Autumn in Colorado would be incomplete without at least one excursion to experience the changing of the aspen leaves. The annual spectacle is highly awaited and appreciated by residents and visitors alike, and the predictions for this year’s colors, which are dependent on numerous factors, have been promising, thanks to copious spring and early summer rains.
A cold front that is sweeping across the state this week served as a prompt to take a drive into the mountains lest we miss said spectacle, and so it was on this early October day that my husband and I decided to return to Pancake Rocks, a popular destination about 35 miles southwest of Colorado Springs. It used to be the setting of a nearly annual pilgrimage, but we noted with some degree of dismay that we hadn’t visited there since 2017! Does anyone else experience that dreaded sense of time accelerating as we age?
After following US Highway 24 west to Divide for nearly 25 miles, and Colorado Highway 67 south towards Cripple Creek for nine more miles, we were alerted to the upcoming trailhead by a collapsed tunnel through which the Midland Terminal Railroad, a subsidiary of the Midland Railroad, once ferried passengers and freight between Divide and Cripple Creek.
The gravel parking lot on the east side of the road was full and we had to parallel park on the shoulder west of the road. We expected it to be busy, but not quite this busy on a week day, but the site is a crowd favorite, especially during this season. Unless it’s the only time you have, it’s advisable to avoid coming here on a weekend.
When we left Colorado Springs in the morning, a fresh sprinkling of snow atop Pikes Peak suggested what was to come. After a high of 79⁰ F (26⁰ C) the day before, the high 40s (8⁰C) that greeted us at the trailhead were a slight, if not unwelcome, shock to the system and I realized that I had come somewhat underprepared. Exchanging my cap with a hat and putting on gloves as soon as we left the car, I was yearning for thicker clothes. But steady climbing on the trail soon warmed me sufficiently, as did the climbing ambient temperature when the nearly compact cloud layer of early morning gave way to intermittently sunny skies across which the clouds, propelled by breezes from the west, were racing while carrying a suggestion of winter on their breath.
To enlarge a photo, click on it. To read its caption, hover cursor over it.
It took us a little over two hours to cover the three-plus miles to our destination. Parts of the trail have been rerouted this past summer in order to reduce erosion and avoid a stretch of private property, and a higher number of switchbacks added slightly to the distance. Some online sources do not yet reflect the resultant change, and there are discrepancies about elevation gain as well, ranging from approximately 1,100 to 1,700 feet. Except for a few flat portions and some gentle undulations, most of the approach to Pancake Rocks is up and, especially during the last mile, the path seems to drag on. But ample reward awaits!
Nearly all arriving hikers utter an expression of delight and amazement upon beholding the scene in front of them. It shows the highway leading to Cripple Creek backed by the sawtooth mountains of the Sangre de Cristo range to the southwest. During this trip, they showed more than a sprinkling of snow! In closer proximity aspen trees and conifers are interspersed and add color and texture to the foreground. (Sorry the photo is so dark. When I try to lighten it to show the aspen, the sky gets completely washed out.)
View of road leading to Cripple Creek with Sangre de Cristo mountains in the background
Snow on a high ridge
The rock formations made from Pikes Peak granite, which gave this spot its name reminded someone in the past of a stack of the eponymous food and it is a tradition for some hikers to either bring pancakes for a snack, or to carry a stove and batter and make them fresh. We have not experienced this firsthand but I imagine that the aroma of inchoate pancakes in this al fresco kitchen would attract no little attention.
Even if we didn’t have freshly baked goods, we enjoyed apples and sandwiches and were particularly grateful that the clouds allowed the sun to warm us, thereby counteracting the effects of a chilly breeze. While the aspen trees weren’t as brilliant as in years past or as the forecasts predicted, we enjoyed their yellow glow and gentle quivering in the wind which is responsible for their popular name, quaking aspen.
Despite the traffic on the road, in the parking lot, and along the trail (we met no fewer than 50 fellow hikers, plus at least ten dogs), we enjoyed spans of time by ourselves. On a short detour to the Horsethief Falls, which currently carry little water, nobody else was present. Additional trails in what is known as Horsethief Park are available for exploration, an option we did not avail ourselves of on this occasion.
