Fall Approaching the Cimarrons
Colorado
Stands of Quaking Aspens (Populus tremuloides) on the flanks of the Cimarron Range signal the approaching autumn in the Colorado mountains. As summer cools into fall, a sort of alchemy takes places. The silver dollar shaped leaves of the Aspen transform, changing the stands of flat green trees into a golden wave of color painting the basins and mountain sides. Aiding in this wave of gold is the nature of aspen trees, which grow in large stands of clones with the same root system. Photo © copyright by Chris Eaton.