Snow dusts the mountains on the west side of Kebler Pass as the aspens turn last week. (Christian Murdock, The Gazette)
Snow dusts the mountains on the west side of Kebler Pass as the aspens turn last week. (Christian Murdock, The Gazette)BELOW: The sun spotlights the turning aspens on the west side of Kebler Pass near Crested Butte, Tuesday, Oct. 3. (Christian Murdock/The Gazette)LEFT: The morning sun illuminates the last of the turning aspen leaves in the Grand Mesa National Forest near Grand Junction Wednesday, Oct. 4. (Christian Murdock/The Gazette)ABOVE: The turning aspens paint Alpine Lake near St. Elmo, yellow as a pair of mallard ducks search for food Saturday, Sept. 30. (Photos by Christian Murdock, The Gazette)LEFT: A mud puddle reflects the turning aspens on Kebler Pass west of Crested Butte, Tuesday, Oct. 3. (Christian Murdock/The Gazette)The East River flows though the fall foliage near Gothic, Tuesday, Oct. 3. (Christian Murdock/The Gazette)BOTTOM RIGHT: Photographers capture the turning aspens on Kebler Pass near Crested Butte, Tuesday, Oct. 3. (Christian Murdock/The Gazette)BOTTOM LEFT: Snow covers the turning aspens on the west side of Cottonwood Pass Tuesday, Oct. 3, near Buena Vista. (Christian Murdock/The Gazette)Aspens turn to gold outside Gothic, Tuesday, Oct. 3. (Christian Murdock/The Gazette)Vehicles drive south along the Grand Mesa Scenic Byway, or Colorado 65, through the turning aspens Wednesday, Oct. 4, in the Grand Mesa National Forest. (Christian Murdock/The Gazette)Stromclouds build over a snowcapped Mount Meeker as Saint Catherine’s Chapel on the Rock is illuminated by the early morning sun on Monday, Oct. 2, 2023, in Allenspark, Colo. (Timothy Hurst/Denver Gazette) ([email protected]://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/aca82bd62b4ee425c598527cd6faa1b1?d=mm&r=g)Gary Kinn, from Longmont, snaps a photo of a large aspen grove of the hillside by Bear Lake Road on Monday, Oct. 2, 2023, in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colo. (Timothy Hurst/Denver Gazette) ([email protected]://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/aca82bd62b4ee425c598527cd6faa1b1?d=mm&r=g)A bull elk bugles as a cow in his harem looks on in the meadow at Moraine Park on Monday, Oct. 2, 2023, in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colo. (Timothy Hurst/Denver Gazette) ([email protected]://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/aca82bd62b4ee425c598527cd6faa1b1?d=mm&r=g)Pedestrians walk past a bull elk as he follows his harem near the parking lot at Lake Estes on Monday, Oct. 2, 2023, in Estes Park, Colo. (Timothy Hurst/Denver Gazette) ([email protected]://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/aca82bd62b4ee425c598527cd6faa1b1?d=mm&r=g)Jackson Stables wrangler Chloie Barker, riding Jitterbug, leads a group ride through a tunnel of trees adjacent to the Big Thompson River on Monday, Oct. 2, 2023, in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colo. (Timothy Hurst/Denver Gazette) ([email protected]://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/aca82bd62b4ee425c598527cd6faa1b1?d=mm&r=g)Jen Coet walks through a patch of sunlight in an aspen grove on the Bear Lake Glacier Gorge junction trail on Monday, Oct. 2, 2023, in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colo. (Timothy Hurst/Denver Gazette) ([email protected]://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/aca82bd62b4ee425c598527cd6faa1b1?d=mm&r=g)A bull moose leaves the banks of Lily Lake before heading into the brush early Monday morning, Oct. 2, 2023, outside Estes Park, Colo. (Timothy Hurst/Denver Gazette) ([email protected]://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/aca82bd62b4ee425c598527cd6faa1b1?d=mm&r=g)A bull elk bugles while among his harem near the parking lot at Lake Estes on Monday, Oct. 2, 2023, in Estes Park, Colo. (Timothy Hurst/Denver Gazette) ([email protected]://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/aca82bd62b4ee425c598527cd6faa1b1?d=mm&r=g)A bull elk as it follows its harem through backed-up traffic in the parking lot at Lake Estes on Monday, Oct. 2, 2023, in Estes Park, Colo. (Timothy Hurst/Denver Gazette) ([email protected]://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/aca82bd62b4ee425c598527cd6faa1b1?d=mm&r=g)Stromclouds build over a snowcapped Mount Meeker as Saint Catherine’s Chapel on the Rock is illuminated by the early morning sun on Monday, Oct. 2, 2023, in Allenspark, Colo. (Timothy Hurst/Denver Gazette) ([email protected]://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/aca82bd62b4ee425c598527cd6faa1b1?d=mm&r=g)A bull elk as he follows his harem through parking lot at Lake Estes on Monday, Oct. 2, 2023, in Estes Park, Colo. (Timothy Hurst/Denver Gazette) ([email protected]://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/aca82bd62b4ee425c598527cd6faa1b1?d=mm&r=g)A