It's time again to confront a great rift in our country. East vs. west. Effete vs. hardy. Red State vs. Yellow State.

Nothing incites home loyalty like fall colors. Everyone thinks their leaves are the best. Or they just shrug along with the national myth that NOTHING holds a candle to Vermont.

That's crap.

I saw Vermont in peak time a few years ago. It was awesome, but no better than Utah. They had more red, but our leaves are just as brilliant. And Vermont didn't have diddly for gold, which aspens blast onto our forests like glitter, setting off the rosy Gambel oaks and fiery maples.

Oh, yeah. We also have mountains. Lots of them. Real ones.

It's not that eastern autumn is overrated; it's that ours is overlooked. Is this because most national media is in the northeast, where fall is the only natural wonder that isn't completely whomped by the west? Or are they truly convinced that our mountains turn to barren heaps of gravel whenever celebrities aren't skiing on them?

Even people who love our state let themselves get rolled over by the east's foliage-superiority complex. Last fall I showed my Utah friends some pictures I took in Albion Basin.

"That's like New England!" they raved.

Goddamn eastern elitism.

"These clearly are Middle America leaves, what with their strong family values, down-homey twangs and staggering rates of gonorrhea," I spat back.

Yeah.

Stand proud, Yellow Staters.

Go peep your leaves.

Based on what I've seen so far, this weekend will start getting pretty. The next two weekends should be even better. Wasatch Audubon Society secretary Sharen Perry told me that our cold June may be pushing the peak back a bit this year.

Remember, timing is hard to nail down. It changes every year, and a storm can rip the hottest colors down in their prime. To avoid disappointment, call a nearby U.S. Forest Service office shortly before your trip. You also can check my blog, Poorpenmanship.com, for photo updates throughout the fall.

And don't forget your camera. The world needs proof that our leaves kick ass.