Year: 2024

Fall Color around Crested Butte, Colorado

A short road trip to catch the yellow, orange, and gold in the mountains around the historic town of Crested Butte, Colorado.

It’s a Colorado tradition to visit the high country in the Fall to witness the changing of the trees from their summer green to their Fall yellow, orange, and brown. While this is certainly not unique to Colorado, it is nonetheless one of the special experiences to be had here. And, it’s different in different parts of the state and as moisture levels ebb and flow each year.

This past year, 2023, was a time of robust snowfall, snow pack, and summer rain. As a result the Fall colors were bright and varied. While the Colorado Rockies do not exhibit the range of color of the Northeastern U.S. and Canada, the juxtaposition of yellow, orange, white aspen bark, pink and grey granite, tan schist, and perpetual evergreen against the blue sky and white clouds at high altitude are striking. We centered our pilgrimage on the historic town of Crested Butte in the central region of the state. It had been many years since our last visit due to having moved to the East Coast for my work and to spend time nearer to my family.

The town of Crested Butte came into being around 1860 as coal and silver mining grew in the area. When the mines started to decline and the myriad of small towns around them began to decline, Crested Butte hung on as the main supply center in the region. The town did not flourish again until the 1960s when nearby Mount Crested Butte ski area was established. Abundant snowfall, spectacular high mountain scenery, and relatively easy access from nearby Gunnison on U.S. Route 50 made Mount Crested Butte a popular downhill skiing destination. Fishing, hunting, hiking, camping and, most notably, mountain bicycling extended the town’s attraction throughout the rest of the year.

I spent my first Thanksgiving after moving to Colorado in 1985 at Mount Crested Butte skiing with friends and their children. It snowed about a foot each night and the skiing on subsequent days was something I had never experienced. It was my first taste of deep, champagne powder.

Since then the town has drawn increasing numbers of visitors and itinerant and full-time residents. Its artistic, commercial, and culinary scene has blossomed and its residents have built full-fledged community support for themselves and their seasonal guests–us included.

From what friends have since told us, we did not make it there at the peak of Fall color season, but the scenery was nonetheless as spectacular as we remembered it.

State Road 12 west out of Crested Butte heading toward Paonia Reservoir, Paonia, Hotchkiss, and Dawson along the north rim of the Black Canyon on the Gunnison Scenic Loop.
Crested Butte Town Hall
Second Street in historic Crested Butte, Colorado
Coal Creek comes down from Kebler Pass in the west and through town.
Whiterock Avenue (Colorado Road 12) leads west out of town on the West Elk Loop Scenic Byway to Paonia Reservoir. Along the way, Ragged Mountain and other cliffs and named mountains are fringed with evergreen and aspen. Here the aspen have turn golden and are dropping leaves with strong breeze.
The view along CR12 and the West Elk Scenic Loop heading toward Paonia Reservoir.
The Ragged Mountains from a distance.
Aspen showing their colors.
Leaving the Anthracite Creek valley and the West Elk Loop Scenic Byway.
Paonia Reservoir has been well below its historic water level for the past many years of record drought across the region. The past few winters have been wetter and have raised the water level.
Looking down into the Black Canyon and the Gunnison River from the north rim.
Blue Mesa Reservoir from the south near the dam and intersection of the Gunnison Scenic Loop and highway US 50.
Back in the town of Crested Butte for our last evening.
These sculptures crop up unexpectedly around town.
Our hotel, the Cristiana Guesthaus, under the late afternoon glow of Mount Crested Butte.
Wooden Nickel
I was hoping to have fresh elk steak for dinner that evening. On the recommendation of the lovely lady managing the Cristiana Gasthaus, we chose the Wooden Nickel Steakhouse, walked over, and made a reservation for later that evening.
The historic bar at the Wooden Nickel
Elk Dinner
Elk steak and baked potato. My wife enjoyed a flavorful roast beef aux jus with green beans. We shared a Spanish Tempranillo from Requena-Utiel just west of Valencia, the first place I had stayed in Spain many, many years ago.
The next morning on our way home, heading toward Cottonwood Pass and the town of Buena Vista on the east side of the Collegiate Peaks Range, a panoramic view of Taylor Lake from the west with the Elk Mountain Range in the distance.
At the summit of Cottonwood Pass on our way to Buena Vista and home.
The long and winding road down the east side of Cottonwood Pass.