Aspens in the James Peak Wilderness

Soon it will be leaf peeping season in Colorado. A few years ago I was hiking up the Jim Creek watershed in the James Peak Wilderness, the mountainside covered with golden aspens, at least until the valley gives way to pines, spruce, and eventually timberline and the open alpine tundra of the Front Range peaks. Capturing this shot required working my way up a steep section until I found just the right angle to frame a nice combination of ground, tree trunks, leaves, and sky. At just under 10,000 feet of elevation, the thin air was noticeable during the climb up, but well worth the effort. (Winter Park, Colorado)

≡Canon R5/RF24-240 24mm f/11 1/250sec iso-100