Autumn in the Rockies

I've been EMBRACING the glory of this season.

Lots of hiking.

And cherished moments when I punk down
on the ground,
just to marvel.

Last weekend, I climbed the Timpanooke trail -
the very trek I took just four month
after getting my spine rebuilt.

(The story of that Victory Climb can be found HERE.)

This time around, I went with three girlfriends
from my book group.



Saturday was the PINNACLE of Autumn.

The "Quakies",
as we fondly
call our aspens,
were turning golden

The maples
were brilliant
oranges
and reds.

(I simply wanted to bottle up those vibrant colors and save them on a shelf for the snowy months ahead.)




This panorama view can only be seen if you are willing
to hoof it . . . up, up, UP.

We sidled along some cliffs to reach a really cool waterfall.

Here's Ellen, our 20-year-0ld friend from Belgium,
feeling effervescent
from the healthy IONS created by the cascading water.

If we'd kept going, the trail would've turned into THIS:

We were content to stop short of playing mountain goats.

Been there. Done that.

* * *

On Monday, I took another friend on a back country road,

just twenty minutes from my front door.

We situated ourselves on a ridge
with a birds-eye view looking into Rock Canyon.

BTW, Rock Canyon looks entirely different,
according to WHERE you are standing.
This shot was taken looking towards
the upper regions of the canyon.

As we perched on our promontory rock,
we dined on drippy peaches (from a local orchard)
and dark chocolate cake (from Magleby's restaurant.)

All our springtime rain (and boy did it rain)
set the stage for eye-popping hues in the fall.

Yes, my friends. The colors really looked like this.
I took the photos. I know.

* * *

Then Tuesday evening came.
Huge gusts of wind blew in a torrential storm.

And by yesterday, our dear Mount Timpanogos
was decorated with a layer of icing.

The transient nature of autumn
is
exquisitely painful.

I love it anyhow.