Monarch of Uncompahgre – Colorado

Monarch of Uncompahgre – Mount Sneffels  Wilderness, Colorado

A monarch among mountains, the 14,150 foot crown of Mount Sneffels presides over a valley flush with autumn hues.  At little more than 16,000 acres, Colorado’s diminutive Mount Sneffels Wilderness encompasses the higher elevations while omitting most of the dramatic forests below.  This allows for livestock grazing and a network of primitive roads in the surrounding Uncompahgre National Forest.  The forest is a symphony of Engelmann spruce, subalpine fir and a dramatic flourish of aspens. Mount Sneffels, one of Colorado’s 54 fourteeners, attracts scores of climbers in the summer months, while autumn’s golden aspens are a magnet for photographers.