Magical Fall Colors on The Highway of Legends
I stayed huddled in my camper for six days as raindrops tittered melodically on the roof, competing with a rarely used furnace. Colorado had become chilly more quickly than I’d hoped, dashing my plans to embark on a fall-color drive through Ouray, Telluride and Aspen. I bundled up in a spot at Lothrop State Park near Walsenburg, Colorado and got to work on my third book while I waited for a break in the weather so I could dash South into the warm air of the American Southwest. Visions of an Autumn-hued drive faded as the temperature dropped — but then I discovered the epic fall colors on the Highway of Legends.
The curtain of fog and rain lifted, revealing the hot-pink face of the Spanish Peaks glowing in the reflection of the rising sun. The mountains were skirted with dots of yellow and gold far in the distance, so I packed up quickly and drove towards all of the curious sites for which the scenic byway was famous.
I hooked a left onto nearby Highway 12 and began the drive onto
the Highway of Legends.
Immediately, I saw what looked like the ruins of a great wall creeping through the hills as far as the eye could see. I pulled over, wondering why there wasn’t a scenic overlook or historic marker. What ancient society would have built what looked to be a curving, stone laid wall, separating one rolling hill from the next, I wondered. Towers of stone ascended and curved along the landscape with sections crumbling as if the bricks had finally given way to the elements after a thousand years.
But the rolling walls were not an archaeological ruin — they were naturally occurring towers of stone called Dakota Rock formations, common in the Rocky Mountains. It wasn’t until I pulled over in the town of Stonewall, about half way through the two-hour drive, that I saw the great Dakota Wall, planted behind yellow aspen trees and a bubbling stream, that I realized these stones were carved from the Earth itself.
The beauty of the Rockies displays itself in such magical way along this stunning ribbon of highway that at times I almost expected a unicorn to come out of the trees and wink at me. Odd geological formations and mysterious structures and towns make The Highway of Legends the perfect name for this amazing drive. Along the winding, curving road are magnificent mountains and lakes, divine fall colors and sites around every curve, like The Devil’s Stairsteps, The Cokedale Ovens and Fisher’s Peak.
Plus, so many idyllic mountain towns appear off and on along the hills and valleys of drive, you almost can’t help getting out to take pictures or sit and watch the view with an ice cream cone in hand. La Veta and Cuchara, are particularly charming, followed by several other towns taking travelers back with their mixtures of old west, Victorian and mining era architecture and historic places.
Fall is a particularly beautiful time to make this drive, as aspen trees weave through the dark green of the trees, and sunken meadows roll along covered in rust, orange and lavender.
Go to my facebook page to see a video with a small portion of the drive and all of it’s amazing colors. The video was taken the last week in September, 2017; you will see there is a lot of color left to change and see, if you have the chance to make the drive. If you can’t make it this year, don’t worry; these towns and ruins have been around for hundreds of year to millennia — I think they will be there for all of us to enjoy in the years to come.
Late September to early October is the best time to see fall colors on the Highway of Legends. Be prepared for the weather to turn quickly if you visit in the Fall. The elevation here ranges from 6,000 to almost 10,000 feet and the road may be closed at times in the winter due to snow. If you are planning to go later in the fall, I suggest you take a quick peek at CDOT road conditions before heading out.
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Be Happy. Create More. Set Yourself Free .
Robin
CreativityRV
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