New England Hues

We set out to explore Mount Cardigan Saturday morning - just in time to catch the flaming hues of the New Hampshire foliage this season. The wet, wooded trail was gorgeously colorful. The 360° view from the bare, treeless summit was breathtaking. As we squelched our way to the open summit, the gusty wind picked up speed till it felt strong enough to blow us away. An approaching shower of rain appeared to close in on us. We took shelter underneath the fire tower on the summit. Even as we stood there trying to keep our camera lenses dry and our fingers from freezing, we saw one end of a rainbow emerge. The colors emboldened, and, once the skies cleared, we could see the complete bow clearly for a few moments. To our utter surprise, in some more time, we saws hints of a second bow: a double rainbow! Of course photos can never do justice. But here are some imperfect glimpses of this perfectly wonderful adventure!

The trail starts. The forest floor is seemingly strewn with candy bits.

The hues changed from red to yellow/orange as we climbed up.

We came across a number of brooks and cascades on our way. The trail was sylvan and scenic - mostly rocky and occasionally muddy (from recent bouts of rain). 

View from near the summit: rural New Hampshire resplendent with bright colors of fall in the foreground and the White Mountains in the background

Bare granite on the way to the treeless summit. Most of the summit vegetation was destroyed in forest fires in 1855.

Alpine scrub and bright red berries on the granite

Suddenly the weather changes. Wind and rain swiftly close in on us.

A double rainbow emerges as the sky clears.

Toadstools on the way down

Colors and patterns - a log with with its spotted white bark wearing off, a textured rock face lined brightly with moss, and dry leaves (some bright red on one side and delightfully pink on the flip side) carpeting the forest floor. This happens to be one of my favorite captures.