Fall Colors

As summer ends and autumn comes, the days get shorter and shorter. This is how the trees "know" to begin getting ready for winter.


As the bright green fades away, we begin to see yellow and orange colors. Small amounts of these colors have been in the leaves all along. We just can't see them in the summer, because they are covered up by the green chlorophyll.



The bright reds and purples we see in leaves are made mostly in the fall. In some trees, like maples, glucose is trapped in the leaves after photosynthesis stops. Sunlight and the cool nights of autumn cause the leaves turn this glucose into a red color.



The brown color of trees like oaks is made from wastes left in the leaves.



It is the combination of all these things that make the beautiful fall foliage colors we enjoy each year.



And with fall comes the start of the hunting season!



God I love Colorado in the fall.

Here's my contribution to the fall color pictures -
Black cat playing in fall leaves -
(picture is from facebook somewhere ... )

a reply to: FlyersFan



Yesterday the wife and I took our daughters to Aspen to see the colors...

While we were there we learned from a notice that after dark the local cops get ten or more bear sighing calls per night!
Seems their food supply is not what it should be this year so good ole Smoky has taken up dumper-diving to make up for that lack of.

Darn I miss those trees in fall. We used to run cattle on the mountain and I trailed behind with the lunch. Loved poking along and taking pics . Yeah, I love Colorado too!

a reply to: copperhead12



The drive up to Telluride is just now changing to full color.

Tomorrow the wife and I will in Durango to take the train for the fall color tour.
no kids this trip. it's kind a date night for us, winkz

I rode the Durango and Silverton when I was a kid. That was like 40 years ago. I remember it went to a little town up in the mountains and I bought a turquoise bracelet there. I still have it. The ride was nice.

Definitely the best time of the year for painters. It is also a huge relief to get a break from the punishing Texas heat. Yay Fall! Bring it on.

We lived on the south face of the Greenhorn. Father-in-laws ranch. Loved the old cabins and history there. I am out on the plains now. Hope your kid-less trip was great.

a reply to: FlyersFan

This will be our second trip on the train since moving back.


We did the blues train in the spring with the kids... They had live performers roaming threw the cars playing bluegrass and Jazz music... was way cool... Hopefully we don't get rained out on this trip... got us a big wet storm headed out way today and tonight..


Here's a link for upcoming events

Later in Dec. were take the girls for the Polar Express Train ride

We used to live in FL. The trees never changed color, other than the southern maples & oaks. They'd brown up or yellow, drop, and that's about it. Not much visual variation to be had that far south.

We moved back up north to MI, and I'm loving it (mostly for the climate shift, but the trees too) Our younger kid is calling it "The Land of Colors Trees", which is hilarious to every local she says it to (and hilarious to us) Both kids are pretty blown away by the variety of leaf colors, it's like a visual wonderland to them.

a reply to: HardCorps

I'm in NW Colorado and we just made our big drive through the mountains to see those same colors last weekend! Went up through Blackhawk, Central City, Golden, ect.. Gorgeous!!

Awesome pics! Autumn is my favorite Season with its cool winds and colorful trees.

a reply to: HardCorps

The last time I checked, it was spring.

a reply to: HardCorps

These are some Beautifully Awesome Pics here HardCorps!!
Nice to see them! Thanx for the Share! Later, Syx.

a reply to: HardCorps

How beautiful! I shed a tear because I'm in Floriduh and well I don't see this here. It's still like summer here. I think I had one leaf that my son found that was red and it wasn't pretty like the ones up north but you know it made me smile. I fall and winter but I don't get to enjoy them here in Florida. It was 80f when I woke up at 7:15am! I have the AC on and all fans. I would love to move up north or out west to have my seasons amongst other things I can't enjoy in this state.

a reply to: HardCorps

Regusci Winery in Autumn (Napa Valley, Ca)


Fall is the most beautiful season in the Napa Valley. The colors of the grape leaves and the smell of harvest are so comforting.

a reply to: HardCorps

"It's the most wonderful time, of the year." Think that song is about winter but it reminds me of fall.

There are some beautiful images on this thread. Autumn is among us!

Just to let you all know,
the wife and I did take that fall train ride...
Rained on us the whole time and the ride from Durango to Silverton we sat and shivered in an open car...
on the up side enough people called at a day once we got up to Silverton so they offered us seats inside for the ride back...

Glad we didn't bring the girls... Glad we have high quality rain gear to boot... still it was an adventure or is that misadventure?