Kebler Pass To Ridge Way road conditions

[BlackRockArt]

Hi Y'all, I am doing my homework on the Colorado foliages, it seems Kebler Pass is the favorite for everybody. I also notice on the map it says "closed in the winter", does anybody know how early they close it ? Or is it weather dependent? I would like to check out " Ohio Pass " and " Owl Creek Pass " too, the Maroon Bells are getting so crowded, I might skip it.

Thanks in advance.

Oliver

PS photo was taken by Ryan Wright, it seems the snow comes early.

 

[JimFox]

PS. It's Ridgway not Ridge Way.

Sorry to start with the PS to start.

If you haven't been to Maroon Bells, you have to go. But bear in mind historically the fall colors peak between Sept 24 to 26th. It stretches out a bit there, because the main group of aspen at Maroon Bells has a main section of aspen that turn first, and a smaller section in the middle of the larger section that turns a few days later. Hope that makes sense.

All of the passes stay open until snow causes them to close. You want a dusting of snow. I photographed the fall colors in SW Colorado for many years, in fact I lead photo workshops there. I have shot the the fall colors there when there was no snow present, and then shot the same exact scenes after a dusting of snow, and you basically want to throw away the photos that didn't have any snow on the peaks after seeing the same views with snow.

Like most places that get snow, the first snows always melts off. The snow doesn't start really sticking to where the roads will close until November.

I hope that answered your questions.

 

[BlackRockArt]

PS. It's Ridgway not Ridge Way.

Sorry to start with the PS to start.

If you haven't been to Maroon Bells, you have to go. But bear in mind historically the fall colors peak between Sept 24 to 26th. It stretches out a bit there, because the main group of aspen at Maroon Bells has a main section of aspen that turn first, and a smaller section in the middle of the larger section that turns a few days later. Hope that makes sense.

All of the passes stay open until snow causes them to close. You want a dusting of snow. I photographed the fall colors in SW Colorado for many years, in fact I lead photo workshops there. I have shot the the fall colors there when there was no snow present, and then shot the same exact scenes after a dusting of snow, and you basically want to throw away the photos that didn't have any snow on the peaks after seeing the same views with snow.

Like most places that get snow, the first snows always melts off. The snow doesn't start really sticking to where the roads will close until November.

I hope that answered your questions.

Jim, thank you so much. Your description is very similar of that in the Yosemite Valley in the early Winter/late Autumn, it's a bit hard to catch the snow due to the short window, although I would love to explore some of the higher elevations, I felt I am missing many gems.

Oliver

 

[JimFox]

Jim, thank you so much. Your description is very similar of that in the Yosemite Valley in the early Winter/late Autumn, it's a bit hard to catch the snow due to the short window, although I would love to explore some of the higher elevations, I felt I am missing many gems.

Oliver

It's a little different.

What I am talking about in Colorado, is when the snow falls in the fall, it will stick to the crevices on the peaks and help give some life to the peaks, but it will melt from the road right away. But you also have to be careful which roads you go on as some of the back roads there in SW CO are of clay composition, and you will get stuck. But the passes you mentioned are fine.