Hey all,

FWIW, the fall colors just popped seemingly overnight here. They are spectacular right now. If anyone is looking for a flight to catch them this week is the time. Hopefully I can get out and get some photos when the weather decides to co-operate.

Pete

Where is here

His avatar location is Adirondack mountains. I assume that's the area he's talking about. It is certainly an area that wears its fall colors proudly and in profusion.

In the Pacific NW, the big deal this time of year are the "golden larches". Deciduous conifer, needles turn gold for a few weeks before falling off.

qmdv wrote:Where is here

Flyhound wrote:His avatar location is Adirondack mountains. I assume that's the area he's talking about. It is certainly an area that wears its fall colors proudly and in profusion.

Yup,

In the Adirondacks. North Creek (0NY0), NY. Kind of half way between Lake George & Lake Placid, for those of you familiar with the area.

Pete

Beautiful time of year for sure. We finished harvest yesterday and I had a bit of trucking to do today. Yes the white things are snowflakes...

Took a drive up Chinook Pass west of Yakima a couple days ago. Huckleberry brush and Vine Maple is turning to fall colors.

The Normile Grade at the head of the Rainier Fork of the American River. Looking west at Yakima Peak.


At the summit looking south at Naches Peak.

The aspens here in Idaho are turning, went for a nice Sunday drive this past weekend and it was gorgeous.

Pretty busy week wrapping up our season (Whitewater & outfitting), but I did sneak out for some fun. Got some photos on the phone, which don't do justice, but I did take a friend who is a photographer up for a flight around the Lake Placid area. I think she got some great photos. I will share them if she shoots me any. In the mean time here are a few of the photos I took.

Pete

On the way to Placid


Near MarcyField


A beaver pond just north of the strip


Looking up the Hudson


A valley a couple of miles from the strip


My trusty 65hp steed taking on a 4 gallon fuel load in Lake Placid

The best colors in SE Idaho in quite a few years, and I'm not sure why.....maybe a really dry summer is to "blame?" that's what we had anyway, REAL dry. So good, on a e fatbike ride the other day, I took my sunglasses off, and about 40 seconds later got one eyeball whacked by a tree branch.

A1Skinner wrote:Beautiful time of year for sure. We finished harvest yesterday and I had a bit of trucking to do today. Yes the white things are snowflakes...

Southbound on 733 about to cross Bad Heart River. Nearly 40 years since I started my trucking career up there. I still remember. Took my road test with Gary and Issac’s old Western Star pulling an end dump. They had the Bad Heart sand pit back then.

Pinecone wrote:

A1Skinner wrote:Beautiful time of year for sure. We finished harvest yesterday and I had a bit of trucking to do today. Yes the white things are snowflakes...

Southbound on 733 about to cross Bad Heart River. Nearly 40 years since I started my trucking career up there. I still remember. Took my road test with Gary and Issac’s old Western Star pulling an end dump. They had the Bad Heart sand pit back then.

You have a good memory!

tcj wrote:Took a drive up Chinook Pass west of Yakima a couple days ago. Huckleberry brush and Vine Maple is turning to fall colors.

The Normile Grade at the head of the Rainier Fork of the American River. Looking west at Yakima Peak.

My wife & I lived in Yakima for a couple of years in the mid 80's. We had just graduated college and she had a job interview at St. Elizabeth's ? (Giong by memory) Hospital. I flew out with her and rented a car while she was interviewing. I had never been west of the Mississippi. Took a drive around White, Cayuse & Chinook passes. I was absoutely blown away by the terrain and scenery. Saw a Elk in the bottom of Chinook pass and was hooked. I got back and told her I don't care if the job sucks, we have to move here. Then I took her for a ride the next day and she agreed. Aging parents and other family obligations made our stay in the PNW a short one, but that photo sure brought back some memories. I have also been following the fire report closely all summer too.

Pete

Back roads around here yesterday:

Karmutzen wrote:In the Pacific NW, the big deal this time of year are the "golden larches". Deciduous conifer, needles turn gold for a few weeks before falling off.

These photos of Western Larch were taken on Oct 12 a few years ago. They are inside the perimeter of the Scheidner springs fire this year. Larch are one of the most fire resistant tree species so I suspect a lot of them will have survived the fire.

Old Scab Mountain from Little Bald Lookout


Looking down from the cliffs at Little Bald.


The head of the North fork of Rattlesnake Creek from Clover Springs.


I need to take a drive up into the mountains near home today to see how the Larch here are turning.

Okay we're back from a drive up into the mountains. 21 miles from home at 4200 feet elevation is the stand of Western Larch I had in mind.

This one would make a good Xmas Tree. I haven't tried it but have heard that if you cut one about Thanksgiving time when all the needles have fallen, take it in the house and put it in a bucket of water, in about two weeks it will leaf out. When they first leaf out the needles are a bright green color. It would make a unique Xmas tree.


The needles grow in bunches.


Looking down on Manastash Creek.


On the north slopes there is still a little snow from a flurry we had a couple days ago.




These old guys growing out in the Lava rock are getting long in the tooth.


For size comparison I'm standing at the base of the tree. Its about 80 feet tall.

Haven't been flying this fall so all I got is the trees in my yard and on the lake. I'd like to turn the pines into lumber but the maples are beautiful.

Those are all great!,

It's a bit past peak here now, but still pretty good. Even the Cattle Dog likes the view. This is from Monday on one of our daily jaunts.

Pete

On a pond in the Yakima River Canyon between Ellensburg and Yakima. The leaves are floating on the pond. The tree trunks are a reflection on the surface of the water.

Zzz wrote: Haven't been flying this fall so all I got is the trees in my yard and on the lake. I'd like to turn the pines into lumber but the maples are beautiful. ....

Take my word for it, the beauty aspect of the maple leaves will wear thin after a few years of having to clean them out of your rain gutters.
And either looking at a big yard full of them, or else spending time raking & burning.
Oh yeah, maples have a habit of old limbs breaking off too, so be careful what's under or near them.
Alder trees are even worse in that regard...only sometimes the whole tree breaks off & comes down.
Give me evergreens any time.