Fall is my favorite time of the year.

Hands down.

So, anything outdoors that we choose to do always makes me happy in my heart and springy in my steps. 

Needless to say, a good hike in autumn weather is the inspiration my soul needs after a long hot, humid summer.

This was our day to hike to Leigh Lake.

We began our trek around 11:30 AM. 

Immediately, the views were amazing.

The temps were in the 50’s the first start of the hike and the air was clean and crisp.

Armed with a can of bear spray and our gear, we trotted off to adventure.

I found myself wanting to take every angle I saw.

There is something spectacular about seeing the mountains reach all the way down and touch the water.

Not only that, every layer of mountain peak seemed to be a different color.

Fall foliage of mustard yellow and burnt orange gently decorated the landscape in all directions.

The trail was quiet and speckled with recent horse droppings.  

That seemed to comfort my inner concern of a big, burly grizz or black bear crossing our path.

Dewayne and I made sure we talked above our normal level of banter.....making sure we made enough noise, I would hum really loud and he would laugh and ask me if I was okay.......he was no dummy.....he knew I was a bit uptight.

I wanted to see a bear....but, not today...not on this path.

It would be waaaayyyyyyy to close for comfort.

Along String Lake to Leigh Lake we walked.  It was a little over a mile.

Every now and then, a big boulder would appear in the water.

Eagles would soar by while they fished for lunch.

The water was aqua blue and was clearest near the banks when the light hit it just right.

Mount Moran came clear into view and my heart skipped a beat. 

Moran is my favorite in the whole range in the Tetons.

I can’t say why......because I don’t know why. 

But, I’m not the only one that favors Moran. Others have expressed their favoritism for this peak as well.

Finally, we made it to Leigh Lake.

The signs were a little confusing, and at one point we passed a couple carrying a canoe down the trail.

I thought it was strange unless we were close......because I wondered why they would carry something that big all the way down the trail.

Leigh Lake has a couple of small islands. The above photo is one of them.   There was actually another shot I had in mind, but, we were a little tired and had other places to be that afternoon......like checking on the moose situation in the park.  So, we didn’t venture any further than the spot down at the water we stopped to rest at.

Dewayne is the videographer . He keeps up with the new gear that comes out.  

He is always trying to convince me to make sure to let him take my photo or one of us together to document.  My focus is usually on everything else around me that I don’t like to take the time to stop and smile at the camera. Ha. So, I take time to include him in my landscape.

In the above shot, Dewayne actually took the camera from me and made me sit still long enough and smile.  To be honest, I’m usaually behind the camera so, I tell everyone else what to do.  I struggle with the job of having my own photo taken. 

I’ve always shied away from being the center of attention. It makes me nervous or something. Ha

Several people were coming and going at the spot we chose to rest at. Some were doing the usual traveler thing, stopping for selfies or just to sit a while. Others, such as the person in the photo above were trying to capture the whole idea of being able to see the straight to the bottom of the lake with their cell phones.

I wonder how those pictures turned out.  ??

I looked across the lake and spotted this line of rocks and the red foliage and couldn’t leave without capturing what I could with my camera. It was such a beautiful contrast.

Well, it was time to get up and get to walking back towards the car.  For some reason all I could think about was a bear crossing our path ....but, I took a deep breath and ......really can’t remember.  Probably ate a piece of chocolate.  

Hiking is what we do.  

We aren’t extreme hikers...but, we do enjoy a few miles of scenery under our feet when the opportunity allows...and of course the weather.

We started this hike with coats on and mid-way shed them. But, when we returned to the car, the coats were being put back on because the wind had picked up and the weather was starting to change. 

If I recall, there was snow in the forecast for the following morning. 

Our plans were to hit as many trails as possible.

We left the parking lot and drove over to Jenny Lake lookout.

That same afternoon, we stood for 3 hours waiting on a bull moose to get up from his nap so we, and about 30 other photographers could take his portrait.

Happy Trails to You!

Over and out,

Mrs. Rogers