A Personal Story

Chasing Colors and Miles

This past weekend, I traded my camera bag for a set of handlebars and lined up for my very first century ride—the Mountain to Desert Classic. The race started in Telluride, Colorado, and let me tell you, the views were absolutely breathtaking. At one point, I had tears streaming down my face, but I honestly couldn’t tell if it was from the jaw-dropping scenery or the icy morning air rushing past my glasses as I bombed down the mountain. (Maybe a little of both!)

When we set off leaving Telluride, I had these grandiose plans to pull out my camera along the way—combining exercise with art. But after the first aid station, when we realized we were getting dropped, those plans fell apart quickly. Turns out, keeping up with the pack and keeping my lungs working took priority over snapping photos.

And maybe that was for the best—because instead of framing the views through my lens, I got to soak them in with my own eyes, fully present in the moment.

That’s the thing about fall in Colorado—it finds a way to overwhelm all your senses. The crisp air, the golden aspen groves shimmering in the sunlight, the crunch of leaves under your tires (or boots). There’s a reason I say autumn is the most beautiful season in the Rockies. No matter where you’re standing—whether it’s on a mountain peak, a forest trail, or yes, even the middle of a bike race—you’re surrounded by color and magic that feels fleeting and timeless all at once.

Fall is the season that invites us to slow down, take a deep breath, and soak in every shade of gold, amber, and crimson before winter sweeps in. As a photographer and as a cyclist, I can’t get enough of it.