Encounters with an area’s wild denizens always adds to our outings, and this day was no different. Pine squirrels boisterously scolded us for trespassing on their terrain. We heard the cawing of ravens, the grating calls of Clark’s Nutcrackers, and the sharp, metallic vocalizations of flocks of Red Crossbills. Birds who depend on kernels from pine, spruce, or fir cones for food are thriving this year thanks to our wet spring, and multitudes of them were busily feeding and caching seeds, no doubt reading the unmistakable signs that signal the change of seasons.
tanja britton 
Liebe Tanja,
für mich als Reisemuffelin ist es stets ein Vergnügen, durch Deine Blog-Berichte wenigstens fotografisch und leseinformativ zu reisen und andere Landschaften, Pflanzen und Tiere kennenzulernen.
Herzliche Grüße von Ulrike
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Liebe Ulrike,
es freut mich immer, wenn Du an meinen Erlebnissen teilnimmst. Ich danke Dir herzlich für den netten Kommentar und grüße herzlich zurück.
Tanja
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It’s so nice to hear about the aspen leaves, Tanja. We had one in the backyard for years and I always loved the sound it made, with the wind rustling its leaves… and YES time is whipping by for me too, being a gen-Xer.
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Thank you, Julie. Aspen are truly wonderful and sitting under their canopy with open eyes and ears while the leaves are twirling on their stems is a special experience.
I don’t quite know if there is anything we can do about time speeding up, except try to live as consciously as we can in the time we have.
Best,
Tanja
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What a beautiful sight those aspens must be in the fall. No wonder people flock to see them. Glad you had an opportunity to return.
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Thank you, Laurie, it’s a sight that never grows old. But I don’t have to tell a New Englander about the beautiful sight of changing leaves. 😊 You get to enjoy even more colors! 🍂🍂🍁🍁
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A glorious time of year in New England.
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So beautiful! Our big draw in the fall is to see the golden larch trees. Maggie
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Thank you, Maggie. I have never lived in a place that had vast expanses of larch trees, but I can imagine that it would be lovely to see them undergo their color change.
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You really had a great hike.
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Thank you, we really did. It was good to return to this favorite destination.
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Happy fall, and in such a great part of the country for it.
Your pictures make clear why people refer to that geological structure as Pancake Rocks. New Zealand has a place with the same name, and for the same reason (https://portraitsofwildflowers.wordpress.com/2015/04/13/punakaiki).
Yes, I’ve definitely experienced that acceleration of time. And there are more and more occasions to speak of an experience as having taken place decades ago (like my one year of college German more than half a century ago).
You wrote: “When I try to lighten it to show the aspen, the sky gets completely washed out.” There are photo editing programs that will let you lighten part of a photograph while leaving the rest alone. If you do a search for “free photo editor” you’ll turn up a bunch. Naturally each program has a learning curve.
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Thank you, Steve, and happy fall to you as well.
It appears as though the New Zealand stacks of pancakes are much taller and more numerous. It was also interesting to see the different rock and to conclude that various materials can end up as layers. I know pitifully little about geologic processes…
The older I get, the more puzzled I am by the passage of time, or by my perception of it and I assume it’s a source of universal puzzlement to us all.
I thought you might comment on my comment about the dark image. I’m using a photo editor I downloaded at some point in the distant past, but it’s limited. I don’t know if I want to spend even more time with photoediting. If I learned how to take proper photos, I wouldn’t have to worry about it afterward.
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Welcome back! I hope you enjoyed your short break. I do love the New England foliage color, but several friends have spoken about the beauty of the quaking aspens. I would love to see that, as well!
Aside from the trees, the look of SNOW on the high ridges was wonderful. It surely changes the horizon.
Best,
Julie
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Thank you, Julie, it’s nice to be back in touch. I know that some visitors from New England don’t get what big deal we make about our aspen trees, but they are spectacular in their own right and I’m sure you would be discerning enough to appreciate them.
Seeing the snow was nice but also slightly sobering. Luckily, we have a while to go yet before winter and I plan to enjoy autumn as long as it lasts.
Happy October to you.
Tanja
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That view was certainly worth the climb, I’d say!
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Thank you, Eliza, it was. That also seems to be the consensus of all the people who arrived at Pancake Rocks, no matter how tired they were.