cyclist makes his way up Bear Lake Road near Prospect Canyon on Monday, Oct. 2, 2023, in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colo. (Timothy Hurst/Denver Gazette) ([email protected]://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/aca82bd62b4ee425c598527cd6faa1b1?d=mm&r=g)Beads of water sit on an aspen leaf near Glacier Creek on Monday, Oct. 2, 2023, in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colo. (Timothy Hurst/Denver Gazette) ([email protected]://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/aca82bd62b4ee425c598527cd6faa1b1?d=mm&r=g)A bull moose runs alongside Highway 7 early Monday morning, Oct. 2, 2023, outside Estes Park, Colo. (Timothy Hurst/Denver Gazette) ([email protected]://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/aca82bd62b4ee425c598527cd6faa1b1?d=mm&r=g)Tyndall Glacier, nestled between Hallett Peak to the left and Flattop Mountain can be seen from the Storm Pass Trailhead on Monday, Oct. 2, 2023, in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colo. (Timothy Hurst/Denver Gazette) ([email protected]://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/aca82bd62b4ee425c598527cd6faa1b1?d=mm&r=g)A rainbow arches over Saint Catherine’s Chapel on the Rock as the church is illuminated by the early morning sun on Monday, Oct. 2, 2023, in Allenspark, Colo. (Timothy Hurst/Denver Gazette) ([email protected]://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/aca82bd62b4ee425c598527cd6faa1b1?d=mm&r=g)The sunrise illuminates St. Catherine’s Chapel on the Rocks showing on Oct. 2, 2023. (TomHellauerMultimedia [email protected]://denvergazette.com/content/tncms/avatars/f/9e/622/f9e6228a-3b6b-11ed-bf10-fbb71fa8e421.f54b911252c540f1d61709edc4727a39.png)A rainbow forms in the morning sun above yellowing willow bushes near Estes Park, Colo. on Oct. 2, 2023. (TomHellauerMultimedia [email protected]://denvergazette.com/content/tncms/avatars/f/9e/622/f9e6228a-3b6b-11ed-bf10-fbb71fa8e421.f54b911252c540f1d61709edc4727a39.png)Eric Mueller hikes through an aspen grove in Rocky Mountain National Park on Oct. 2, 2023. (TomHellauerMultimedia [email protected]://denvergazette.com/content/tncms/avatars/f/9e/622/f9e6228a-3b6b-11ed-bf10-fbb71fa8e421.f54b911252c540f1d61709edc4727a39.png)Aspens dazzle along the Bear Lake Corridor section of Rocky Mountain National Park on Oct. 2, 2023. (TomHellauerMultimedia [email protected]://denvergazette.com/content/tncms/avatars/f/9e/622/f9e6228a-3b6b-11ed-bf10-fbb71fa8e421.f54b911252c540f1d61709edc4727a39.png)Aspens on the Ice Lakes Trail near Durango had turned a vibrant yellow by Sept. 23, 2023. (TomHellauerMultimedia [email protected]://denvergazette.com/content/tncms/avatars/f/9e/622/f9e6228a-3b6b-11ed-bf10-fbb71fa8e421.f54b911252c540f1d61709edc4727a39.png)Water cascades over Glacier Creek via the Glacier Gorge trailhead in Rocky Mountain National Park while aspens begin to change on Sept. 17, 2023. (TomHellauerMultimedia [email protected]://denvergazette.com/content/tncms/avatars/f/9e/622/f9e6228a-3b6b-11ed-bf10-fbb71fa8e421.f54b911252c540f1d61709edc4727a39.png)Reds and yellows on trees on Blue Lake Rd. Near Breckenridge on Monday, Sept. 25, 2023. (Photo by Jerilee Bennett, The Gazette)Cameron Pass on Monday, Sept. 25, 2023. (Photo by Jerilee Bennett, The Gazette)Horses graze on Hwy. 40 north of Silverthorne on Monday, Sept. 25, 2023. (Photo by Jerilee Bennett, The Gazette) ([email protected]://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/a400b0ac348f1407dc2709999dc38d3b?d=mm&r=g)Cameron Pass on Monday, Sept. 25, 2023. (Photo by Jerilee Bennett, The Gazette) ([email protected]://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/a400b0ac348f1407dc2709999dc38d3b?d=mm&r=g)A fern and aspen leaf on the forest floor on Buffalo Pass on Monday, Sept. 25, 2023. (Photo by Jerilee Bennett, The Gazette)Fall colors in an aspen grove on Buffalo Pass on Buffalo Pass on Monday, Sept. 25, 2023. (Photo by Jerilee Bennett, The Gazette)An old barn is framed by changing colors of the aspens on Monday, Sept. 25, 2023. (Photo by Jerilee Bennett, The Gazette)Young aspens catch the evening sunlight near Gould, Colorado on Monday, Sept. 25, 2023. (Photo by Jerilee Bennett, The Gazette)The snow has started on the mountains above the Breckenridge ski area while aspens change colors near the gondola on Monday, Sept. 25, 2023. (Photo by Jerilee Bennett, The Gazette)A brilliant red ground cover catches the morning sunlight on Blue Lake Rd. south of Breckenridge on Monday, Sept. 25, 2023. (Photo by Jerilee Bennett, The Gazette)A rustic fence contrasted against changing aspens in Gould, Colorado, on Monday, Sept. 25, 2023. (Photo by Jerilee Bennett, The Gazette)The marina at Lake Dillon with changing aspens on Monday, Sept. 25, 2023. (Photo by Jerilee Bennett, The Gazette)Varying colors of aspens