Peep No More: Taking in Fall's Majesty for Real

Pearl Lake Autumn - September 2024

​Autumn. I both dread that it means the end of summer, and marvel at the rich and varied shades that seemingly deepen by the minute. Bright gold trees, mahogany shrubs, orange berries, amongst deep green conifer and bluest of blue skies. Each day feels like a staving off winter for another 24 hours.

There are some who refer to taking in this glory as “leaf peeping.” I detest that term, actually. Whether you are strolling along the Yampa Core Trail, out for a mountain hike, a long bike ride or a paddle, there is an engagement with the beauty all around that “peeping” doesn’t even come close to describing. The term “leaf-peeper” first showed up in print in 1965 in Vermont. Some folks seem to do just fine with the term, others consider it insulting and worse, as “peeping” conjures voyeuristic tendencies. See Mental Floss: A Brief History of Leaf-Peeping. 

The one thing most are in agreement with though, is that this time of year has its own magnificence, perhaps because, at least in the mountains, it is almost as fleeting as the summer. A clump of aspen becomes more incandescently golden by the day, and then a few strong gusts toss that gold to the ground. Or a shrub, foliage ripening to a rich cabernet, is halted by a snow-storm, and the whole thing shrivels and turns black. So every day with fall’s palette feels like a gift. 

So I propose that the term leaf-peeping be struck from use. Suggested phrases: full-fledged fall gawking, awe-struck ambling, or simply reveling in the incomparable Mother Nature. Especially in the last few days in Steamboat, I see people looking around in wonder, and hear people talking about their experience of the unparalleled color. It is truly an incredible season.

As for how and why leaves change color, check out my post the Fluctuating Foliage of Fall to learn.