Fall Colors On The Uncompahgre Plateau

La Sal Mountains in Utah, from Colorado's Uncompahgre Plateau. 

This autumn of 2018 seems to be progressing well despite an exceptionally dry summer. Since this is only my first season living in this area of southwest Colorado it will be interesting to experience more years and compare them.

Aspen leaves backlit by afternoon sunlight.

I drove up onto the mighty Uncompahgre Plateau from Nucla, Colorado to see how things were going. And to visit a dying wildfire.

Glowing autumn aspen leaves against the dark greens of spruce trees.

The backbone road of the Uncompahgre is the Divide Road. Once I was onto it I headed west, toward the control lines of the Bull Draw Fire, still smoldering over 36,000 acres. Interestingly, despite the shorter days and much cooler nights the fire was still putting up visible smoke. Why? The falling aspen leaves. They quickly dry and give the ground fire paper-like fuel to advance, especially up steep forest slopes.

Remains of the Bull Draw Fire from over the ridge.

As I approached the northeast edge of the fire, the smoke was turning the forest road opaque. The firefighters were there on their patrol, watching for spot fires on the other side of the road, which was their major control line. I stopped to talk with one of them. Since I had once been a forester we could "talk turkey" about wildfire and control methods.

Fire Crew on the Divide Road containment line of the Bull Draw Fire.

The firefighters had used aerial ignition from a helicopter to "make black" just below the forest road. Meaning that by burning it in a controlled manner they could starve any uphill racing fire from having fuel to continue.

Smoke through the burned aspen forest, Bull Draw Fire.

I turned around to descend back down off the Plateau to Nucla. It was nearing sunset and the lowering sunlight was lovely.

The Bull Draw Fire had been caused naturally, by lightning. It had been allowed to burn because for about a hundred years the natural fires had been unnaturally suppressed, which has created today's firestorms in the West. But this fire had occurred in an exceptionally dry year, and it had gotten away. Way away. Very expensive to contain until late fall or winter weather finally puts it out. Managing our public resources is not easy.

Fall colors from the edge of the Uncompahgre Plateau. 

Photo location: Uncompahgre Plateau, Uncompahgre National Forest, southwest Colorado.

See much more of my photography at www.NaturalMoment.com.

© Copyright 2018 Stephen J. Krieg