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Tag Archives: larch madness

One More Fall Hike

This is my favorite trail, I’m pretty sure. I can return to it multiple times during a hiking season. It does have the very worst road though. It’s a place where the sub alpine larches are enchanting in their early summer greens and amazing when they turn golden in the fall. Pikas are frequently heard and sometimes seen while crossing the talus slopes. Earlier in the year marmots let loose with piercing calls to frighten even the bravest dogs and people too. Now they are underground. The pikas continue to harvest greens to dry in their ‘hay’ piles and then store under the rocks for the long cold winter soon to come.

At the trailhead, the wildfire smoke was thick – we could taste it as well as smell it. But we’d driven all the way so we headed out and gradually, there was less of it but it was always present. While I am not quite ready for winter to set in, it’s the only thing that will quell the wildfires burning in the mountains throughout the northwest.

Fall is the Best Season

Here are a few more images from October. I wish it lasted another month! The weather was perfect and the colors outstanding.

These are from several different outings, all in the Methow watershed.

Luna is adjusting to walking with a brace on her rear left leg. It supports the injured Achilles tendon and allows her leg to move forward rather than swaying out. I think she is happier with it.

A Slippery Path

New snow on a busy trail made for some treacherous walking. We should have had micro spikes for our shoes. We managed to get up and down without injury but were concerned for other hikers less prepared than we were. The redheads joined us for this one. They are less than impressed with Sky’s ability to ‘sit pretty’ but Sky doesn’t care.

It looks like fall in the mountains is coming to an end. It has continued to snow up there this week. I imagine the larch needles are falling to the ground.

Ahhh, Fall

Sky and I continue to enjoy the fall weather and fall colors too. Larch madness has lured us up and down many a trail in the last week and a half.

This trail began in the deep dark forest. There were stream crossings and an occasional glimpse of mountains across the way. Finally, we popped out into the sunlight and views of the subalpine larch trees in all their golden glory. Soon we were walking through the yellow trees, along with many other people. Everyone was going ooooh and ahhhh. It was breathtaking. And the mountain views, including Glacier Peak, were outstanding too.

It was a good day to be out.

Larch Madness

It’s a thing. It’s even a hashtag – #larchmadness. See for yourself.

Sky and I had lots of opportunities to see the golden alpine larch trees last week. We met a lady from New Orleans on a trail and she asked me, “Are all these trees going to die?” I reassured her that it was normal for larch needles to turn yellow and fall to the ground each this time of year.

But honestly, how many images of golden larches do I need?

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