Page 31 - Volume 3 - Walks In The Black Range

Three Views of the Trail (October)
To the right, the trail near the top of the first hill south of the cabin. This is one of the rockier portions of the trail but is easy to walk. The trail passes through a mixture of habitats, sometimes evergreens dominate, sometimes Aspen.
Above, looking down the trail and into McKnight Canyon below. This photograph is about half way along the route described. After walking through Aspen groves you suddenly face a vast vista to the west.
The photograph to the right was taken along the trail near the summit of McKnight Mountain. Farther along this section, the Aspen became even more prolific and their yellow leaves covered the trail, making it somewhat slick but a joy to walk on - each step bring a flash of sound of rustling leaves. In October, there is often a breeze (sometimes wind) in
this area. As a result, the view skyward is full of shimmering (dare I say quaking) yellow leaves and the ground is covered with a confusion of shadows refusing to remain static, making the reds and greens of the plants flash into and out of view, the yellow of the Aspen forming a background of yellow, sometimes in matte and sometime in gloss. It is a startling beautiful scene which I am ill equipped to capture in image.