Joys of Colorado Autumn

No spring nor summer beauty hath such grace as I have seen in one autumnal face.”(John Donne)

I definitely struck it rich on our five night visit to Steamboat Springs, Colorado on this October 2022 roadtrip. For it was a huge deal for me in witnessing the exciting unfolding of Autumn in the Rocky Mountains this time of year instead of laboring in the subtropical absence of seasons in South Florida where I now live. I might further elaborate that my current euphoria about experiencing Colorado Autumn now seems to resonate in me as a strong appreciation of being alive. For I’ve look forward on this vacation to seeing, hearing, and touching such a stunning landscape explosion in Rockies autumn of orange, red, and yellow as dying leaves naturally fall away to the ground in a swirling mass around me.

In retrospect, how easy it thus seemed to reflect deeply in those latest Colorado vacation moments about my Autumn childhood days in Northeast Ohio when I would normally leap into a fat pile of leaves or hide under them in peekaboo fashion under in the spirit of free play. Of further note, I’ve no doubt exalted in my existential ways in knowing that the natural course of change embedded in this current Colorado Autumn season reminds me to stay mentally and physically strong in my current life while it lasts in the best way possible.

So it became my number one goal in Steamboat this week to just simply get outdoors there to savor the colorful leaf cover whenever and wherever possible. To do so most easily, I first made it a habit to step out onto our rental apartment patio a few times each day to simply witness a towering mountainside vista in the distance enveloped in a shining canopy of orange. Fortunately, I would also ambitiously find three more inviting settings on our Steamboat stopover that would more fully satisfy my Autumn obsession.

Going south along relatively flat highway 131 to the town tiny of Yampa during the first of these excursions, I was able to spot Autumn’s colorful bliss of leaf change along this desolate road in notable contrast to the dull brown look of the desert like surroundings here. Turning onto an unpaved road in Yampa, I further recall ending this southerly tour with another blast of widespread leaf falling sensation as we relaxed at a small rest area for awhile. The next morning, a second outing of Autumn’s importance for me took place as we meandered north from Steamboat, through cattle country along Route 129 to higher elevations above 8,000 feet then below Mount Hahn. Feeling alone then amid such Rockies silence, we took our time to savor the unfolding panorama of rugged forests changing color during our picnic lunch at picturesque Steamboat Lake State Park. Feeling energized for a followup round of Autumn bliss that afternoon, we then drove back to downtown where our third adventure of this Colorado vacation took place with a gentle hike amid dense leaf fallings to obtain a clear view of famed Fish Creek Falls. The photo set below captures some eye catching moments I experienced during each of these outdoor viewings in the order I described them above.

So I invite you to dig deeper into your soul and savor something of value that this year’s season of Autumn change brings to you. As for me, I include the funny video below to summarize such jubilation for Autumn I’ve felt in Colorado this week. Just tap the picture.