Photo Gallery: Fall in Colorado from Georgetown to Regis

By: Sofia Flores, Staff Photographer

The first half of the pictures were taken in Georgetown, Colorado. The second half of pictures were taken around campus, starting from the RVs and ending in front of Loyola. As you can see, there is a wide range of green to golden to fiery red leaves. I invite you all to take a moment and stop once in a while and notice the subtle change that is happening around us! Don’t let this beauty pass you by!

Chasing Crisp Satisfaction: Identifying the Crunchiest Leaves

By: Sandra Vo, Staff Writer

Photo by Sandra Vo

Autumn offers a variety of seasonal festivities, including pumpkin spice lattes, jack-o-lantern carvings, and thick sweaters, but perhaps the most iconic of all, is the colorful leaves scattered across the ground. One of the greatest joys in life is walking across these leaves and hearing the satisfying crunch underneath your feet. 

But what happens when they don’t? Then you’re left disappointed, engulfed in the miseries of false hope, and with energy expended stomping for no reason. To avoid such a mishap, here are some distinct characteristics of the crispiest leaves on the ground to fulfill your autumn ASMR desires. 

By far, the number one indicator of a leaf's crunchiness is its dryness. Leaves that are visibly moist will be darker in color, often plastered across the ground, and strewn flat. On the other hand, leaves that have achieved optimal dryness will be lighter in color, raised slightly above the ground, or curled at the ends. Only dry leaves are able to produce a satisfactory crunch.

However, a leaf’s dryness is not the only factor in its crispness. A perfect leaf will not only be dry, but be in an optimal position for stomping. A dry leaf that is flat against the ground will not produce any noise. The best leaf is one that has curled so much that it is nearly cylindrical, taking on the appearance of a rolled newspaper. This provides the most favorable distance from the ground for the foot to snap the leaf and produce the crunchy noise.

Where will you find such crispy leaves though? Avoid areas with sprinklers or close to drains as these leaves will likely be moist and dissatisfying. Prime locations where crunchy leaves gather include the area between the curb and sidewalk, where wind has pushed piles of leaves together. Even better is if one of these locations is particularly sunny, which means most of the leaves will have dried due to the sunlight. 

If you’re desperate enough, you can even artificially produce crunchy leaves. Gather a pile of leaves and leave them outside long enough to dry (assuming the weather forecast does not call for rain). As long as the wind doesn’t kidnap your precious pile, you’ll have a delectably crunchy pile of leaves to revel in for a grand total of four seconds. 

And with this knowledge in mind, may all your autumn be filled with leafy delight.