Season of Fall in India especially in Maharashtra where I live generally goes unnoticed. We cherish Rainy season and Winter most.
I worked at Denver, CO in year 2005 -06. As Fall approached discussions around the season and walks in the forests began in the office. Later the journey across the state made me realize the beauty of this season. Everyone in the office was talking about Aspen so a visit was must.
Colorado is a gifted state. Eastern half of the state is a flat arid zone whereas the Western half has Rocky Mountains. This part has snow clad peaks, dense forests, waterfalls, rivers and lakes in abundance. It is impossible to describe the beauty of this region with the limited vocabulary in my possession.
On a weekend I headed to Aspen with my wife Seema, son Adwaeit and colleague Subodh. Glenwood Springs is about a couple of hours drive from Denver on I-70. Hanging lake is situated in the mountains before Glenwood. It was on the way to Aspen so we paid a visit. There was a well set trail to reach the lake and the difficulty level of climb could be rated as moderate. The stiff trail followed a stream of icy cold water and gradually took us to the lake. I saw people feeling exhausted towards the end of the trek.
After about 1.5 hours of strenuous walk we reached the lake. Site of the lake made us forget the pain in no time. It is one of the most beautiful lakes that I have seen in my life. A small water fall discharges water into the lake but the water is quite calm. Surrounded by the trees the waterfall provides a perfect background for the lake. Fall had started changing the colour of trees and they had leaves in the combinations yellow, red and green.
Mineral deposits provide a dark peacock blue color to the lake. Water was so clean that bottom could be easily seen with the fish swimming.
A tree had fallen in the water and it had not been removed probably due to fear of disturbing the mineral layers at the bottom.
Photographers had setup there cameras on the walking platform and were waiting patiently for the right moment to click. It was a bright sunny day with perfect weather.
The location from where the trail begins is an interesting place. Colorado river is very close. While approaching the place via I-70, a railway track and the river run in parallel at different altitudes.
After a refreshing walk to the Hanging lake we drove to Aspen. Aspen is a charming town situated in the highlands of Rocky Mountains. It is famous for skiing resorts and we were told to be on lookout for Hollywood film stars as the likelihood of spotting them is high.
After a short stroll in Aspen we headed towards Twin Lakes. The road passed through colorful mountains. The speed limit was 15 miles and most of the drivers seemed to be driving for pleasure. A number of people were shooting the scenery through the open tops of cars.
The leaves were turning yellow and were getting ready to leave their roots. The colorful foliage had created a burst of shades on the mountains. Entire mountains were covered in yellow, green, brown and many other colors.
The road was slowly taking us to higher altitude and finally after about an hour or so we reached the highest point above the tree line. Weather so far was quite warm and had not called for winter gear. At this point probably close to Mt. Elbert the conditions were windy and the temperature was close to freezing point.
This spot was completely contrasting with the burst of colors experienced so far as mountains were bare on top and had snow.
From this point the downward journey started. The sun was about to set. We were following a car which was about 50 meters ahead of us. Suddenly on a sharp turning, driver of that car missed the turn and went straight down the road. This road is narrow barely enough for two cars and has either dense trees or deep pits on both sides. Unfortunately the car landed in a pit. A desperate attempt by the driver to bring it back on the road only resulted in breaking the front wheels. Another car coming from the opposite direction was saved from collision by a few centimetres when this car went straight across the road. Subodh and I rushed to the accident spot. An old lady driving the car in opposite direction joined us in the rescue. The damaged car was being driven by a lady in 50s. She was semi conscious and sat in shock resting her head on the steering wheel. Her husband had fallen on the seats and his legs stretched out through the air bags.
Luckily both of them had received only some minor bruises and did not have any serious injuries. As there car was broken the couple had to stay halt nearby and make arrangements for the repairs. We offered them lift in our car and took them in a hotel near Twin Lakes.
It was getting dark already and the lakes were barely visible. We started our return journey to Denver
Curious Explorer 