Fall in the High Country

View from our side yard

It was 56F when Dr. K, Becca and I started our high-mountain trek on the Osha Trail this morning.  At times--with a breeze--it felt rather chilly.  I never donned a jacket, though, And Dr. K wore hers only at the beginning of the hike.  We had a weird thing happen as we climbed the first leg of the trail to the high loop, something I can't ever remember happening with any of the other dogs we've had:  two separate times a Yellow Jacket wasp landed on Becca's coat and each time acted as if it was trying to burrow into the fur.  Both times I had to aggressively brush the insect away.  Dr. K and I worried it might happen again when we descended toward the trailhead, but, fortunately, the insects left Becca alone on the way down.

Inactive lounge chairs

Last of the Mullein

Up the first leg of the Osha Trail

First sign of autumn

Blown away--not!

Aster

Good place to rest and drink water

Onto the shady side of the mountain

There ought to be some sunlight up ahead

Sunshine breaks through the tree canopy

Self explanatory

Small stand of young Aspens

Helianthus

Skyrocket Gilia

Quite of few of these un-IDd flowers had only four petals

Looking up a tall pine

Another of the four-petal flowers

Blueberry Elder

Local color

More local color at 9,000 feet

Green to yellow change

I think there are some maple leaves there

Nature's Jackson Pollock

Almost red

Looks like a type of Four O'Clock

Thistley Tython

Dr. K doing a poor job as leader of the pack