Lincoln National Forest, Fall Color Hike - Upper San Andres Canyon ( FT 125 )

  We went back out to  Upper San Andres and this time we timed it right. The ashes, oaks and maples had turned  and will probably peak this week.  It's a long and bumpy ride on the Westside Road ( FR 90 ) to get to the trail head, and anytime of year, it's worth it, but this year I was determined to catch what I knew would be a spectacular fall color display. The intense sun  at nearly 8,000 feet on this cloudless fall day made the reds, yellows, pinks and even the browns glow. Oak leaves twisted and drifted to ground in the light breezes that blew most of the couple of hours we were out there.

Although the first part of this trail up to the old homestead site ( the house ruins now lie in the  creek) is an old road, it appears to receive very little ATV or motorcycle use unlike the horrendously eroded Heart Attack Trail a couple of miles away. 

 Large trees across the path in several places probably have discouraged vehicle use as well, and if I were in charge I would just leave them where they lie. Past the ponds ( which were a bit low) and the spring that feeds them ( which was just a trickle) the trail becomes a true single track beneath tall oaks ( a few of impressive girth) and conifers.

 Soon after, the drainage narrows and the maples take over. Once the trail began to climb steeply out of the shady and cool watercourse, we elected to turn around and explore the dense maple area.

We had our picnic  under some oaks growing tall to reach the sun, and then lay on our backs to watch the leaves drifting down.