The Last Colors of Fall | Solo Jeep Adventure in the Buttermilk

This time I’m back in the Buttermilk of the Eastern Sierra—an old stomping ground from my dirtbag climbing days. Now I’m out here for a different kind of mission: chasing fall colors before the season slips away. My solo trip starts under blue skies, weaving through massive granite blocks and the familiar landscape of my twenties. But once I reach the aspens, everything changes—the trees are lit up like molten gold. It’s no wonder the old prospectors swarmed these mountains… the hills really are full of gold. Then the weather takes a turn. Dark clouds stack up over the crest, snow starts pushing over the ridge, and the wind comes ripping down the canyon. Behind me? Sunshine and calm skies. Ahead of me? A wall of winter. Naturally… I point the Gladiator straight into it. I climb higher into the storm until snowflakes start hitting the windshield and the drone can barely stay in the air. The contrast is unreal—black-and-white mountains, gray skies, and bright gold aspens glowing like they’re lit from within. Autumn is magic, especially when you catch it right on the edge of disappearing. If you enjoy cinematic solo overlanding, the Eastern Sierra, fall colors, and stormy mountain drama, this one’s for you.