Thursday, October 10, 2013

Best Laid Plans and Fall Colors

OK -  my plan was to hike everywhere I could to enjoy the fall colors. I was keeping an especial eye on lower Pipeline Road because there is potential for massive color in the luxuriant oak and aspen regrowth since the 2000 Cerro Grande fire. Thankfully, the area wasn't re-burnt in the 2011 Las Conchas conflagration.

I hiked lower Pipeline Road last week and and went back yesterday to see how the color was developing. Yesterday's hike featured blue skies, sunshine and light winds. I saw six other hikers with the same idea - get out in the beautiful fall weather and admire autumn colors.

Today, though, the wind blustered all day; it rained and even sleeted. Our ash tree, which was gloriously yellow, had a lot of leaves torn off and looks bedraggled. It's obvious from town that Pajarito Mountain had it's first snowfall of the season.

The temperatures have turned frigid tonight and the wind is rattling our screen door. Have all the fall colors blown away? We'll see tomorrow.

The photos below are from yesterday's Pipeline Road walk.