Aspen trees in autumn, Stewart-Cassiar Highway, British Columbia, Canada

© Yva Momatiuk and John Eastcott/Minden Picture

Fall's flaming colours. Aspen trees, British Columbia

If you drive along the Stweart-Cassiar Highway in British Columbia in fall, you're in for a colourful treat. This scenic road in the north-west of the province connects Kitimat with the Yukon border. It winds its way through some stunningly rugged locations, taking drivers past lakes, through forests and around mountains. But it's in fall that it truly comes to life, with the aspen trees along the route shedding their summer green colouring.

Aspens, like the ones seen in today's image, thrive in the region's cooler climate. When the seasons start to change, their leaves turn a brilliant yellow, contrasting beautifully with the evergreen forests and snowcapped mountains along the highway. Aspens grow in large colonies, all connected by a single root system. This means that aspen groves are actually one massive organism.