Molas Pass

Every autumn, as the East Coast boasts its New England hues, the West parades its majestic Colorado Aspens. It's a sure thing one can rely on this spectacle to paint the October landscape year after year.

Last weekend, I found myself dashing to the heights of Molas Pass, hungry for a visual feast.

Traversing the highway 550 into the heart of the San Juan National Forest, even in mid-autumn, the aspen trees stood tall and adorned with leaves aplenty. They shimmered in rich, opulent shades of gold, rivaling the brilliance of Midas' touch. Spread across vast ranches, these aspen sentinels seemed to dance — their golden leaves quivering, almost playfully, with every whisper of the mountain wind. And at 8,000 feet, their trunks gleamed with an ethereal paleness in the last afternoon, creating a contrast that was nothing short of a painter's dream. This mesmerizing golden-on-white canvas was a sight so enchanting, it felt as though I had stumbled upon Mother Nature's very own masterpiece.

Navigating the serpentine roads, every turn held a new, gasp-worthy tableau, and my fingers ached to capture every moment. Stopping at the available pullout, I managed a few pictures.

To witness Colorado's autumn foliage is to truly connect with nature's grandeur. It is a spectacle that belongs not just on one's bucket list but imprinted on the soul.


Oliver

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JimFox

Moderator
Staff member
Molas Pass is one of my favorite locations in Colorado, and I have spent many a night there photographing the Milky Way. And it's also a destination I have earmarked for sunset locations while roaming through SW Colorado.

So I like seeing your take on my stomping grounds. Both are excellent images, though in #2, I would pull the cyan out of the whites of the aspen trunks so that they look white instead of cyan.
 
Molas Pass is one of my favorite locations in Colorado, and I have spent many a night there photographing the Milky Way. And it's also a destination I have earmarked for sunset locations while roaming through SW Colorado.

So I like seeing your take on my stomping grounds. Both are excellent images, though in #2, I would pull the cyan out of the whites of the aspen trunks so that they look white instead of cyan.
Thanks, Jim.

I only had half day to get there, another location is the Molas Lake, I stopped there for half an hour to see millions of stars. You are quite right, the cyan slider was pushed a bit too far.

Gotta go back there next year.

Oliver
 
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