rocky Mountain National Park. (© Tony’s Takes)