A forest walk

I’ve noted several times that the autumn colors this fall aren’t very exciting.  This weekend saw many more leaves fall, though the ones that are left put on a bit of a show, a last gasp if you will.  The sky was a mix of clouds and sun, which didn’t help bring out the colors, but I’m grateful that it wasn’t raining, so I did get to enjoy what colors there were.

I walked down through the woods along Beaver Creek, passing the spot were I worked with the kids at adventure camp. Then instead of following the woods road, I detoured into the woods and walked where no path or road exists. I enjoy wandering this way, though it’s only just now possible again.  In summer, the undergrowth makes such wanderings difficult.  When I can’t see my feet, tripping is inevitable and sometimes dangerous.  Now that the area has had a good freeze or two, the undergrowth has disappeared, and wandering holds fewer dangers.  Leaves covering holes or depressions can still be an issue, but I can find those most of the time.

This time I wandered along the banks of the creek for half a mile or more, finding a deep hole that I’d never noticed before—deep enough for native brook trout or at least a fish larger than a minnow.  I didn’t see any, but that doesn’t mean they weren’t there.

Up at my cabin, the forest is again pretty open, not the way it will be in another week or two, but open enough that I no longer am living inside a green bubble, open enough that I can see the sky and open enough that if I stand in the exact right spot, I can see the porch light of my “neighbor” at the base of the mountain to the west of me, a good mile away.

I’ll be posting more photos from this walk throughout the week. Now that we’ve changed the clocks, photos are limited to those taken on the weekends only.