This magnificent grove of peach-colored aspen trees adorns the hillsides along Leopard Creek near Dallas Divide in the San Juan Mountains above Ridgway, Colorado. Better know for its bright golden-yellow leaves, the brilliant peach-colored variation seen in this photograph is a rarity. Since aspen trees propagate using sub-surface rhizomes, clusters of these uniquely-colored trees can be seen scattered among the more typical yellow aspen groves which carpet these mountains every autumn. The ideal elevation for aspen trees in the San Juan Mountains is around 9,000 feet. The combination of temperature, well-drained soil and precipitation at this altitude provides ideal growing conditions for the most robust specimens of this member of the willow family. This panoramic photograph was captured with a 6x17 panorama format camera. All photos in these fine art photo galleries may be ordered as fine art framed prints or for stock photography usage.