near Gould, Colorado, on Monday, Sept. 25, 2023. (Photo by Jerilee Bennett, The Gazette)An eroded tree and a small aspen tree share the same space near Gould, Colorado, on Monday, Sept. 25, 2023. (Photo by Jerilee Bennett, The Gazette)Mountain ash berries on Buffalo Pass near Steamboat Springs on Monday, Sept. 25, 2023. (Photo by Jerilee Bennett, The Gazette)An adult and junvenile yak wonder through the grasses in front of glowing aspen trees on Hwy. 40 north of Silverthorne on Monday, Sept. 25, 2023. Fall colors are getting near peak in northern areas of Colorado. (Photo by Jerilee Bennett, The Gazette)Changing aspen trees line a hill above Lake Dillon on Monday, Sept. 25, 2023. (Photo by Jerilee Bennett, The Gazette)Snow dusts the mountains on the westside of Kebler Pass as the aspens turn Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2023. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock) (Christian Murdock/The Gazette)The turning aspens paint Alpine Lake near St. Elmo, Colo., yellow as a pair of mallard ducks search for food Saturday, Sept. 30, 2023. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock) (Christian Murdock/The Gazette)The turning aspen leaves filter the sun over Alpine Lake near St. Elmo, Colo., Saturday, Sept. 30, 2023. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock) (Christian Murdock/The Gazette)An aspen leaf clings to a branch in the waters of Little Browns Creek Saturday, Sept. 30, 2023, in the South Isabel National Forest south of Buena Vista, Colo. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock) (Christian Murdock/The Gazette)The hills above St. Elmo, Colo., glow oranged from the turning aspens Saturday, Sept. 30, 2023. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock) (Christian Murdock/The Gazette)A mallard duck swims across Alpine Lake near St. Elmo, Colo., Saturday, Sept. 30, 2023, as the turning aspens reflect on the water. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock) (Christian Murdock/The Gazette)Aspens change multiple colors as seen along the trail to Browns Creek Falls Saturday, Sept. 30, 2023, in the San Isabel National Forest south of Buena Vista, Colo. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock) (Christian Murdock/The Gazette)Turning aspens reflect on Alpine Lake near St. Elmo, Colo., as Canada Geese swim across it Saturday, Sept. 30, 2023. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock) (Christian Murdock/The Gazette)A rainbow arches over Saint Catherine’s Chapel on the Rock as the church is illuminated by the early morning sun on Monday, Oct. 2, 2023, in Allenspark, Colo. (Timothy Hurst/Denver Gazette) ([email protected]://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/aca82bd62b4ee425c598527cd6faa1b1?d=mm&r=g)Tyndall Glacier, nestled between Hallett Peak to the left and Flattop Mountain can be seen from the Storm Pass Trailhead on Monday, Oct. 2, 2023, in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colo. (Timothy Hurst/Denver Gazette) ([email protected]://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/aca82bd62b4ee425c598527cd6faa1b1?d=mm&r=g)A bull moose runs alongside Highway 7 early Monday morning, Oct. 2, 2023, outside Estes Park, Colo. (Timothy Hurst/Denver Gazette) ([email protected]://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/aca82bd62b4ee425c598527cd6faa1b1?d=mm&r=g)Beads of water sit on an aspen leaf near Glacier Creek on Monday, Oct. 2, 2023, in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colo. (Timothy Hurst/Denver Gazette) ([email protected]://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/aca82bd62b4ee425c598527cd6faa1b1?d=mm&r=g)A cyclist makes his way up Bear Lake Road near Prospect Canyon on Monday, Oct. 2, 2023, in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colo. (Timothy Hurst/Denver Gazette) ([email protected]://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/aca82bd62b4ee425c598527cd6faa1b1?d=mm&r=g)A bull elk as he follows his harem through parking lot at Lake Estes on Monday, Oct. 2, 2023, in Estes Park, Colo. (Timothy Hurst/Denver Gazette) ([email protected]://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/aca82bd62b4ee425c598527cd6faa1b1?d=mm&r=g)Stromclouds build over a snowcapped Mount Meeker as Saint Catherine’s Chapel on the Rock is illuminated by the early morning sun on Monday, Oct. 2, 2023, in Allenspark, Colo. (Timothy Hurst/Denver Gazette) ([email protected]://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/aca82bd62b4ee425c598527cd6faa1b1?d=mm&r=g)A bull moose leaves the banks of Lily Lake before heading into the brush early Monday morning, Oct. 2, 2023, outside Estes Park, Colo. (Timothy Hurst/Denver Gazette) ([email protected]://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/aca82bd62b4ee425c598527cd6faa1b1?d=mm&r=g)A bull elk bugles while among his harem near