After a week in Wisconsin, I packed up and headed to the Rocky Mountains to see the autumn colors. What I didn’t expect was an early arrival.
These are drive-by shots, meaning, I jumped out of the car to shoot the picture. Don’t worry. No aspens were harmed in the making of this blog post.
The color was stunning due to the clouds and slant of the sun.
I made the unfortunate decision to stop for lunch in Silverthorne while the clouds continued to build.
I thought I’d head back up to hike and take more photos.
Instead, stormclouds descended on the mountains and an icy wind blew.
And then this happened.
It’s still snowing. There’s an inch on the deck. If it lasts all night I might have to go sledding tomorrow! I’ll keep you posted.
What’s the weather like in your part of the world? Are the leaves changing or is spring arriving?
Click for more wild adventures!
Related posts:
An Unexpected Visit from Wild and Wonderful Old Man Winter
Susie Lindau's Wild Ride 
I miss those views. Colorado is one of the most picturesque states in the country around this time of year. Love the pics. The leaves around these parts(Central Georgia, USA), were on the verge of falling and then Hurricane Irma rolled through and expedited that process for us lol. Have a safe outing, and keep the pics coming.
LikeLike
Thanks so much, A! I can’t believe all the hurricanes this year. I’m heading to Maine in October and wouldn’t be surprised to have to run for cover!
Colorado really is picturesque, especially in fall and winter. Now it’s all fogged in. Craziest weather ever!
LikeLike
97. In September. What the bleep happened to fall, Suz?!
LikeLike
That is horrific! I just left Wisconsin yesterday and temps still hovered in the 90’s today. It’s just sick and wrong, I tell yah.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ipswich, Australia… straight into summer. 37 degees yesterday (bloody hot) and dry as. 😕
LikeLike
Wow! I have a few friends from New Zealand too. It sounds like you’re not getting a spring!
LikeLike
Great views and video Sue! Your thinking snow skies, right? 😉 It was only in the 70’s here today, I felt cold all day too. Eighties back next week. 🌴
LikeLike
Thanks so much!
Cold in the 70’s? You’re a true Vegas man, John!
LikeLiked by 1 person
In the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina we are trembling on the verge of Leaf Season with temps in the 70’s (even 80 lower down) and finally a dry week after catching an edge of Irma.
LikeLike
Nice! That sounds like perfect fall weather, Bob! There’s snow on the deck and it’s 35 degrees outside.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Lol, about an hr N of Indianapolis, IN…last night temp at 8pm was 75F. It was hot all night. I have had my heat set on 62F just in case for a couple of weeks. It has only come on 1 night. No jackets yet. Do get some rain, but nothing horrible just yet. No frost, so no Indian Summer either. I know the climate is changing, but right now, it’s okay with me.
LikeLike
Winter is coming, but when I was in Wisconsin, it hit the 90’s. With humidity, it was too hot and I welcomed the cooler temps in Denver. But up in the mountains, it’s 35 degrees this morning (I just checked) and there’s snow on the deck!
Thanks for stopping by, Scott!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Neither! We’ve had a heat wave. I’ve had to turn the air con back on this week and it’s hot and stuffy. Looking forward to cool nights and better sleep soon.
LikeLike
Me too! It was super hot while visiting in Wisconsin. 90’s in September is unheard of!
There’s snow on the deck this morning in Breckenridge!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Living in Singapore, we don’t get Fall, or Snow, and you seem to have seen bits of both! I guess weather will always be unpredictable. Such beautiful colours and scenery!
LikeLiked by 1 person
When I was in Vienna one November, I was taking pictures of the buildings, and then say a man from Asia taking pictures of the trees. So I asked him why. He smiled and said, “In India we have many beautiful buildings, but we don’t have autumn.”
LikeLike
That must be so cool for someone from another country. I grew up in Wisconsin and still love the fall color!
I thought there were deciduous trees everywhere, but if the light and temperatures don’t change, then the leaves must not change either. It’s all about that dormancy thing we have because of winter.
LikeLiked by 1 person
What a poignant comment & memory! It is so true …. I lived in the US for a little while some years back, and autumn was one of my favourite times of year … the colours (fall leaves), the smells (pie, pie & more pie!), the celebrations (Halloween, Thanksgiving).
LikeLike
Oh, yes, the pie. I’ve had to work so hard to fight how easy it is to get fat eating American food.
