Red Mountain Pass (9/25/2016)

Waking to a beautifully clear day, I got started early in order to take full advantage of it.  Passing through Ouray, there were just enough clouds over the mountains to add a little drama.  Even these quickly dissipated as the sun got a bit higher, giving way to a sparkling blue sky. 

Having visited this area a couple times before in the fall, I was pleased to see how nice the colors were on this day.  It's possible that I never caught the peak before, and this certainly appeared to be the peak.  It's also possible that this year's color is especially good, as I've heard a few others say.  In any case, it seems the reds, oranges and yellows all came to life at the same time, making for amazingly colorful scenes.

There were hundreds of photographers along the Million Dollar Highway, not to mention perhaps thousands of other folks just enjoying a spectacular day in the mountains.  Everywhere I stopped there were crowds, making it difficult to keep people out of the scene.  However, everyone was smiling and enthusiastic, ready to talk about this delightful experience we were all sharing. What a lot of fun! 

In addition to these photos, I made a video of the drive that can be seen at Red Mountain Pass.