Ever get tired of hearing about New England's fancy fall foliage? Ooh, colors. Wee. We don't have that, but I'll just get a box of crayons and be good. I honestly don't feel we're missing much because those trees, however pretty they may or may not be, aren't in the mountains. No mountains, no love.
The fancy fall foliage in the PNW is better. We have the larch. (You know, No. 1; The Larch.) Beautiful golden needles on coniferous trees way, way up in the mountains. If they're backlit by blue skies and standing above a snowy ground it's even better.
It's no wonder everyone in the Northwest turned up to view the trees. What might be surprising is they were willing to drive the 10 miles of gravel roads or hike the eight miles to the lake and back. It was great to see the larches attracted everyone from the first-time hikers sliding on the ice to the over-prepared weekend warriors.
The larches began at the edge of the Wilderness and filled the valley in pockets on the rock. Our actual destination didn't have many larches nearby, but it had amazing views. It was exactly the kind of spot you'd hope everyone would get to visit and the kind of place the best of us would help make accessible for everyone.
Even though the hike out was full of trail runners blasting past us, big groups of hikers bumping up against the maximum party size, and brand new hikers slipping and sliding on the ice and mud, it was a good day to be in the mountains and on the trail. Had I been just about anywhere else, the crowds would have driven me crazy, but with larches all around it seemed it was right there should be such enthusiasm for the outdoors.
