The experts said it wouldn’t be a beautiful autumn. The experts lied. There was work stress and a million things to pull us away from the center. But then, as always, nature pulled us back. As we move full blast into winter, a look back at the most fleeting and urgent season of them all, autumn.
In early August, the first sign of autumn hit the high tundra on the Continental Divide. The green turned to gold and the gold turned to red.The closest I’ve ever been to a yellow brick road.Birdseye view of the valley, the divide, the impending September storm.Autumn moves at a blur…the most beautiful moments, the peak present in days and hours, not weeks and months.A remnant stand of orange in the foreground, the winter playground in the background.On this day, we skipped a planned workout and just went exploring on a perfect autumn mountainside. It was a good choice.The roller skis turned crisper, the mountains more gold, the snow on the peaks providing motivation.
We choose not to go to traditional church on Sunday. Instead, we go to our church everyday.
Sneaking in a late roller ski past the moose sign as a cold sleet storm rolls in behind the fog.And then, the world turns white, a few gold hanging on to the past.
Photos by Dan Vardamis. Indian Peaks Wilderness, Colorado.
Alta Backcountry 
Simply put, wow!
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