Fabulous Southern Utah

Last month I drove home from Denver during my favorite time of year...late September.  It took only a couple of hours until I reached the Colorado Rockies and splendid fall colors near Copper Mountain on a 31 degree morning.,

Downtown Leadville, CO...America's highest city at 10,200 feet.

Red aspen at Monarch Pass.

Curecanti Reservoir near Gunnnison.  Sage, water, badlands, sky.

A rugged canyon in SE Utah.

The Colorado River at Hite.

Desert varnish.  The shapes and colors of rocks in southern Utah are surreal...fascinating and beautiful.

Eroded sandstone just east of Capitol Reef NP.

Blazing aspen on Utah route 12, in the mountains between Torrey and Boulder. 

Just south of Boulder, route 12 courses along a narrow ridge of slickrock, with fabulous views on both sides.

Bryce.  Partly cloudy skies made for good light.  There were lots of tourons here on a late September Sunday.  Many were foreigners; most of the rest were from my demographic, retired Americans.  I reckon both groups have discovered Bryce after the school holidays end.  But the result is that September has become an extension of the summer high season...it's not very shouldery anymore.  I saw the same phenomenon in New Zealand in February, 2013.

The hoodoos are endlessly fascinating and scenic.

A tree flouts fall colors in the canyon.

The Saurians always enjoy Bryce!

Landforms mingle with sun, shadows, and forest.