Fall colors are already here – first responders remind leaf peepers to keep roads clear

Colorado’s aspens are putting on their annual golden show — and apparently, they’re a few weeks early.

Thanks to a summer that’s been hot, hot, hot and pretty darn dry, the aspen trees in the mountains are already starting to turn that gorgeous shade of yellow we all love.

People are already heading into the mountains, pulling over at scenic spots, snapping approximately 4,000 photos of the same tree and generally soaking up one of the best parts of fall in Colorado.

But there’s one little thing first responders would really like everyone to remember: The mountains are not a giant parking lot.

Clear Creek EMS has plenty to keep them busy without having to navigate a road lined with vehicles parked wherever someone spotted a particularly photogenic aspen. Emergency crews need to be able to get through quickly when someone needs help. That means don’t block lanes, shoulders, driveways, access roads or other areas emergency vehicles may need to use.

Leaf-peeping rules of the road:

• Pull over safely. If there isn’t a legal, safe place to stop, keep driving. That perfect Instagram photo is not worth creating a traffic hazard.
• Don’t stop in travel lanes or block emergency access. If an ambulance, fire truck or other emergency vehicle needs to get through, every second matters.
• Stay where you’re supposed to be. Use designated parking areas and trails rather than creating your own scenic parking lot.
• Take your stuff with you. Your coffee cup, snack wrappers and random tissues do not need to become part of Colorado’s fall scenery.
• Be patient. Everyone wants to see the leaves. Slow traffic is expected. Getting frustrated and making risky moves won’t make the aspens turn faster.

The fall colors are one of the reasons we’re lucky to live in Colorado. So go enjoy them! Take the pictures. Drink the cider. Wear the ridiculous fall sweater. Tell everyone you know that you “caught peak colors.”

Just remember that first responders have a job to do — and they need clear roads to do it.

So this fall, let’s keep the leaves golden, the roads moving and the emergency lanes actually emergency lanes.

Because the only thing we want blocking the view is a mountain covered in beautiful yellow aspens — not your car.