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After a couple days of winter-like conditions in Silverton, I was itching to get out and see if any aspen color remained. But with all the new snow, I lost a lot of my nerve in exploring the jeep trails. In fact, I had to laugh as I passed a couple of the trailheads I had in mind for exploring as they were covered with what looked like a couple feet of new snow!

I was hoping I'd at least be able to score some color and a good reflection at a spot I had in mind right off Red Mountain Pass. Sure enough, I really liked how the vivid orange color contrasted with the new snow. And when the first light crept down the mountain and hit the aspen leaves, the color seemed to come alive like a light switch had been turned on. This single exposure image was taken at Crystal Lake on Red Mountain Pass between Ouray and Silverton, Colorado.