Exploding Fall Color
After knocking out two North Country Trail hikes on Tuesday and Wednesday last week, we decided to get out on the trail again on Thursday to see the progression of the fall color. This time we drove out south of Alston to pick up the trail from South Laird Road heading eastward toward Boulder Creek and the Silver River.
A short distance from this trailhead the trail passes along the north side of a large beaver pond. As I quietly approached its edge, I spied a beaver making its way toward the lodge. Before I could click a photograph, the beaver noted my presence, slapped its tail on the surface, and disappeared underwater.
After skirting an arm of the beaver pond over this short boardwalk, the trail heads into the woods and makes its way toward Boulder Creek.
The creek was easily forded on this day. If you hike this segment after a decent rain or in the spring, you should plan on getting wet. After crossing the creek, the area between the crossing and the Silver River is beautiful, mature hemlock forest. It is one of my favorite places within the Peter Wolfe Chapter.
After crossing through the forest and reaching the Silver River, we decided to take off our boots to go wading in the sandy-bottomed stream. The surprisingly warm 80 degree late September afternoon provided great conditions for such a side adventure.
After continuing the hike beyond the Silver River, we encountered a steep climb out of the river valley and continued through the woods until we reached the Forest Service Road just south of Silver Mountain. We turned back at this point and re-traced our steps to the trailhead to complete this just over four-mile hike. I did not see the beaver as we passed the pond, but did catch this shot of a kingfisher perched on a dead tree in the pond.
You can see my GoPro video from this hike on the Remote Workforce Keweenaw YouTube channel at this link:
On Friday we were back on the North Country Trail. This time we returned to the Canyon Falls roadside park to hike eastward to the Humpback Bridge and back. Since our hike on Tuesday, it was like someone had flipped a switch on the trees as they exploded in fall color!
You can see my GoPro video which better conveys the blazing colors seen on this four-mile North Country Trail hike along the Sturgeon River on the Remote Workforce Keweenaw YouTube channel at this this link:
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