Silver Lake, near Tribble Lake....

 A month has past since I last blogged.

Life has been mellow and hardly blog worthy; not a bad thing at all.

 But now....

Autumn has intensified its colors while leaving the temperatures in short sleeve wearing range.

The colors and the perfect weather: Time to go on a hike!

 

Luke, Jeff, Bernie and I drove down south to an area in view of Mt. Timpanogas.

We let Luke scamper around a bit before he was loaded into a back pack for a hike up into the mountains.

He selected a leaf and rock to hold.

I selected a perch where the sunlight and shadows would fall just right on his face.

"Show me your rock".

"Show me your leaf".

(Note his new fun lego themed fur lined ready for winter crocs...)

We were hiking through aspen groves, some of which had turned beyond the traditional gold to a rich orange and even red.

About collecting rocks: A big one would be better, right?

He was quite disappointed that we felt that particular rock was a tad heavy for carrying along on a hike.

Especially since both he and the rock would have to be carried on his father's back and shoulders!

The easy part of the trail.

My menfolk all in a row.

There is something nearly holy about every aspen grove in autumn.

 

The aspen ranged from still quite green to nearly finished.

 

I was not the least bit reluctant to take breaks as needed.

Sitting and looking,

looking,

looking...

I take in the scenery deeply.

Later Bernie and Jeff discussed how often they hike in conquer mode and really just see their feet on the trail, forgetting to look up and around them.

I reminded them that that was why I enjoy hiking with others who are doing photography.

We take our time and enjoy the view on the way more than arriving at the trail's end.

Playing in water with many small waterfalls was enjoyed in the pleasantly warm sunshine.

Jeff reminded Luke to be careful.

I reminded Jeff to be careful.

The endless role of a parent is to look after their child's safety.

Did Luke slip and get his bottom wet?

Of course.

In fact Jeff almost did too.

Smile.

Breathtaking views.

We kept saying wow....wow...wow.

Back down the trail we came and it was time for a lakeside lunch.

I would argue that there was not a restaurant any where in the world with a better view on this particular day.

Trees blushing red at their crowns.

Still photography does not do justice to the shimmering lake and shivering leaves about us.

Jeff brought his small propane fired grill, brats, sauerkraut and all the fixings for making a perfect autumn picnic.

We sat and ate and watched the occasional hiker come around the bend of the path.

We wondered at this view: Usually aspen begin their color change up high and the colors ease from green to yellow down to the valley floor.

Here the aspen green was up high and the yellow down below.

Patchwork colors with the red oaks nearly spent, muted due to rain and some snow the previous weekend.

No complaints from us.

In fact we just marveled at the beauty around us and agreed that living here was simply amazing right now.