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I’d go for the birdlife alone, but also the little critters. Looks very cold for your hike though.
After a very hot start to Spring here, there is now the thread of floods and temperatures dropping considerably this week with rain all day and night – more like Winter.
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What makes any hike appealing is the chance to see any wildlife, Vicky, but every day is different and there are no guarantees, so we were very happy to have a number of bird and squirrel encounters.
I’m sorry hear about the threat of floods but I hope that the rains will quench any wildfires still burning.
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Well, it looks to be a gorgeous autumn. I love aspen–that gentle sound in the wind and the beautiful golden leaves waving. I’m not familiar with any of the birds you mentioned, I assume they’re endemic to your area? Lovely post, makes me ache for super tall trees and mountains!
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Thank you, Tina, I’m glad you enjoyed spending a fall day in Colorado among tall trees and mountains. 😊
I looked at the distribution maps of the birds I mentioned on All About Birds and it seems there is a chance you might see Common Ravens and possibly Red Crossbills. The latter are highly nomadic and might venture there if their food sources elsewhere run out. That would be a good question to ask of an experienced Texas birder.
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We have ravens here–lots of them and I just adore them! I guess I was noticing the Red Crossbills, as I’m not familiar with them. Cornell lists them as “scarce” in north Texas, so they’re new to me. I’m on FB’s Birds of Texas group and wonder if someone in north Texas has ever posted about them–I’ll keep a keener eye out for that.
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There is nothing common about the Common Raven, right? I also never tire of watching what they are up to.
I only see the crossbills in years when the cones bear a lot of seeds, and this year, they seem to be everywhere. I hope you will get to see–and hear–them. They are very vocal. Cornell lists 12 subtypes based on their vocalizations and some birders can ID them based on that!
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Red_Crossbill/sounds
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Welcome back, Tanja. The hike seems to have been well worth the physical effort and parking challenges. I love those pancake rocks, and am intrigued by the thought of some hikers dragging a stove and batter along the trail to cook themselves fresh pancakes…sounds a trifle eccentric, if you ask me.
Our visits to the US were invariably in the autumn, and the colours of the aspen trees were always a particular pleasure. Thank you for re-awakening those happy memories.
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Thank you, Mr. P. We were also astounded when we read about hikers carrying stove and batter to the spot, but it would be a unique experience to sample fresh pancakes at pancake rock. 😊
I’m glad to have triggered happy memories for you.
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Lovely photos, Tanja! I’m so enjoying the fall colors, both on your page and in real life.
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Thank you, Diana. It’s a beautiful time of year and I only wish it lasted longer!
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What a wonderful experience. I laughed at the people lugging their stove and such to the top of the mountain to make pancakes, but on the other hand, why not? If I did that, every time I made pancakes again, I’d remember that day and that spot. Proust’s madeleine would have nothing on me!
We’re on the cusp of real change here, too. There are predicted highs in the 70s and lows in the 60s, and on Sunday, north of here, they’ll be hitting the 50s in east Texas. If I make a run up there, as I’m currently planning, I’ll have to remember to take a jacket for the first time since March.
As for the passage of time, I have a theory. When I’m out with my camera, I can be surprised by a sudden realization that the light is changing. When I look at the time, two or three or more hours could have passed without notice. I suspect the same thing applies in life generally. When our attention is consumed by its demands, it makes sense to me that we’d suddenly look up and say, “Where did that month (year, decade) go?” That’s my story, anyhow, and I’m sticking to it!
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Making and eating pancakes at Pancake Rock would definitely create a lasting memory.
I like your theory about the passage of time. That knowledge would ideally lead to trying to have our attention consumed by activities/demands that are fulfilling, rather than vapid ones. It also confirms the truth of “tempus fugit,” and that it behooves us to “carpe diem.”
I’m glad to hear that your heat is finally relenting. I love having to put on extra layers in the morning and hope you will enjoy your trip to east Texas.
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Great Tanja! I feel like I’ve made the same hike, without being as tired or sore. We definitely need to add this to our list of places to visit for our next trek to CO.
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Thank you for coming along on the hike, Brad. I hope you will be able to do so in person one of these days. Or experience one of the countless other trails that lead to similarly enchanting places where you can admire the views, aspen trees, and birds.