LikeLike
Sigh, I hear you. And not just American food … most food would do it! So, we just run like crazy!
LikeLiked by 1 person
This year our apple trees didn’t produce since we had snow in May. I’m missing those apple pies!
LikeLike
Thanks so much, PP!
Is it warm there year round or do you get a slight dip in temps?
LikeLike
I’m afraid it’s pretty warm all year round. The only real change in weather is rain. But if you like tropical weather, this is your place!
LikeLike
It’s on my bucket list!
LikeLiked by 1 person
You must let me know if you plan a trip here!!!!
LikeLike
I will!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes indeed all the forest fire smoke has cleared to bluer skies’ Oh do I love your photos there and yes I do love the contrast of Aspen forest against the bluest skies, sometimes I order up and Hot Chocolate Latte and sit out at a little table and just look up to the golden autumn leaves in the tall trees with those vivid blue skies on a cool but lady sunny day and just get lost in it’ Susie Blondes are fun and trouble’ but I can never get enough of the warm suns’ kiss upon my face’ what is life’ without heart and the suns’ warm kisses.
‘Oh and the sweet delicate taste of the sea saline delivered in gentle breezes upon softer lips, proven so by your tongue’, and soul. For it is true’ there is great passion to be found, held and known with natures beauty’… Susie if I ever was to run away at over half a Century vested’ and escape to better places of heart and nature’ the mountains of northern Idaho and small cities and towns of Colorado State’ would be where my soul could be found’ dazed and in awe’ strolling down country lanes with a giddy smile upon my silver bearded face. Two of the most beautiful states of my heart and dreams…
‘The feel and scent of Autumn is upon us indeed, I am ready to place the cover boards upon the foundation vents to help insulate under the floors, a blanked once again hung over the down stairs bathroom window. Last year our little guy was a Fireman for Hallow – Eve’ (All Hollow’s eve’) this year little Ryker wants to be a Doctor’ as he has made that his present future career choice. As for me I wrote and finished my Halloween Ghost story’ with Victorian American Atlantic coastal theme and Haunting and ghastly, with some surprising frightful twists…
‘It is time for Pumpkin steamers and Lattes’ ‘ taking our little guy to the pumpkin patch to hand select his this year Pumpkin to gore its eyes out’ and take to meet up with his sisters to the local produce farm so they can ride in the ATV Pulled Cow Train over the green moguls… ten cow cars made of horizontal 55 gallon drums, torched open and seats and safety belts safely belt in, huge inflated wheel all coupled together (Safe and fun) the local little ankle biters love it. And there is the Corn stalk maze. And just last night’ I had a craving for Roast Turkey’ that will come soon enough and I my dear wife and our little chief Ryker’ will all be working together on our little families Thanks giving Dinner… Then’ comes December and we put the little boy in our front seat of our car and drive him all over to the cool neighborhood that put out awesome Christmas displays and colorful ‘winky’ ‘lights’… then take him for a hot coco.
Music to explore –
‘Song list for tonight – Cigarettes After Sex’ – ‘Nothing Gonna Hurt You Baby’ / CoverKings’ – ‘Goodnight moon’ / Nina Simone’ – Feeling Good’ / Beth Hart’ – ‘Fire On The Floor’ / – ‘Caught Out In The Rain’ / Sade – ‘Still In Love With You’ – ‘Somebody Already Broke My Heart’ / Othman Wahbi – Catfish Blues – official’ / Cadillac In The Swamp – ‘Smoke-House’ / Black Snake Moan Blues. Leonard Cohn’ – ‘My Secret Life’ – ‘My Oh My’ – ‘A Thousand Kisses Deep’ / Scorpions’ – ‘No One Like You!’ / Shivaree’ – Bossa Nova / The DØ’ Miracles’ – The DØ – Gonna Be Sick’ … Live Session at Studio Pigalle. (is by far the best). / The DØ’ Check out this Drummer he has got it down’’… The DØ started out making sound tracks – / While in their Pigalle’ Paris, France’, Studio you really get to see them at their best’ creative and incredible talents and a kindred band, you can feel it. (French – Finnish), Johnny Depp looks exactly like Danny’ on Key board’ Olivia’ THe Young lady is heaven sent’ awesome vocals’ and beautiful’ Olivia is 100 percent class’ and the Key Boardest’ is Hot and talented as well, she sports awesome French braids – / The DØ when I had my WP blog’ Got a lot of views’ when I posted their awesome Live performance in France’ ‘The DØ’ – Alcaline’ Live 2015’ (Go Full Screen View) ‘You Fall in Love with Olivia in the Live Performance’ a fun and awesome must see video.
Their home studio is an old abandoned water tower in the French country side.
Susie’ –enjoy the DØ’ and the beautiful Autumn days and mornings. You can find all this music list upon U Tube’ videos…
‘Stay out of Jail’ and keep your sweet face to the sun my friend.
Read you later. Brock.
LikeLike
Thanks for the music tip, Brock! I’ll check them out.
This is the time of year that flies. One great holiday after the next. It sounds like your family will enjoy all of them. I’ve been traveling and will continue through mid-October, then my family will come home. I can’t wait!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Susie’ in reply, I can imagine here of your motherly hearts’ great anticipation indeed for your dear families homecoming’ to your beautiful and warm roost, and I can see Roxie’s great bounds of excitement as well. 🙂
LikeLike
She is an excitable little beast!
LikeLike
Great pics! Nothing but a few leaves falling in the mid-Atlantic, but that’s about it. The A/C is still in use — for now. That’ll change soon enough, though!
LikeLike
You’re right, Paul! Winter is coming. It came last night and there’s still snow on the deck! My plans for a hike have been thwarted. Ha!
Thanks for stopping by!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Susie! That pic with the mountain backdrop and wooden fence and clouds is great! I’m sorry about the storm but I’m loving that pic! It’s a good capture.
LikeLike
Thanks, Guat! I’m glad we pulled over. While eating, the dark-bellied clouds rushed in and crushed the lighting. The sun is shining this morning, but there’s snow on the deck! After being in Wisconsin where it was 90 degrees, this is quite a shock!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Fall is just beginning here, the red maple leaves have turned red but the sugar maples are still green for now. Mornings are getting frosty and autumn is bringing much needed rain. The best part? No more mosquitoes!
LikeLike
I wish it would freeze in Boulder! It sounds like autumn is coming right on time in your part of the world. Fall came early up here in the mountains and there’s snow on the deck! It’s 9:45 and it’s still 35 degrees. 🙂
LikeLike
South of Scotland and the leaves are turning but the rain keeps falling.
LikeLike
I bet it’s gorgeous there, Mary! Does the rain ever stop? We could use some in Boulder, but it snowed last night in the mountains. Snow is still covering the deck!
LikeLike
Oh my gosh! It seems way too early for snow. Your pictures are beautiful. Fall is coming to West Virginia, too – but thankfully no snow yet. Occasionally we get a fluke snow in October/November, but typically it doesn’t snow here until January (except in the higher elevations). The leaves are changing now – peak season here is mid-October, but I think they’re turning early, I’ve seen a lot of gold tones in the hills!
LikeLiked by 1 person
It hasn’t arrived in Boulder, but up here in the mountains, fall is early! Yep, it snowed yesterday and the deck and ground are still covered. So much for our last minute garage sale or hike! It may warm up later, but it’s breezy and 35 degrees!
Thanks for stopping by, Stacey!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Omg those pictures are beautiful! ❤
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks so much, Synnove! It’s super cold this morning and the snow hasn’t melted, but I hope to take a few more photos this afternoon.
LikeLike
Haha wow, its funny how autumn and winter are co-existing! 😀
LikeLike
Still warm here in Charlotte, almost in the 90’s most days. Fall is around the corner, though. It’s in the 50’s at night. I see some leaves changing and by next week our highs will be in the low 70’s. But no thunder snow. Hahaha!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thundersnow is the coolest! It doesn’t happen that often. It sounds like Fall is headed your way. I love the cool nights too.
Down in Boulder, there’s only a tinge of color, but here in the mountains, it’s almost at its peak! I love the color.
Thanks for stopping by, Christine!
LikeLiked by 1 person
What a beautiful state Colorado is. I had no idea! Love the contrast between the deciduous and coniferous trees. But what a thing to come home to! Tell me it’s not staying!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s Colorful Colorado! It is gorgeous here in the mountains of Breckenridge. Snow is still on the deck and ground and hasn’t melted yet. It’s 35 degrees at 10:00 AM! Brrrr. The sun is shining so it’s only a matter of time before it warms up and melts.
