During the last few hikes I have been enjoying the fall colours of the larch trees, one of the few coniferous trees that change colour and lose their needles in the fall. To save nutrients for later, the plant turn colour in the fall as the days get shorter and the temperatures started cooling. The part in the needles that photosynthesize or another way to put it, create sugars from carbon dioxide, water and sunlight. Starts to break up and the chemicals get stored in the tree. At this time the needles become beautiful golden yellow. This fall with the added bonus of few early snowfalls in the mountains, the larch trees were sparking under the sun.
Larch Tree
The larch trees are showing their fall colours. On a hike in the Moraine Lake area there was snow to deal with to see the larch trees. The morning started with dark overcast sky, looking as if more snow was going to fall, in the end few snowflakes fell before the clouds gave way for the light to come through. But as I was returning to the parking lots when I took this pictures, the clouds were back again.
Larch Valley
We seem to spend too much time thinking about what we don't have and less time about what we do have. Having grown up in Ontario, I often think about the beautiful fall colours created by the maple leaf trees in the east. But having spend a day in the Larch Valley with friends hiking, beautiful golden coloured Larch Trees surrounded by snow covered mountains. I was in the right place. As beauty is created by nature in the east, different but just as unique beauty is created by nature in the Rockies Mountians.
Literally hundreds were out on the Larch Valley trail, taking in the fall colours on a sunny day in the Rockies. That with friends and chocolate, what else one can want on a great fall day.
Until next moment,
Amar
