Another nice weekend, another hike. Gotta get 'em in while the conditions permit. Headed for a different spot than last week, again to enjoy the nice day and see some fall color.
It's still pretty much everywhere, but in some spots it had almost all come down already, So its disappearing as quickly as it appeared. Looks like I made a good guess after all!
Weather was better than last week. Equally warm, but a nice breeze kept it from feeling too hot. Mostly cloudless all day. Colder wetter cloudy weather due tomorrow. On to the hike!
Got my 'best shot' of the day almost immediately.
That's one big dragonfly! I noticed a helicopter out flying around on my way there. I think the Guard was training or practicing or something, not searching for anyone. Once I got on the trail, I took a couple photos just to get started. I was about to keep going when I looked back down this valley and saw the chopper coming right at me over the tree tops. I just waited, and it flew almost right over me. Wish I'd shot a little video of it!
A nice area full of aspens. Most were very yellow, these ones were kind of reddish/orange. Which was a nice variation of color.
A petroglyph? Carving? No, just a piece of wood, with lots of interesting trails cut into it by insects I believe. Actually used as a part of a erosion control timber.
A shot from way out on the trail. I was hiking around for close to 8 hours this time, and my legs were complaining about it! This was way south of where I started. Got a little of the far off clouds on the horizon. Shot in HDR.
Heading back into the deeper forest. A carpet of leaves on the trail, winding off into the trees. Where does it go...
Last shot of a long gone tree, artsied up in Photoshop a little to make it more colorful. This tree last lost it leaves many years ago. But it still stands there in the sun, the rain, the snow and the wind. Year after year. Holding on.
