Badlands Horizon, South Dakota.

Snow Blankets Mountain Peaks, Aspen, CO.

Snow Blankets Mountain Peaks Ryan Shorney Nearly a quarter of an inch of snow fell near Independence Pass in the early hours of Monday morning, making the season debut of CDOT’s orange snowplow trucks at the 12,095 feet Continental Divide.

Blue Skies Ryan Shorney/Aspen Daily News Intense skies swirl above a flower patch located near the Aspen Golf Course recently.

The Milky Way Galaxy shines brightly in the night sky near Independence Pass recently. At 12,095 feet, the pass ranks as one of the highest paved roads in North America.

Earth and Sky Ryan Shorney/Aspen Daily News Bits of fall color poke through fluffy white clouds as they hug the Upper Roaring Fork Valley on Sunday morning.

An adult red-winged black bird (Agelaius phoeniceus) sits atop a cattail near Highway 82 on Monday. This species is one of the most polygamous of all bird species. Males have successfully claimed territories and mated with 2 or 3 females during the same season, according to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology web site.