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Me too! Thanks for helping with our travel destinations. 😀
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My pleasure. 🙂
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Aspens, mountains, blue skies, leaf-strewn trails, squirrels, birds. All that and a mountain made of pancakes.
Sure sounds good to me.
Thank you for sharing some fabulous images of your beautiful state.
It is a strange phenomenon that as we grow older we tend to be surprised how quickly time seems to pass.
Off now to make pancakes while I put on an old John Denver tune to hum along with.
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Dear Wally,
I’m so glad the excursions into our Colorado mountains appealed to you. And I’m glad I gave you an excuse to make pancakes and listen to John Denver. 😊
Wishing you and Gini a pleasant autumn,
Tanja
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Oh yes, I’m very familiar with that feeling of time speeding up! But it was obviously well worthwhile to take the time to make the trip to Pancake Rocks to see the beauty of the aspens and the surrounding scenery. The pancake-makers make me smile! And Horsethief Falls must have a story – possibly not a good place to go to on a horse… 🙂
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Thank you for coming along on our autumn aspen adventure,, Ann. We left our horses at home and trudged up the trail under own power. 😊
I guess the time thing is another facet of “the human condition,” whether we like it or not!
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Liebe Tanja, deine stimmungsvollen Fotos sind wunderbar. Hier in Deutschland wurden wir in der letzten Zeit von einem wunderbar strahlenden Herbstsonnenschein mit ungewöhnlich milden Temperaturen verwöhnt. Auch heute scheint eine sanfte Sonne vom blauen Himmel. Tage wie diese bereiten mir eine ganz besondere Lebensfreude und bringen mich zum Lächeln. An solchen Tagen möchte ich wie ein kleines Mädchen im Wald herumrennen, Fahrrad fahren oder einen Drachen steigen lassen. Tage wie diese erinnern mich an meine Kindheit, als ich mit meinen Freunden im knisternden Laub herumlief oder Kastanien sammelte. Tage wie diese inspirieren mich zum Schreiben, Lesen oder Träumen.
Einen schönen Tag noch, Tanja! 🐿️
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Ich danke Dir für deinen netten Kommentar, liebe Rosie. Daß der Herbst Dich auch inspiriert, beweisen Deine lyrischen Beschreibungen und Dein Gefühl, wieder Kind sein zu wollen. Ich hoffe, Du folgst diesem Impuls. 😊
Sei herzlich gegrüßt,
Tanja
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Liebe Tanja, WP zeigt mir Deinen Bericht gar nicht mehr an im Reader zur Zeit, Sorry. Ich habe zwar im Moment viel zu tun, aber ich gucke doch trotzdem gerne in den Reader. Colorado im Herbs,t ich liebe die Erinnerungen an meine Reisen in Herbst in Colorado usw in den USA.
Liebe Grüße und danke für die schönen Bilder
Maren
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Technische Probleme sind immer blöd. Danke, daß Du trotzdem vorbeikamst. Es freut mich, daß mein Beitrag schöne Erinnerungen bei Dir hervorgerufen hat.
Uns allen weiterhin einen schönen Herbst.
Tanja
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Morning, Tanja. That’s a very beautiful area to hike in. Being near snow-capped peaks is a humbling experience. You know how to take advantage of the natural beauty in your region.
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Thank you, Neil. We are fortunate and we know and appreciate it!
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Wonderful. Would love to take that hike – well, not right now as my body hasn’t stopped screaming at me from the previous event, but that looks like a gorgeous hike. Any chance I could get you to send me one of the Nutcracker’s, could use that check ha. That squirrel looks a little put off.
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While you might enjoy the landscape, I suspect that a mere 6 miles would not even begin to satisfy you. On the other hand, the hike would add some altitude training. 😊
The nutcracker’s were visible or audible all the time while we were out and about, but they never sat still long enough for me to get a photo. I love hearing and seeing them.
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A short excursion is good for the legs every once in a while ha!
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Wunderschön!
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Dankeschön, liebe Brigitte, das finden wir auch. Auch Euch in Bremen einen schönen Herbst.
😊🍂🍁
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[…] season in the northern hemisphere. You saw the glory of aspen trees of the higher elevations in a post two weeks ago. Today I’m sharing a few impressions of the splendid colors that currently grace […]
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