Colorado Fall Colors 2022 Trip Report

Although I’ve led photo tours for JVOPS in many locations, I have to say that the Colorado Autumn Tour is one of the best you could sign up for. We stay in one comfortable base hotel all week that features large rooms, mountain views and a free gondola next door makes a stunning jaunt up the mountain as easy as a stroll in the park. All of this is set in the heart of Telluride, one of the most charming mountain towns in the country that blends rustic yet chic mountain culture with a rich mining history. The tour also features relatively short drives to beautiful locations among national forest and quintessential Colorado ranches with dramatic backdrops, a relaxed yet productive schedule and excellent food all around. After many years of tweaking, this tour is dialed in.

The 2022 tour was a bit of a blur in my mind, a swirl of prime autumn colors set below a lucky layer of fresh snow and wrapped in beautiful, dynamic weather. The only problem with it is how hard it might be to top it.

Even before day one we had a premonition that the week would be a special one. On the way to Telluride from the airport in Montrose, we emerged from a heavy shower along the Dallas Divide into the bright sun, to witness one of the most brilliant rainbows I’ve seen in years. With only smartphones in hand, we jumped out of the van to capture this welcoming gift.

The official day one began under a thick blanket of fog that was stuck in the valley like a trough half full of cotton balls. As we drove out of town in the moody twilight, I decided at the last second to veer off the main road and head up toward Telluride’s airport that resides high on the other side of the canyon. I was going with a hunch that we might get above the fog and capture a little sunrise light across Mount Wilson to the south. As we broke out into the clear blue sky like an airplane, the dynamic scene was more awakening than the best cup of coffee in the world. We scrambled out of the van and hit the ground running with a flurry of activity. I almost felt bad for not giving the group a gentler warm up, but I’d rather start the week off with a bang anyway.

So, the race was on to capture the autumn splendor surrounding this stunning corner of Colorado. However, slow and steady wins it, especially at altitude where the lack of available oxygen makes mountains out of molehills. So, we paced the week out with a philosophy of quality over quantity, spending more time in fewer locations. We chased the best of the autumn color and light, based on elevation, morning light, evening light, and yes, midday light too. At this time of year, the sun’s elevation maxes out at 47º above the horizon, which still sets the trees aglow when lit from behind. Since microclimates within different valleys cause the color to peak at different times, we followed the best conditions while waiting for other locations to ripen into perfect cornucopias of color.  

Although this part of Colorado is popular among photographers, there are just a handful of iconic hotspots where we shared locations with other photographers. There are so many photogenic opportunities that it’s sometimes hard to know where to stop. Akin to throwing a golden retriever a handful of tennis balls all at once, it’s hard to know which one to chase. It’s also difficult to resist the urge to get out of the van again just a hundred yards after loading up!

You get the idea. By the end of the week, everyone had hundreds (if not more) of images, dirty boots, and warm hearts. I also noticed a higher frequency of smiles, tanned faces, and relaxed spirits from spending all that quality time in the mountains. If you love autumn color, dazzling mountain light, fresh air, delicious food and a relaxing yet efficient schedule, this is a tour you need to do. What are you waiting for?