Boulder is just now seeing a little bit of color change. We’ll head back down this afternoon. I just checked and Boulder will only see a high temp of 50 degrees! I love it! I can’t wait until frost. The wasps I’m allergic to are in full force.
LikeLiked by 1 person
There are good things about the cold weather – like the bugs you mentioned. The wasps go dormant and if it’s cold enough, some of the pests (like the beetles that kill trees) will die off.
LikeLike
The beetle kill infestation is over in Colorado, thank God!
LikeLiked by 1 person
What I learned to night while studying to finish writing my haunting Halloween story.
‘Did you know that in the 16th century Italy, women use to flush their eyes with a toxic eye splash derived from Belladonna aka Night shade, to dilate their pupils for a most desirable appearance, (those big doe eyes) it is when women deemed Belladonna aka devils Cherries’ aka nightshade’ ‘Beautiful lade’. It also what many Eye doctors use in the eye exam to dilate your eye pupils.
‘Also I had an Australian friend, and she one day her sent her out to the garden to pick some fresh Comfrey leaves for tea for her visiting aunts and when she brought the leaves back in’ and while they were being rinsed off, one of her Mother’s sisters freaked out and said those are not Comfrey leaves those are Deadly Fox – Glove leaves. As the Fox glove at their (‘pre – Flowing and pre – stock’stag, they were sill in green leave form as low to the ground, and the leaves thus were very similar and confusing to Comfrey… She would make the tea and killed them all. Don’t eat the Fox gloves’ those tall stalked tandem bell flowering plants aside the country roads, they use those for Heart drug medications, and ingesting them will stop your heart. Pours Susie a nice hot cup of ‘Earl Gray’ tea…
LikeLiked by 1 person
But is it Earl Gray, Brock? Hahaha! Wow. You have to be careful with what you ingest even today!
LikeLike
It is bright and sunny here today in Cambridge, just off for walk before all the nice weather evaporates! Lovely pics and video Susie.:)
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks so much, Marje! Take lots of pictures. Will fall color appear in Cambridge?
LikeLiked by 1 person
What beautiful views, Susie. My husband and I have just got back from a holiday and we’ve done a bit of walking in the countryside. It almost seems like we’re moving into autumn more slowly over here as there are still plenty of flowers in bloom and lots of trees still green, whereas in previous years I don’t recall seeing any flowers in late-September 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks so much, MOMeta!
I know what you mean! It’s late in Boulder and early in the mountains. Although temps in Boulder nose-dived. That will help shut down photosynthesis production to give us a show!
LikeLike
Gorgeous photos, Susie! I love seeing the leaves turn. Here in the Pacific Norrhwest things mostly just change from sunny to rainy greys and greens (which is beautiful in its own way). I had no idea that you could get thunder and snow together!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks so much, A!
I guess your trees don’t have to go dormant since your winters are mild.
The thundersnow is unusual! It was raining in sheets and then turned to sleet and then snow. There’s still an inch on the deck! After being in Wisconsin sweltering in 90-degree temps for a week, this is a huge shock to the system, but I love it!
LikeLike
Lovely pictures! I’m not a big autumn person, but the trees do look nice. Here in the UK, the leaves are starting to change and fall off the trees! We’re still in that period where some days are warm, and some are quite chilly, and you never know how to dress. There are days that are both warm and chilly! We’ve had typical rain, too, which tends to make it feel cooler than it is – a damp chill to the air.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks so much, Fiona!
It’s the layering time of year. I always have a jacket on hand just in case. I just learned that rain and cool night temps help turn the leaves to brilliant color. I didn’t know that!
LikeLike
Surprisingly, it’s been in the 90’s all week here in Chicago! It’s nice to have one last taste of summer, but I’m craving some brisk sweater weather.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It was the same when I visited Wisconsin last week. Much too hot for September! I think it’s supposed to drop for you at the end of the week! Then fall will roll into the Midwest! The trees were already changing in Madison. Are they changing there?
LikeLike
A bit, but honestly, the tree in my backyard is still primarily green!
LikeLike
In Boulder too! I would guess it will take a couple more weeks down here.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Those pictures are stunning! I looove the fall and all the colours that come along with it. Sorry to see you got snow already! haha We are very close to snow here in Alberta, some cities already have had their first snow fall!
LikeLike
Thank you! After being in Wisconsin for a week with temps in the 90’s, it was a shock. I love the snow!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Good evening 🐞
LikeLiked by 1 person