The splendor of autumn
“Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower.” ~Albert Camus
It’s hard to argue with Camus simple sentiment when every day lately brings a whole new palette of color to the ski runs, scrub oak hillsides and aspen forests surrounding the Roaring Fork Valley.
For the past week or so the rust browns, mustard yellows and muted reds have begun to appear in force around the valley, a signal that the brilliant gold takeover of the aspen trees is not far behind.
It is typically the third week of September that fall colors peak in the high country around Aspen, and this year is just a bit behind schedule. While some north-facing groves were popping and peak fall colors were spotted in the Leadville area earlier this week, last week’s snowstorm pushed everything back slightly in the Aspen area, explained Paul Brandt of the U.S. Forest Service’s Aspen visitor area.
“It took a while for the snow to melt and the ground to warm up,” said Brandt, after the cold snap and storm overnight last Thursday that lingered long enough into Friday to keep the weather rainy and cold.
Temperature and moisture can influence the biological process of leaves’ changing color, which is caused by the procession of different pigments in the leaves. During the growing season, plants produce chlorophyll, which gives leaves their green color and is required for photosynthesis, the chemical reaction that enables plants to use sunlight to produce sugars for food. Chlorophyll production slows and eventually stops as the days grow shorter and the nights longer.
And that’s when carotenoids and anthocyanins — pigments that are present in the leaf through the growing season but lie dormant — literally have their chance to shine. Carotenoids produce yellows and oranges and some browns, while anthocyanins give color to red and purple fruits, berries and plants.
Warm, sunny days coupled with cool, crisp nights is the best formula for producing the most spectacular color displays. That combination produces significant sugars during the day that are then trapped in the leaf at night. Very cold nights and little sunlight slow the progression.
No fall season is ever the same, as any combination of those factors will alter the process. Still, say employees of the Aspen Chamber Resort Association visitor center, one of the most common questions this time of year is when — and sometimes what time — are the leaves changing color?
Fall colors are “definitely a big attraction,” said Erik Klanderud, manager of guest services for ACRA.
Heather Rousseau/Aspen Daily NewsLady friends from Breckenridge hike through an Aspen grove on the Cathedral Lake Trail.
Upwards of 70 percent of the phone calls the visitor center receives beginning around Labor Day are inquiries about fall colors, he said. And by the third week of September, approximately 80 percent of callers want to know when, where and how intense.
The Maroon Bells — the most photographed peaks in North America — an obvious draw in all seasons, and are one of the top destinations in the state for fall colors. Independence Pass, Kebler Pass and Highway 24 through Red Cliff are also favorite places consistently listed as scenic drives to see Colorado’s fall colors.
“In terms of reputation, the Maroon Bells has the best and biggest reputation to see fall colors,” said Klanderud.
That reputation translates into visitors and dollars during a time that is technically “out of season” for the Aspen area. September, once a very slow month, has picked up a fair amount of momentum in the last 15 years or so. And in the last few years, more restaurants and businesses are staying open through September — quite a contrast from two decades ago, when everything shut down after Labor Day.
ACRA and the town of Snowmass Village are marketing local fall colors with their joint “Go for the Gold” promotion, which includes promos and ads in the Denver Post and Westword magazine. Along with leaf-peepers, Aspen attracts many photographers and artists this time of year, along with day-trippers just driving through, retirees and young couples without children.
“September, year after year, is looking very strong, and while this year is not huge, it’s right on pace,” said ACRA Vice President of Sales and Marketing Lisa Johnson. “As a whole, we’re hanging in there.”
But Aspen is also not immune from a sluggish economy and the pervasive feeling that people have to watch their spending. Occupancy is fairly flat with last September, said Stay Aspen Snowmass President Bill Tomcich, and last September was relatively flat as well, after several years of steady growth.
Hotel rooms and lodges in Aspen and Snowmass are approximately 30 percent full this month, compared to 34 percent last year. (Allowing for last-minute bookings, September will likely be flat against last year.)
October, however, looks fairly dismal — although it is expected to be one of the slowest months of the year — with advance bookings for Aspen and Snowmass at 7 percent this year compared to 10 percent last year.
“If the economy was strong, we would have a lot more people,” said Tomcich.
Seasons come and go, economies rise and fall, but you can count on some kind of spectacular color display this week in the high country.
lutz@aspendailynews.com
