Fall colors light up Dolores Valley

Fall colors in the western San Juan National Forest are beginning to peak along Colorado Highway 145 from Dolores to Telluride. According to the forest’s most recent Fall Color Report, on Sept. 28, 80 percent of foliage has changed from Dolores to Lizard Head Pass, 60 percent from Mancos to the La Plata Mountains, and 75 percent from Telluride to Ouray. Foliage at Molas Pass and Silverton-Red Mountain Pass are past their prime viewing times. Photographed here: a view of the mountains east of Rico.