Alpine lake mirrors the fall colors in its depths.
The town of Ouray is intimate and charming.
Autumn in Colorado’s Rocky Mountains is a spectacle not to be missed. The vast mountainsides transform into vibrant shades of yellow and orange, and nature’s vivid display stretches as far as the eye can see across every valley. RV travel in these towering mountains can be difficult, but the challenge is a small price to pay for the extraordinary beauty when you get there. When we arrived at the ski resort town of Snowmass outside of Aspen with our 36-foot fifth-wheel, the first hints of fall were just beginning to show. Nearby Maroon Bells, in the Elk Mountains, are the “most photographed mountains” in Colorado, and they stand in regal majesty on the far side of Maroon Lake. As we ran down the dirt path to the water’s edge, our eyes grew wide at the truly breathtaking scene. Two steep mountains rose on either side of the lake, framing the more distant summits. On the far shore, a few trees had traded their summertime green for autumn yellow. Standing by the water, the crystal clear lake sparkled in the sun all the way from the toes of our hiking boots to the base of the soaring mountains on the horizon. Along the banks there was a hum of activity. Kids played at the water’s edge while anglers cast their lines and families enjoyed picnics.
We returned to Maroon Bells on another morning before sunrise to find the lake perfectly still. It silently reflected the image of the mountains in its depths without a single ripple. The pre-dawn hours are a magical time in Maroon Bells because the air is so crisp. The mountains are lovely in their early morning slumber. But it’s not a time of solitude by any means. Not only were ducks and beavers going about their early morning tasks in the lake, but dozens of photographers crowded the shoreline. Like a great host of paparrazzi, they were waiting for the arrival of the ultimate rock star—the sun. Maroon Bells is full of classic, picture postcard Rocky Mountain scenery, but 125 miles from there we discovered a totally different side of Colorado at the Black Canyon of the Gunnison. Here, the Gunnison River has carved an impossibly deep gorge through a craggy and forbidding black rock landscape. As high as the Rocky Mountains seem to go into the sky elsewhere in Colorado, the knifelike cliffs of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison seem to pierce the heart of the earth in this otherworldly place. Driving the wildly curving road alongside the Gunnison River, we climbed higher and higher above the canyon. At each overlook we stared down at ever more sheer drops to the ribbon of water below. All color had left the landscape, save the black and gray shades of the canyon walls, and the
14 COAST TO COAST FALL 2015
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