all Brings New Colors to Durango Foliage Story by Jandrea Fevold
The cooler, crisper air and the sight of leaves changing denote the beginning of fall. Areas near Durango, specifically the San Juan Skyway, have received national publicity from MSN-Travel as one of the best places to see fall colors. Witnessing the aspens changing from their summer green to their signature yellow is a process of photosynthesis, a mechanism that allows plants to gather their energy, said Dr. Ross Mc Cauley, Fort Lewis College professor of botany. With the changes in temperature and light regimes associated with fall, the plant senses it is time to enter dormancy, which stops the production of chlorophyll, McCauley said. Chlorophyll gives plant leaves their green color, and when the chlorophyll breaks down, the green color begins to wear off the leaf. The plant sends all of its chemical resources and sugars into the plant’s body, keeping it alive but dormant, which allows the plant to re-grow its leaves in the spring, he said. Durango experiences a mostly yellow fall, due to the abundance of aspen trees, which lose their leaves, and the
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abundance of juniper and pine trees, which do not lose their leaves, he said. Some recommended places to view the colors are in the La Plata Mountains, FLC coordinator of Outdoor Pursuits Brett Davis said. Taking the drive from Silverton to Ouray is a prime destination also, he said. Locally, trees in Hermosa, Hesperus, and on the Durango Mountain Resort are all coming into their fall colors. A good lookout of Durango’s changing leaves is hiking the Animas Mountain trail and making it to the overlook, he said. For those interested in photographing the changing leaves, a Continuing Education course in Basic Digital Photography is offered on Nov. 8 for students or locals to learn helpful tips or enhance their skills, said photographer Paul Boyer, instructor of the course. The four-hour course, held on a Saturday, is designed for all abilities, amateur to advanced, and everyone will learn something, he said.
Photos by Daniel Huppenthal Graphics by Sarah Zoey Sturm