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| In Search of Fall Colors Sequoia National Forest, October 1, 2006 |
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| On Sunday Todd and I drove up into the mountains in search of fall colors. It rained lightly off and on but it was actually a welcoming relief. Summer has officially ended and fall has begun... Plus the rain kept everyone else away and we basically had the forest to ourself! We are blessed to have beautiful stands of quaking aspen in the western Sierra Nevada as well as on the east side. Other trees and shrubs that turn magnificent shades of yellow, orange and red include buckeye, willow, redbud, dogwood, and black oak. And we found a little bit of everything on Sunday! |
| A beautiful bright yellow stand of aspen along the Needles Road |
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| California buckeye trees are the first to turn and this time of year not much is left except for their seed pods. Visitors often ask me about the "dead pear trees" that they see growing in the foothills! Well, first things first, they're not dead and they're not pear trees! Click here to read more about California Buckeye Trees. |
| Right at 7,200 feet or so we start to see the first aspen trees that have turned. |
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| The Mighty 190 takes us ever higher into the mountains |
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| Early in the summer this waterfall along Boulder Creek is roaring! Now it's rather quiet but still pretty. |
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| Wolf Lichen on red fir trees near Quaking Aspen Campground, click here to read more about the lichen |
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| The squirrels were very busy chopping down cones and storing seeds, this was the largest red fir cone I have ever seen, it was larger than a football! When I picked it up half of the scales fell off revealing its intricate insides |
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| Ooooh, a bright yellow stand of aspen alongside the Needles Road |
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| Aspen line the Western Divide Highway between Quaking Aspen and Ponderosa |
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| Todd stands on the bridge crossing Holby Creek |
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| Thickets of young aspen amongst Lodgepole Pine |
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| Gold in the forest |
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| Black Oak turn gold as well |
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| Aspen near Peppermint Campground Here you can camp for free! And there are some lovely sites beneath the aspen and near the creek |
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| Someday this will be an aspen grove... |
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| My Subaru looks like it's having a good time |
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| Well, then, let's go for a hike! |
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| There is a fisherman trail alongside Peppermint Creek that is nice to hike along |
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| There is an old foundation for a house or ? near Peppermint Campground. Anybody know what used to be here? |
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