the parking lot at Lake Estes on Monday, Oct. 2, 2023, in Estes Park, Colo. (Timothy Hurst/Denver Gazette) ([email protected]://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/aca82bd62b4ee425c598527cd6faa1b1?d=mm&r=g)Jen Coet walks through a patch of sunlight in an aspen grove on the Bear Lake Glacier Gorge junction trail on Monday, Oct. 2, 2023, in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colo. (Timothy Hurst/Denver Gazette) ([email protected]://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/aca82bd62b4ee425c598527cd6faa1b1?d=mm&r=g)A bull elk as it follows its harem through backed-up traffic in the parking lot at Lake Estes on Monday, Oct. 2, 2023, in Estes Park, Colo. (Timothy Hurst/Denver Gazette) ([email protected]://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/aca82bd62b4ee425c598527cd6faa1b1?d=mm&r=g)Jackson Stables wrangler Chloie Barker, riding Jitterbug, leads a group ride through a tunnel of trees adjacent to the Big Thompson River on Monday, Oct. 2, 2023, in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colo. (Timothy Hurst/Denver Gazette) ([email protected]://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/aca82bd62b4ee425c598527cd6faa1b1?d=mm&r=g)Gary Kinn, from Longmont, snaps a photo of a large aspen grove of the hillside by Bear Lake Road on Monday, Oct. 2, 2023, in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colo. (Timothy Hurst/Denver Gazette) ([email protected]://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/aca82bd62b4ee425c598527cd6faa1b1?d=mm&r=g)A bull elk bugles as a cow in his harem looks on in the meadow at Moraine Park on Monday, Oct. 2, 2023, in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colo. (Timothy Hurst/Denver Gazette) ([email protected]://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/aca82bd62b4ee425c598527cd6faa1b1?d=mm&r=g)Stromclouds build over a snowcapped Mount Meeker as Saint Catherine’s Chapel on the Rock is illuminated by the early morning sun on Monday, Oct. 2, 2023, in Allenspark, Colo. (Timothy Hurst/Denver Gazette) ([email protected]://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/aca82bd62b4ee425c598527cd6faa1b1?d=mm&r=g)Pedestrians walk past a bull elk as he follows his harem near the parking lot at Lake Estes on Monday, Oct. 2, 2023, in Estes Park, Colo. (Timothy Hurst/Denver Gazette) ([email protected]://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/aca82bd62b4ee425c598527cd6faa1b1?d=mm&r=g)A car drives through the fresh snow on Cottonwood Pass toward Buena Vista, Colo., Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2023, after an over night snow storm cover the central mountains with snow. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock) (Christian Murdock/The Gazette)An overnight snowstorm dusts the Elk Mountains as the East River flows through the fall foliage near Gothic, Colo., Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2023. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock) (Christian Murdock/The Gazette)An overnight snowstorm leaves snow on Gothic Mountain near Gothic, Colo., outside Crested Butte, Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2023. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock) (Christian Murdock/The Gazette)The East River flows through the fall foliage near Gothic, Colo., Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2023. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock) (Christian Murdock/The Gazette)The East River flows through the fall foliage near Gothic, Colo., Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2023. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock) (Christian Murdock/The Gazette)The East River reflects the Elk Mountains and fall foliage near Gothic, Colo., Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2023. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock) (Christian Murdock/The Gazette)The aspens turn below the snow-capped mountain above Pittsburg, Colo., Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2023. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock) (Christian Murdock/The Gazette)Jennifer Bartholomew from northern California captures the fall colors and fresh snow on Kebler Pass near Crested Butte, Colo., Tuesday, Oct. 2, 2023, after a storm Monday night capped the central mountains with snow. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock) (Christian Murdock/The Gazette)Fresh snow caps 14, 204-foot Mt. Princeton near Buena Vista, Colo., Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2023. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock) (Christian Murdock/The Gazette)Snow covers the turning aspens on the west side of Cottonwood Pass on Oct. 3 near Buena Vista. (Christian Murdock,The Gazette)Snow covers the turning aspens on the westside of Cottonwood Pass on Oct. 3 near Buena Vista. (Christian Murdock,The Gazette)A dusting of snow covers the mountains outside of Crested Butte, Colo., as the aspens turn Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2023. