View looking North from the peak of Mt. Elbert, taken June 23, 2012

Mt. Elbert Thoughts

The rocky alpine zone witnessed on the approach to Mt. Elbert is speckled with

blue and purple Phlox flowers. They offer a stark contrast to the Earth tone rocks

which cover the landscape. The individual rocks if viewed closer are much like the

larger landscape of which they are a part of. They too are accented with colorful

minerals and crystals that sparkle in the sunlight which give the rocks a more vibrant

character. Standing atop the Rocky's tallest peak is like standing on the bow of a

great ship, looking out over a stormy sea frozen in time.

Taking deep breaths of cool crisp mountain top air quenches the primal thirst for high country exploration.

Outlook over Tivoli Bay, Hudson River, and Catskill Mtns

Choose Your Own Adventure

What's more important in life than surrounding yourself by beautiful people? The answer is nothing, however a close second goes to beautiful places. The conclusion of this summer was a difficult period for me. Leaving not only an amazing group of individuals at ACES but the natural beauty in which Aspen is nested, to move East to New York was challenging and forced me to reconcile my inner conflicts caused by this life decision. 

As someone who has felt a deep connection with high and wild places since the first time my boots gripped the side of a mountain, I was unsure if my new home could satiate my hunger for exploration. I soon discovered that it in fact could and to a degree I never thought imaginable. 

The forests are vast and dense, the rivers are plentiful and come in all varieties, and the landscape teems with life. The land may not rise and fall quite as dramatically as it did in Aspen, but the moderate terrain hides many secrets. It was only a couple months ago that Blue Columbine captivated me as I strolled along Colorado trails. Now it is the 400 year old White Oak trees, climbing vines, and Red Efts which draw my attention. Beauty through pure diversity.

That is one of the most magnificent qualities of this country. The ability to travel from one incredible place to the next without even having to go through a customs officer making you feel guilty for something you have never done. No matter where you go in life and what preconceived notions you carry along the way, always seek adventure. Look for the amazing things happening around you, big and small. Be inspired and take a moment to appreciate the uniqueness of a place.

I often wish I was still in the West, but I have found another horizon here in the East and it is a horizon largely unexplored by my mind, body, and spirit until now. The Aspen idea applies no matter where you find yourself. The adventure always awaits.

Unnamed ridge in the Maroon Snowmass Wilderness

Don't Leaf Aspen Without Peeping Those Colors!

Leaf Peeper: (n.) One who travels to view and photograph changing leaf colors in the fall.

Examples: off-season fall tourists populating the Maroon Bells; that relative that refuses to come visit you in Aspen unless it is the third week in September.

The Catto Center at Toklat, a site of ACES, is located up Castle Creek, a prime leaf-peeping location.
Join us there for our annual membership potluck and fall colors celebration on Thursday September 20th at 5pm. RSVP here.

Ever since Labor Day passed, the influx of summer-season tourists has slowed—we have officially entered the off-season.  Streets are calm, darkness comes a little earlier in the evening, and the grocery stores are navigable after five o’clock.  However, the Roaring Fork Valley's fall foliage produces an ephemeral golden light-show that brings one last burst of visitors before the winter. 

When asked about timing a visit to Aspen to see the changing leaves, locals consistently point to the third week in September as the height of the color.  It’s this time when the mountainsides are blanketed with the vibrant yellow of Aspen leaves, intermittently mixed with the dark green of the conifers.  But exactly why do the Aspen leaves (and other leaves, too!) change color in the fall?

Most people are familiar with the fact that leaves contain chlorophyll—that’s the component that gives them their green pigment and allows for the process of photosynthesis.  Chloroplasts are the little green engines of plant cells which capture sunlight to synthesize carbohydrates and sustain plant life. These chloroplasts contain the green chlorophyll which breaks down easily, and yellow carotenoids which are more durable. As nights lengthen and plant metabolism slows, the chlorophyll breaks down and allows the yellow carotenoids to shine through. With slower metabolism, leaf veins begin to clog and red anthocyanin sugars concentrate in the leaves, shining through like the carotenoids. Leaves high in carotenoids are yellow, those with a blend of carotenoids and anthocyanins are orange, and those high in anthocyanins are red. 

So, grab your cameras… now is the time!  Luckily for all the leaf peepers out there, I recently learned that the United States Forest Service maintains a Fall Colors Hotline, complete with updates on peaking colors in different National Forests around the country and suggestions for color-seeking activities.  Feel free to embrace your inner leaf-peep and give it a call at 800-354-4595. Or give ACES a call for suggestions on local foliage hot-spots in the Roaring Fork Valley!

Meet ACES 2012-2013 Educators

Clockwise, beginning bottom right: Myles Somerville, Sarah Onstad, Melanie Poole, Sarah Schmidt, Andrew Hays, Betsy DeFries, Kendall Reiley, Erin Cushner, Chris Cohen.
Not pictured: Erin Griffin, Betsy McMichael.

For over 35 years ACES has partnered with schools in the Roaring Fork Valley to bring environmental science education to pre-school through high school students. ACES provides 350 field programs and 2,067 classroom lessons throughout the school year. 

This week you will see ACES Educators teaching geology to 5th-graders at the Maroon Bells, teaching tree identification to 6th graders at Hallam Lake, teaching kindergarten through 4th grade Environmental Science Education classes at Aspen, Basalt, or Crystal River Elementary Schools, and teaching preschoolers about the farmyard at Rock Bottom Ranch!

ACES is fortunate to have amazing educators to lead our programs. Learn more about our current staff here. Interested in applying next year? See our job description here. For parents in the Roaring Fork Valley, come visit us at Back to School Night on Wednesday at Aspen Elementary School and on Thursday at Basalt Elementary School.