Maroon Bells, West Maroon Creek, Elk Mountains, Colorado

As one of the great iconic vistas of the American West, the Maroon Bells rise to over 14,000 feet in the heart of the Elk Mountains southwest of the town of Aspen, Colorado. Towering over the aspen trees of West Maroon Creek, these huge mountain pyramids form the centerpiece of the spectacular Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness. A total of seven summits in this 181,512-acre wilderness area top out at over 14,000 feet above sea level. These mountains also host some of the most extensive aspen groves in the West. Depending on the previous summer’s moisture and temperatures, the first aspen leaves usually begin to change color by mid September with the last trees shedding their leaves a month later. This photograph was captured in the last week of September.