AAA Colorado ~ EnCompass Magazine

My Colorado

Colorado's Unpredictable Colors
By Jessica Briggs

My husband and I moved to Colorado after getting married in upstate New York. Eagerly we traveled west to a state whose sunshine was almost as prominent as its mountains.

To celebrate our one-year anniversary we headed to Aspen, reminiscing about our sunny, garden wedding while we drove. Our smiles soon faded as ominous clouds moved in. "This is summer, right?" I asked incredulously.

After a distressing drive through blizzard conditions we arrived at our campsite. Suddenly, as if to grant us merely a glimpse, the clouds parted revealing the majestic Maroon Bells — the most photographed peaks in North America. Throughout the night the storm battered our tent and I anxiously awaited the surprise my husband had planned. Just before sunrise we drove to a deserted parking lot. Sadly, my husband's gift, a hot air balloon ride, was cancelled.

We were determined, however, to enjoy ourselves. Surrounded by the serenity of the glacier valley we gazed upon Maroon Lake, listening to the sound of raindrops pelting the water, wrinkling its smooth surface with every ripple.

We wandered through aspen groves, their slender, white trunks blending into the falling snow. We peered through drifting fog, searching for the mountains that seemed unwilling to play this game of hide and seek. Hand in hand and bundled up, my husband and I hiked, slipping on rocks, laughing all the while.

So, maybe our summer anniversary felt more like a winter one; the lush green of the valley tainted white. Maybe the dark reddish brown that characterizes the Maroon Bells was more like a muted gray. Nevertheless, we realized we were exactly where we wanted to be: in a place where nature is so rich in diversity and whose landscape and personality are painted boldly with the many unpredictable colors of Colorado.

Do you have a special memory or humorous story about living in Colorado? EnCompass is looking for original essays that capture the uniqueness of our state. Payment is $60 upon publication. Entries must be typed, double-spaced and 200–300 words. Please include a daytime phone number. Entries will not be returned. Mail to: EnCompass, Attn: My Colorado, 4100 E. Arkansas Ave., Denver, CO 80222, or email: cpatrick@colorado.aaa.com. A response to a submission may take six to eight weeks.