Friday, on one of my day’s off, I decided to cruise the Kaibab for autumn color.
Along the meadows and hillsides the aspen are changing. The sun played hide and seek with clouds cruising across the sky. Like a naughty child playing with a light switch the leaves took on an electric neon brilliance and then an after glow. Every time I stopped for sunglow it went away before I could adjust the camera.
Yet the saplings appeared to be dancing in joy.
Wind shimmered and blew the leaves like confetti at this Autumn parade.
Rainbows of warm colors contrasted with greens. Saw turkeys on the road and startled several deer.
I was almost on overload with all the glow.
After several hours of mesmerizing drive I reached Parissawampitts Point with an outstanding view south across Grand Canyon and watched the rain headed my way. Which was a sign to turn around and head home once again through the splashes of color.
Though only a little rain fell I was blessed with a rainbow gift.
I must have missed the bulk of the rain because I did find puddles.
And although the aspen colors were magnificent in some areas…
…the leaves are falling and the forest floor looked like a 1970s carpet.
The hillsides of colorful young aspen glowed in the dusky light on the drive home.
Gaelyn, so many wonderful photos of the fall colors! I love the dancing saplings and your beautiful rainbow. Most of our leaves are on the ground, and temperatures are cooling off. It won’t be long…..
I took hundreds of photos that day. Last night temps dropped just below freezing so our leaves will soon all be on the ground too. Seems to be a little early this year.
You make me homesick for Arizona~
Beautiful!
Thanks. Arizona is beautiful in so many ways.
This is what I miss the most, I think. Beautiful color. It seems like it is early this year.
It is early this year. Temps dropped to just below 30 last night. Time to plug the heat tape in.
Absolutely beautiful! You are a very good photographer!
Thanks Patricia. Helps to have such beauty to photograph.
What a wonderful variety of pictures and angles and color. You definitely found it. I agree those aspens do just seem to dance. Love your photographs.
Thanks Sherry. Don’t think these colors are going to last too much longer as the temps are down to freezing and there was a skiff of snow last night that melted almost immediately. I just love the dancing aspen.
We’ll soon be heading south for our ‘timeshare life’ in Arizona. We are thinking we’ll drive from Kirkland but it appears we will miss the beauty of the leaves by several weeks. Thanks for giving us a look at the beautiful colors!
At this elevation the colors will soon be gone. Where is your winter AZ place?
Oh such lovely Fall color. But I had to laugh at the reference to 70s carpet and/or plush velour bedspreads in those same colors (oh yeah, we actually had one of those). The colors look a zillion times better in nature.
How are your winter plans coming along?
I had those 70s colors in a sofa.
Still nothing firm for winter, just lots of ideas.
Do you think you’re seeing more oranges in the aspens this fall, Gaelyn? There is definitely more orange here at altitude. The peaks got the first snow last night – more due! When is your last day? Lucky you – did you find the pot of gold?
A little more oranges and lots more deep reds. A little snow flew last night but didn’t stick. I’m not ready for the cold and snow. My gold IS the Grand Canyon.
Love the “dancing” trees. All the pictures are just beautiful.
The stands of young aspen always look like they’re dancing to me. The weight of the winter snow bends them.
The autumn colours are beautiful. Spring is kicking in over here and I’m not complaining though.
Fall is feeling really cold here. So your spring to summer is sounding most inviting.
Loved the tour down memory lane. Think I know the roads you took.
Nancy
P.S. Do not forget the polarizer. 🙂
Your welcome. I’m sure you’ve traveled these roads before. Have a polarizer on but forget to turn it. Ooops.
Really beautiful, and I’ll bet it smelled good, too. Love autumn smell and crispness.
The forest always smells good with fall being extra special. Well, except for the occasional cow. 😉
The picture of the saplings is simply marvelous and I can imagine the smell in the air.
Thanks. Everything about the day and place was marvelous.
Lovely. So lovely! The color is so intense. I surely miss those shimmery aspens, though I’m ready for the red maples of Wisconsin, just beginning to show off their autumn colors.
I do love these gold coin glitters yet we the red maples are few. I remember beautiful fall colors in the midwest.
Great photography, the aspens are beautiful.