posted on: October 30th, 2021

Over the course of the 21' summer, a one thousand year drought tightened its grip on the arid lands of the American west. Streams reduced to a trickle, reservoirs dried up, everything but the golf courses, parched as can be. I was curious how the fall would play out, in terms of the vibrant displays the trees might produce. As hot and dry as it was, my hopes were low.

I grew up in New England, the mecca of fall foliage. But it's been a while. Perhaps my memory doesn't do the place justice. Either way, what I witnessed this year in the high desert intermountain region of the Rocky Mountains was just spectacular. The best colors I've seen.

The Aspen. My favorite tree. A species in decline. And I was pleased to see this fall such a dazzling, synchronized exhibition among these noble beings. To shred bikes beneath their golden canopy at the peak is a psychedelic experience.