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Kebler Pass, Crested Butte, Colorado

The glorious Kebler Pass

Stunningly beautiful, that’s the phrase that comes to mind when first setting eyes on Kebler Pass in the fall. Of all the locations in Colorado we’ve explored for fall colors, this pass eclipses the rest. Not so much the actual pass, but what makes this special is the high valley on top of the pass that goes on for miles. Surrounded by ragged jutting peaks is the largest continuous forest of aspen trees we’ve seen in Colorado. A sea of orange, yellow and red undulates over the high valley, punctuated by towering granite mountains everywhere one looks.

Looking like Mt. Crumpet from Dr. Suess’s the Grinch, Mt. Crested Butte leans back to look at the setting half moon.

We stayed at Crested Butte, Colorado for this visit. It’s a quaint and quirky little western ski town at the end of nowhere, but very picturesque in its surrounding valley. The road to Kebler Pass starts straight out of town.

A panorama from the Kebler Pass road
One of the many stunning views from the Kebler Pass road
And there is an artists’s palette of colors to choose from
A patch of orange is a welcome sight amid the sea of yellow and green

While just a simple drive over the pass rewards the eye with a plethora of vistas to capture on camera, we chose a loop using the Dark Canyon and Dyke Creek trails to explore deep into the forest on foot. The surrounding Ragged Wilderness’s jagged peaks make this trail especially attractive to photograph. An added bonus is this is a habitat for beaver and with so many aspen to chew on, it must be heaven for them. Picking out the best shots was a challenge as there were so many to choose from, but below is a good sampling of what you will see if you visit this pass in the future. Enjoy the pictures.

As we walk up the Dark Canyon trail the Aspen forest is thick and at this time of year it is awash with yellow-gold hues
One of the several beaver ponds and lodges along the trail
A yellow carpet of Aspen leaves along the Dark Canyon trail
Looking delectable, but beware they are poisonous, red berries glimmer in the sun
A lone red scrub oak stands out among the aspen and jagged peaks of the Ragged Wilderness
The view from on top of the Dyke Creek Trail
Near the top of the Dyke Creek trail, time for a selfie
An island of yellow against an ocean blue sky
Another view from the Dyke Creek trail
A panorama from on top of the Dyke Creek trail
Framed by golden aspen, a flash of orange against the blue sky pleases the eye
Suzie coming down the Dyke Creek trail

With the first snowfall hitting Colorado this week and, believe it or not, our first ski areas openrd this weekend as well, this is the end of the aspen season. As promised I will be posting the best of fall colors soon which will include other stray shots of areas we have visited that didn’t make a blog post but should get an honorable mention. Happy autumn, now on to winter!

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2 replies on “Kebler Pass, Crested Butte, Colorado”

Looks to have been an exhilarating hike. Complete with blue-sky crisp sun for one more tanning before the snow flies. Very nice.

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