Wender·Vista
Medicine Bow National Forest aspens
shown on ceramic, 12-inch tileWyoming
in the Snowy Range, west of Laramie

Medicine Bow National Forest aspens

— — the week the mountain turns gold.

— Where it lives

Not only on a wall.

A small tile on the nightstand catching the morning. A larger one above the fire. Yours, wherever you spend the slow hours.
— On the nightstand, a 6-inch on a walnut stand
— Among the books, a 6-inch leaning into the spines
— Beside the kettle, a 12-inch propped
— Down a quiet hall, an 18-inch floating off the wall
— Above the fire, the 24-inch in a walnut surround
— a note from the studio

“Quaking aspen run in clonal stands across the Snowy Range, sharing one root system under acres of trembling leaves. For about ten days in late September the slopes go yellow, then briefly orange, then bare. The Snowy Range Scenic Byway climbs to nearly 11,000 feet through the middle of it. Most of the cars belong to people from Laramie.

from the studio
Medicine Bow National Forest aspens
— bring it home

Medicine Bow National Forest aspens, on ceramic.

Each tile is finished by hand in our Knoxville studio. Artwork is slowly infused into the ceramic surface under high heat and pressure, and rests beneath a thin glossy finish. The colour lives in the surface, not on top of it.

What kind of piece?
One tile — square or rectangle.
How big?
the popular one — counter, shelf, nightstand
6 × 6 in · 15 cm · 1.6 lb
Surface finish
A clear glossy finish — the artwork reads as if under resin. Ideal for show-pieces and framed wall art.
How it sits
A hidden cleat — sits ¼″ proud of the wall.
$58
Hand-finished and shipped from our studio at the foot of the Smokies. On your wall in about ten days.
— size
6 × 6 in
15 cm
— weighs
1.6 lb
solid in the hand
— surface
ceramic, hand-finished
art rests beneath a thin glossy finish
— from
Knoxville, TN
our family studio, at the foot of the Smokies
— start a Coaster Set

Pick any four 4-inch tiles — National Parks you've been to, a Smokies set, the four seasons of one place. $ for a set of , cork-backed, ready to live on the table.

— about Medicine Bow National Forest aspens

The place, in three passes.

A little of what's known, in case you fall down the rabbit hole — or want to go see it yourself.
— the place

Medicine Bow National Forest covers more than a million acres across southeastern Wyoming, divided among the Snowy, Sierra Madre, and Laramie ranges. The Snowy Range portion, west of Laramie, holds the highest concentration of quaking aspen, particularly along the Snowy Range Scenic Byway (Wyoming 130), which climbs over Snowy Range Pass at 10,847 feet. The forest is co-administered with Routt National Forest in Colorado as the Medicine Bow–Routt unit.

— the season

Quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides) turn colour earlier than most North American hardwoods, driven by elevation and shortening day length rather than first frost. In the Snowy Range the peak window typically falls between about September 20 and the first week of October, lasting roughly ten days at a given stand. Higher elevations colour first; the lower ranches around Centennial and Albany follow a week behind. A single wind event late in the window can strip a slope in a day.

— informed by Wikipedia: Quaking aspen
— the visit

The Snowy Range Scenic Byway connects Laramie and Saratoga over about 29 miles, opening in late May or early June and closing at the pass for winter, usually in November. The Mirror Lake and Lake Marie overlooks are the most photographed stops; both have small parking areas and short paved paths. Aspen are best seen from the upper Brooklyn Lake and Libby Flats sections. Carry warm layers in any season; afternoon thunderstorms are common in summer.

— informed by Snowy Range Scenic Byway
— where
United States · Albany and Carbon Counties, Wyoming
— within
Medicine Bow National Forest
— elevation
3,280 m · 10,760 ft
— position
41.3556° N · 106.3167° W
— the neighborhood

What's nearby.

A handful of named places within an hour's walk or short drive. Some we've already painted; some we will.
at the lake
Snowy Range Pass
mountain pass
1 km W
Lake Marie
alpine lake
50 km E
Laramie
city
20 km E
Centennial
town
N
Medicine Bow National Forest aspens
Snowy Range Pass
Lake Marie
Laramie
Centennial
— common questions

What people ask.

A few questions we get about Medicine Bow National Forest aspens — and about bringing the piece home.
— about the place

Peak colour typically lands between about September 20 and the first week of October, with each stand staying gold for roughly ten days. A late-window wind event can strip a slope in a single day.

It covers more than a million acres across southeastern Wyoming, in the Snowy, Sierra Madre, and Laramie ranges. The Snowy Range portion lies west of Laramie along Wyoming 130.

A 29-mile scenic route on Wyoming 130 connecting Laramie and Saratoga over Snowy Range Pass at 10,847 feet. It opens in late May or early June and closes at the pass for winter.

Quaking aspens grow in clonal stands sharing one root system, so an entire hillside of trees can be a single genetic individual. Whole stands often change colour together within a day or two.

Aspen leaf stems are flat and run perpendicular to the leaf blade, so the leaves twist easily on the slightest breeze. The motion exposes the underside of more leaves to light, raising photosynthesis.

The byway closes at the pass once snow accumulates, typically by November, and reopens in late spring. Lower-elevation sections near Centennial and Laramie remain open and are used for cross-country skiing.

— about the piece in your home

Yes. The Snowy Range fall window is a local ritual more than a tourist event, and the slopes along the byway are part of how people from those towns mark the year. A Medium or Large reads well.

The piece sits well in mountain-modern, warm minimalist, and craftsman rooms. The golds, oranges, and dark conifer greens pair with walnut, brass, and natural wool textiles.

Yes. There is steady interest in seasonal art that doesn't read as a calendar, and a specific named-place autumn piece carries that brief better than generic foliage prints or photographs.

A single Large suits a standard sofa; a 4-tile Mural fills a wider feature wall; a 9-tile Mural anchors a stairwell or great-room. Most homes start with the Large.

Yes. Choose the Dura Satin or Matte finish for any room with humidity, steam, or splash. Both finishes are scratch-resistant and clean easily without losing their surface character.

A soft microfibre cloth with plain water is enough for routine care. The colour is held inside the ceramic surface, so no solvents or abrasive pads are needed and should not be used.

Yes. Every WenderVista piece is painted by Reid Wender and hand-finished in our Knoxville studio. None of the work in the line is licensed from a third party.

— if this one stayed with you

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