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock) (Christian Murdock/The Gazette)An overnight snowstorm dust the hills outside Crested Butte as the aspens turn this month. (photos by Christian Murdock, The Gazette)The East River flows though the fall foliage near Gothic, Colo., Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2023. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock) (Christian Murdock/The Gazette)The East River flows though the fall foliage near Gothic, Colo., Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2023. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock) (Christian Murdock/The Gazette)An overnight storm dusts the Crested Butte Mountain Resort as the aspens turn Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2023. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock) (Christian Murdock/The Gazette)A car drives through the aspens on its way to Gothic, Colo., from Crested Butte Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2023. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock) (Christian Murdock/The Gazette)The East River flows though the fall foliage as a recent snowfall dust Mt. Crested Butte in the background Tuesday, Oct. 2, 2023. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock) (Christian Murdock/The Gazette)An overnight snowstorm dusts the Elk Mountains outside Gothic, Colo., as the aspens turn Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2023. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock) (Christian Murdock/The Gazette)Aspens turn to gold outside Gothic, Colo., Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2023. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock) (Christian Murdock/The Gazette)Aspens turn to gold outside Gothic, Colo., Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2023. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock) (Christian Murdock/The Gazette)Aspens turn from green to yellow as fall takes a hold on Crested Butte, Colo., Tuesday, Oct 3, 2023. (Christian Murdock/The Gazette) (Christian Murdock/The Gazette)Aspens turn to gold outside Gothic, Colo., Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2023. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock) (Christian Murdock/The Gazette)The East River flows though the fall foliage near Gothic, Colo., Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2023. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock) (Christian Murdock/The Gazette)Snow covers Mt. Crested Butte Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2023, as the aspens turn near Slate River. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock) (Christian Murdock/The Gazette)Snow covers Mt. Crested Butte Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2023, as the aspens turn near Slate River. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock) (Christian Murdock/The Gazette)Vehicles drive south along the Grand Mesa Scenic Byway (Colorado 65) through the turning aspens Wednesday, Oct. 4, in the Grand Mesa National Forest. (Christian Murdock, The Gazette)The sun spotlights a patch of turning aspens on the westside of Kebler Pass near Crested Butte, Colo., Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2023. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock) (Christian Murdock/The Gazette)The sun spotlights the turning aspens on the westside of Kebler Pass near Crested Butte, Colo., Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2023. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock) (Christian Murdock/The Gazette)A mud puddle reflects the turning aspens on Kebler Pass west of Crested Butte, Colo., Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2023. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock) (Christian Murdock/The Gazette)Photographers capture the turning aspens on Kebler Pass near Crested Butte, Colo., Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2023. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock) (Christian Murdock/The Gazette)The aspens turn multiple colors on the west side of Kebler Pass near Crested Butte, Colo., Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2023. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock) (Christian Murdock/The Gazette)The morning sun illuminates the last of the turning aspen leaves in the Grand Mesa National Forest near Grand Junction Wednesday, Oct. 4, 2023. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock) (Christian Murdock/The Gazette)As the first bits of snow cover Maroon Peak, aspen groves in the foreground start showing their fall colors at Maroon Bells northwest of Aspen on Sept. 22. (The Gazette, Jon Mitchell)
