An October Drive Up Cottonwood Pass (Fall Colors and Snow At The Summit)

Features

I had finished my modest breakfast and coffee at Bongo Billy's in Buena Vista and felt inspired to drive to the Cottonwood Pass summit. Looking out towards Mt. Princeton and the dip in the Sawatch Range that makes up the Cottonwood Pass canyon, it looked terrible cloudy, as if it might be raining. So what? I thought. And on I drove!

As you'll note in the pictures, there were wonderful fall colors to photograph at the bottom of the canyon up to the Denny Gulch Trailhead (the popular trail that leads to Mt. Yale), but further up, those dreary clouds began to drop rain ... which quickly turned to sleet ... which was full-blown snow near the top! Enjoy these pictures of my adventure up Cottonwood Pass!

*An October Drive Up Cottonwood Pass* - (Fall Colors *AND* Snow Pictures)
(October 9, 2006)
	I stopped at the Denny Gulch Trailhead. I've resolved that Mt. Yale will be my next 14er that I'll hike this upcoming summer! Notice the autumn feel with the clouds hovering above.
	An aspen shimmers its colors with delicate touches of red leaves at the bottom.
	Up the road I went, and things got snowy pretty quick!
	You've got to love Colorado folks! :)
	At the summit, it was snowing and there was just one other person there. It was so quiet and peaceful! :)
	And then, on the way down, just uphill from the Spring Canyon turnoff, I got more nice autumn color shots like this one!
	Another nice photo.