Last week was a great time to experience the fall colors in Colorado. I made a trip to Gunnison to view the fall colors in the Crested Butte and Gunnison area. The weather that day was a mixture of overcast clouds, sun and rain. Colors of the leaves varied between green, yellow, orange and red. The Gunnison Basin has plenty of Cottonwood trees that are as spectacular as the Aspen trees that are found at higher elevations. It was still very early to experience the colors of the Cottonwoods. I arrived in Gunnison during mid-afternoon and made the following image.
After setting up the tent in the campsite, I made my way on the road that followed the course of Ohio Creek. At one spot, I spotted these Aspen trees with the full range of fall colors.
Close to where I had parked, were these red aspen leaves that contrasted with the green leaves in the background.
That night it rained. The following morning the Gunnison basin had spectacular low clouds. As I headed back towards Ohio Creek, I made this image as the sun was rising.
Many of the farms in the basin grow cattle feed. I made this image of one of the fields lit by the low sun.
There was a fire burning close by, maybe from a BBQ smoker. Smoke rising from this fire was backlit by the rising sun.
Later, when I got to Ohio Pass, there were low clouds over the Aspen forests. I waited for a gap in the clouds that lit up the trees in the following image.
Here are some of the low clouds passing up the slopes.
I spent many hours the same day making images along the pass. More to come.