Lookout Mountain in November

This was the third time I’ve been to Lookout Mountain this year. And each time some clouds obscured the views allowing only peek-a-book scenes of the mountains all around. Each time I started in a different place too – the first time in Smith Canyon, making it a longer hike, the second time at the trailhead and this week – more than a mile down the road from the trailhead due to a road closure to protect mule deer. It’s always up, up, up though.

We started with sunny skies but fog had formed in the valleys below us and as we went uphill, so did the fog, sometimes completely obscuring any view and other times revealing bits and pieces of it. When we got near the ridge top, the trees were covered with ice crystals and the temperature was rising slowly. As the air warmed, many of the crystals loosened their grips on the needles and branches and began to tinkle to the ground making a magical sound. They would fall in waves and then stop. We were careful not to stop under any heavily laden trees.

Fall is certainly past its peak and winter is beginning to take over the landscape. However lots of color reminds us of the season just past.

Here is how it looked in May.