Peak season is typically the third week of September. However, this is dependent on weather conditions. You may want to call the Fall Colors Hotline at 800-354-4595.

The road to the Maroon Bells is closed at the T Lazy 7 Ranch during the winter. It opens around Memorial Day for the summer season. From mid-June to September a shuttle bus runs from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. This is the only mode of accessing the lake during these hours, unless you are camping, biking, backpacking or have a child in a car seat. The cost for the shuttle is $5.50 per person and it leaves from Aspen Highlands Ski Area every 20 minutes. From 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. and then again from 5 p.m. See similar questions...

Camping is not allowed at Maroon Lake. There is no longer a campground there. The nearest campgrounds are the Silver Bar, Silver Bell and Silver Queen campgrounds, located on Maroon Creek Road. The cost is $15 per night. Sites at these campgrounds can be reserved at least four nights in advance by calling 1-877-444-6777 or log onto: http://www.reserveusa.com/. See similar questions...

If you are interested in hiking, the best time to visit is July through October. Trails are typically still covered with snow through the middle of June. Of course, this all depends on weather conditions. Aspen does not typically see a heavy first snow until October/November. Again, this cannot be predicted. See similar questions...

From Aspen, continue east on Highway 82 through town. Approximately 5 miles from Aspen, you will see the campground sign on your right. Continue down the road to the host site. See similar questions...

No, the trail to the Conundrum Hot Springs is in a designated Wilderness Area. No bicycles are allowed in wilderness areas. See similar questions...

Yes. We can effectively clean these areas and restore their appearance to their original beauty without damaging nearby landscaping. See similar questions...

Since this site talks about conifer trees, we don't usually answer questions about deciduous trees. However, this is a question we get a lot! You may know that the green of deciduous leaves comes from the chlorophyll that is needed to make food for the tree. What you may not know is that there are other colors "hidden" in the leaves. They are hidden in the spring and summer because the chlorophyll is busy doing its job and the green color sort of takes over. See similar questions...

Leaves change colour due to biochemical processes within them that are triggered by diminishing amounts of daylight, longer nights, and weather factors. Leaves contain three types of natural substances called pigments which determine leaf colour both during the growing season and in the fall. Chlorophyll is the dominant pigment in most leaves and it gives them their green colour in spring and summer. See similar questions...

Less daylight and cool (but not necessarily freezing) fall temperatures result in less production by leaves of green pigment (chlorophyll). Consequently, other leaf pigments like yellow (xanthophyll), orange (carotene) and red (anthocyanin) become more prominent. The intensity of color in a leaf depends on the amount of sugar stored in the leaf and the amount of autumn sunlight it gets. Brown pigment (tannin) remains after all other pigments have disappeared. See similar questions...

Yes, Yes, Yes, not only are you protecting your assets, but you are also protecting the ex-employee. If you have a problem and you did not change the locks, who do you look at? You cannot narrow down the list of suspects to only those in your employ. If you change the locks then you can eliminate the ex-employees as suspects, and concentrate on current key holders The answer is YES! Everyone has someone that they trust with their house keys, this does not mean you can trust them. See similar questions...

It is impossible to know when the leaves will start to change color, when the foliage will be at its peak, or how long the foliage season will last. The last week of September and first two weeks of October are generally considered peak for most of our inns. The color generally comes earlier in the north than in the south, and to higher elevations before lower elevations. Inns will fill quickly (and rates are generally higher) during this period. See similar questions...

Each spring leaves contain green, red, orange and yellow pigments. Throughout the summer, the green is dominant due to chlorophyll production. Many factors influence autumn coloration and the most important being day length, followed by rainfall, sugar accumulations in the leaves, wind, and prolonged periods of cool, bright, sunny autumn weather without a killing frost. The brighter the light during this period, the greater the production of these pigments. See similar questions...

There are several options depending on the mode of travel you'd like to use. You can hike to Crested Butte via the West Maroon, East Maroon or Conundrum Creek Trails. You can 4-wheel drive or bike to Crested Butte over Taylor Pass, Pearl Pass or Schofield Pass. It is not recommended driving over Pearl or Schofield- both are extremely rocky and exposed and see numerous accidents each year! You can drive a passenger car over Kebler Pass. From Aspen, this route takes approximately 3 hours. See similar questions...

The Aspen District is home to six 14,000 foot peaks. The "easiest" peak is Castle Peak but this is still a very challenging hike/climb. For your first climb up a 14,000 peak try climbing Mt. Elbert near Leadville. It is the tallest peak in Colorado and a non-technical ascent. The drive is approximately 1? hours from Aspen. See similar questions...

We no longer sell the waterproof maps because they are difficult to update and the cost of printing is very high. The Colorado Trail GPS Map CD ROM, available at the CT Store, includes annotated USGS Topographic maps with important Trail coordinates and interface to consumer GPS units for downloading waypoint files. See similar questions...

Colorado is a color of wrapper that is in the medium brown color spectrum. The most common variation is "Colorado Maduro", which is typically grown in Indonesia, and is sometimes termed "Sumatra". Another area that grows this shade of wrapper is Cameroon. See similar questions...

There are several options for hiking/biking based on your skill level. Please stop by the Forest Service Office in Aspen to get detailed information. See similar questions...

The Aspen Center for Environmental Studies (A.C.E.S.) gives free nature walks at Maroon Lake from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., seven days a week. They also give nature walks at the top of Aspen Mountain. The Forest Service hosts weekly campground talks. Please stop by the Forest Service Office in Aspen for more information. See similar questions...

There are several options for scenic drives in the area. Castle Creek Valley is spectacular and takes you up to the ghost town of Ashcroft. The ghost town is 11 miles from Aspen. The drive over Independence Pass is also beautiful. This route is highly recommended if you have a small car and are traveling east toward the Leadville area. A trip to Maroon Lake/Maroon Bells is well worth it but please be aware of road restrictions from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. daily. See similar questions...