Painted Landscape

Last weekend, the aspens were in their peak autumn finery. Most turn gold, but some sport a fashionable auburn color.

As we climbed the hills north of Strawberry Reservoir, we looked down upon meadows bordered by aspen and spruce.  (You can see the reservoir at the top of the photo.)

Aspen gold is particularly beautiful when backlit by the sun.

Medallion leaves cover this aspen lined trail.

The forest dwarfs a horse and rider, making us realize how small we are compared to nature's vast beauty.

Early Autumn Colors

On the trails north of Strawberry Reservoir, the aspens are starting to change.  The elk mating season has begun, and the bulls announce their presence with bugling. The small herd we spotted didn't hang around long enough to be photographed.

Daisy has a grand time sniffing for elk and running with her horses.

On Tibble Fork, maple reds dominate in the higher terrain, with Timpanogas in the background.

while narrow leaf cottonwoods and box elder begin to change along the stream.

Steve and Coco in Tibble Fork

Autumn colors dress the mountains in splendor.  Another week, and colors will be at their prime.

High Country Autumn

We've ridden in the high country many times in the past month.  Fall is in the air, crisp and cool.  The leaves are starting to change.  And the hunters are out, so orange is our new favorite color.

The aspens on Tabby Mountain are turning gold.

And the maple leaves blush crimson.

The grass is still spring green, due to a rainy August.

The skies are moody, changing quickly from a clear blue to stormy gray.

On another gorgeous fall day, Daisy frolics in a pond along Rock Creek.

Without a yellow lab to disturb the water, a still lake reflects the scene.

Golden Cottonwoods

We ride toward the painted hills on the rim of Diamond Plateau, 2500 feet above our starting point on the Green River in Dinosaur National Monument.

Cottonwood gold makes water sources easy to find this time of year.  In this case, the strip of gold grows along an aptly named Cottonwood Springs.

Coco enjoys his water, even when there's not much to be had.

At Boone Springs, he greedily slurps his fill from an old cow trough.

Mature deer don't grow very big in this dry country, judging by the size of these antlers.

A photo stitch taken from an overlook shows the Green River meandering through Island Park.  This two square mile horseshoe shaped curve of the river was first named by the Wesley Powell Expedition that passed through this area in the late 1860's.  Island Park is a popular launch location for rafters beginning a float through Split Mountain.
Poor Daisy had to stay home.  No dogs are allowed in the National Monument, more's the pity.

Strawberry Narrows

We started out on the southern shore of Strawberry Reservoir.

The Strawberry narrows trail is designated as hiking/biking/horsebackriding.  The views of the lake are pretty. 

As we rode about 6 miles down the narrow, winding trail, we worried a little about running into a biker, perhaps literally. 

So, on our way back, we followed a ravine up a few hundred feet and found a great little 2 track through the aspen.  That made a safer horse trail. 

As we reached the gravel road leading to the marina, we saw this sign.  Anybody have a few million dollars to spare?   You could build your dream summer home up there.

Falling Leaves

 

Our trails are carpeted with fallen aspen gold.

A few groves still maintain their full glory.

Daisy enjoys swimming with floating leaves in a reflecting pond.

We stopped at this fence for a quick lunch. 

The view toward Daniel's Pass still has lots of color. 

Aspen surround a rock fin on the side of a mountain. Willows are in the foreground, growing along a creek.

Gold leaves hang on the spruce boughs like Christmas ornaments lit by the sun.

Autumn Paths

Doesn't this lane look inviting? 

The aspens are at their peak in the mountains north of Strawberry Reservoir. 

A photo stitch shows the big  picture.

Every turn in the trail offers another vista.

Here's a view to the south, showing Strawberry Reservoir.

Aspen leaves shower our path with gold.  In a few weeks, all of this will be covered with snow.

We pose as we pass through an "unimproved" campground (can you imagine improving on this?), just a few hundred yards from our trailer. 

Autumn Reflections

Aspen's autumn leaves are in their glory right now.  Above, Currant Creek Reservoir reflects the surrounding mountain beauty. 

We rode the valleys above the reservoir and admired nature's fall show. 

Steve, Boss and Daisy surged ahead at times.

Then they all showed off by pretending to take a nap while Mischief and I caught up!

We found a Mormon cricket (actually a katydid), over an inch long. 

A small pond, a gift from our beaver friends, shines with reflected aspen light.

Fall Colors

A week ago, the first aspen leaves were turning at 9000 feet. 

Now, a few groves have changed completely. 

Most are bright gold, but some have a reddish tint.

Steve and Boss ride through sage, past an old corral.  The willows along an aptly named Willow Creek are below them.  Aspens, some gold and others still green, decorate the hills above.

Along Willow Creek, only a few purple thistle still bloom.

Yellow Daisy stands beside a yellow serviceberry bush, with a big gray hornet's nest in its branches.  We rode right past that nest.  It's low enough to be a real hazard. Fortunately, it doesn't appear to be active. Note Daisy's orange neckerchief.  We all wear orange from mid-August until the snow falls.  We want the hunters to see us, even if we don't see them!