Aspens On Last Dollar Road
Near Telluride, CO
ASPENS ON LAST DOLLAR RD
A BRIEF SUMMARY OF ASPENS ON LAST DOLLAR RD
During the peak fall season in Colorado, the golden Aspen trees are everywhere—on almost every ridge and in almost every valley. However, it is sometimes very difficult to capture the “essence” of the white trees with the little golden leaves. I was looking for a large clump of golden Aspen leaves that would fill up a whole frame to create the illusion that they were everywhere.
I tried tons of Aspen groves, but never could find the right composition. And then one day, when I was driving the Last Dollar Road up by the Drunken Aspens, I came upon a set of Aspens that seems to fit the bill. The image above was on the top of a hill with an Aspen grove below, thus filling the frame with nothing by golden leaves and the tops of the white tree trunks. This was just what I was looking for.
Images and location summary by Tim Wier
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DATA POINTS INCLUDED WITH ASPENS ON LAST DOLLAR RD SUMMARY
I would rate the difficulty of this trail as a 3 on a scale of 1-5 (with 5 being most difficult). The shot of the Aspen trees above is an easy 30ft walk on the dirt road that is Last Dollar Road (T60). However the last 3 miles of the road is very rocky, goes through a few small patches of water and is narrow in a few spots. It is also IMPASSABLE when muddy.
If you continue on the Last Dollar Rd past the location of the shot - going toward Telluride, the road is very steep and dangerous in places and should only be traveled with a 4-wheeel drive vehicle.
Special Note: The Last Dollar Road (T60) in not maintained in the winter and is closed from January through May.
The reason I like this location is it is an Aspen grove that is going downhill, avoiding tree trunks and ground (to fill the lens with nothing but Aspen leaves). That being said, this shot is all about timing. Each year is different as to when the Aspens turn and the saturation of the colors. You may have to make this trip more than once to catch the Aspens ...
The shot above was taken with a 75mm lens as it allowed for some compression, but still with a sense of depth. You can use lenses that range from 50-200mm.
9,640 Ft. Elevation
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LOCATION SUMMARIES WRITTEN BY PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHERS
