Minnesota: Heights to Homestead

The rural landscapes of central Minnesota were on full display.

A Moment of Peace at Horse Thief Lake

 After a few hours on the winding roads of the Black Hills, you start looking for a good place to pull over and just breathe. Horse Thief Lake is one of those perfect spots.

A peaceful scene with a hint of autumn color.

Black and Gold

You can't even tell that I spent most of yesterday raking leaves, can you?

A Minnesota Reunion

 The main event of the day was a wonderful get-together for the Korkowski Cousins' Luncheon at The Old Mill in Urbank, but the journey there and back was an adventure in itself. We took a road trip through the heart of Minnesota, soaking in the gorgeous autumn colors.

The Annual Autumn Drive: Day Two

 Day two of our annual drive required a strategy: leave Steamboat Springs at "butt ugly early o'clock." The goal was to get ahead of the weekend crowds on Trail Ridge Road, and we were about to find out just how smart that decision was.

The day started in the pre-dawn darkness in Steamboat Springs.

The drive into the west side of Rocky Mountain National Park is a sobering experience now, passing through the vast burn scar of the 2020 East Troublesome Fire. 

The first hint of twilight as we hit the road.

The layers of the mountains revealing themselves at dawn.

Entering the west side of Rocky Mountain National Park,
the landscape is now defined by the 2020 burn scar.

A stark but powerful landscape, showing the scale of the fire.

The road ahead. Even in the burn scar,
the scenery is dramatic and compelling.

Gaining elevation and looking back
down at the Kawuneeche Valley.

It’s a stark landscape, but beautiful in its own resilient way. As we climbed, the scenery transformed, rising above the treeline into the breathtaking alpine tundra. The views of the Never Summer Range were spectacular under a perfect blue sky.

The incredible, sweeping view of the
Never Summer Range from Trail Ridge Road.

The morning frost still clinging to the reeds along the water's edge.

It was great to see signs of life thriving in the area's waterways.

A little synchronized swimming to start the day.

A moment of perfect, glassy reflections in the crisp morning air.

After crossing the summit, we descended the eastern side, catching the last remnants of fall color. And then we saw it: a miles-long backup of cars waiting to get into the park from the Estes Park entrance. Our early start had paid off in spades. It was a spectacular finale to our annual color pilgrimage.

Above the treeline, the world opens up
into a vast expanse of rock and sky.

A close look at one of the park's remnant glaciers,
clinging to the shadows.

Looking back toward the high peaks
along the Continental Divide.

Descending the eastern side of the park,
we found the last holdouts of the fall color.

A few beautiful pockets of aspen gold
with Longs Peak in the distance.

And the payoff!
This was the miles-long backup waiting to get in the east entrance.
Our early start was definitely the right call.

Wherever you are today, I hope an early start brings you a peaceful and beautiful journey.

Don Bergquist – 08 October 2024 – Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, USA

The Annual Autumn Drive: Day One

The journey begins, heading into the
mouth of the Cache la Poudre Canyon.

No Need to Travel Far

After chasing fall colors across Colorado and flying to Minnesota for family, sometimes you come home to find the most perfect autumn scene waiting right in your own yard.

Fall Tour Day Four: Ouray to Lakewood

A final, gentle sunrise over the San Juans as we prepared to leave Ouray.

A Bonus Day at the Black Canyon

 Our trip was supposed to be a three-day loop, but we woke up in Ouray and realized we were too close to an opportunity to pass it up. The Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park—a place I had never been and Tim was eager to see again—was just a short drive away.

Fall Tour Day Two: Alamosa to Ouray

Day two began with a spectacular celestial handover in Alamosa. As the sun rose over the Sangre de Cristo Mountains behind us, a thick fog still clung to the San Juans ahead, the range we’d be exploring all day.  

A quiet sunrise over the Sangre de Cristos
to start our day in Alamosa.

And We're Off: The 2023 Fall Color Drive Begins

Our three-day itinerary for chasing Colorado's fall colors.