Aspen season when the Aspens turn to gold just dos not last too long in the high country.  After being gone a few days even I was surprised this morning to find just how many bare trees there are up Horse Creek.  Only those sheltered from the wind hold onto their dress of yellow and orange.  And proudly do so.

It is unusual in our area to have red and orange colors in Aspens but this one little spot just east of Dubois is one of those places.  Contrasting with the Pines and other yellow Aspens they are a delight.

The incredible colors of Spread Creek.

The Wind River just east of Dubois flows along the edge of the "Badlands".  Made even more spectacular by the changing of the season heightened by the late afternoon sun shining through scattered cloud cover.

My kinda road.  A little bumpy at times and even Rock and Rollish but the sights you see.  O K  This one is pretty good.

This morning high clouds have moved into our area and along with the area smoke has created what I refer to as a clously day.  Even so the colors along Jakeys Fork this morning made even a "clousy" day most beautiful.

A nice grizzly track on the Burroughs Creek trail with a dime dropped in for size comparison.

Makes one respectful of his presence.

The trail going up Burroughs creek begins as a pleasant walk through the woods that abruptly turns steeply northward up a side canyon.  Livestock use it in trailing into the high country.  Going on up Burroughs Creek becomes a climb over deadfall, steep drop offs and boulders.  

In its boistrous journey downstream, Burroughs Creek is a picture of pure wildness of beauty.

On our hike yesterday we did find a large grizzly track reminding us that livestock and my self are not the only ones who use this trail. 

The eerie light cast on a forest pond from the area forest fires smoke near sundown.  A lone mallard hen sits placidly upon the water occasionally lifting onto its tail and beating its wings in a flurry of motion then settles once again drifting on the water.

I have seen more of these birds than I have in years.  This Blue Grouse stayed around for three photos before bolting into a high Spruce tree out of my sight then clucking away as if she had pulled a fast one on me.

I have been working pretty diligently on a book I am illustrating on Western Wildlife and needed a break yesterday about 4:00 so took off and spent an hour plus hiking through an Aspen forest carpeted in gold and all the other hues of fall.  Marred only by the heavy smoke form the Buffalo Fork fire some 50 miles to the west of us.  Even the sun was reduced to a misty orange ball in the sky.

The time was well spent for rejuvenation.

As night begins its decention across the valley floor of Jackson Hole a last light thundercloud drifts across the valley.  Promises of rain that did not happen.  

Maybe next time.

After spending the past several days doing the art events and quick-drae in Jackson and a couple of days with our daughter in Kemmerer we are on our way home stopping in Jackson and picking up a few groceries and a broasted chicken we pulled off on the Lost Creek Ranch and into an Aspen grove full of color in the descending darkness with a little storm coming from behind the Tetons we had dinner on the tailgate of the pickup

The coffee shop was pretty full yesterday morning so when Les came in I suggested we go for a little ride.  Les always up for one of my outdoor adventures was ready and willing.  By the time we hit the end of sane travelers on Brent Creek I decided to venture into 4-wheel country and try for the Burroughs Creek road.  It has been 30 years since I have been on this road and time and erosion have had their way with the country.  It was a harrowing 2 hours later when we hit Burroughs Creek.  A rough enough road but a piece of cake compared with what we went through.  Les at one point even walking down a hill to watch me manuever over steep steps to descend.  It was one of those roads where it is easier to continue on just because you did not want to go through what you just did.

But the scenery at near timberline was magnificently beautiful such as this scene of this little lake at the base of the Ramshorn.  Ice ringed and ;meadows full of heavy frost, the morning was marred only by the smoke from the Buffalo Fork fire that really boiled up the evening before.  If it was not for that we could have seen the Tetons to the west.  We only ran into a single 5 point bull elk who watched us momentarily befor dissapearing like a ghost into the forest.

It continues so very dry.  We have three large fires burning in our area.  One of them that prompted a warning of evacuation in the town of Jackson.  Scarey times for those folks.  A 4th fire in Central Wyoming has taken out a lot of the east side of Casper Mountain.  Last night in Dubois clouds of smoke settled back into the upper Wind River valley from the Buffalo Fork fire NW of us.  Ash fell onto the town.  

It is still a pleasant surprise to stumble onto a spring such as this with its freshness.  It is like an oasis in the dryness and the changing of colors surrounding.

In the past several days I have posted a few photos of the Leidy Peak highlands and the headwaters of Spread Creek.  This is a view of Leidy Peak itself from the Oxbow on the Snake River in Jackson Hole.

The wild Geraniums have given up on the hot dry summer.

And yet in doing so they leave the moutain floor carpeted in red and gold for a mountain wanderer such as myself a colorful path to walk upon.

In the Leidy Peak highlands.  A land of beautiful streams. mountain meadows and deep forest.  Home to many species of wildlife.  Large and small.  Coming upon very fresh bear droppings reminds me that extreme caution is the word of the morning.

Yesterday I had to go to Jackson where I participated in the GRAND TETON GALLERY as a featured artist and spent the day demonstrating my technique of Gouache Painting.

I had not been into the Spread Creek area all summer and with that in mind I left quite early to do so on the way.  A heavy frost covered the area and sparkled with a crispness on the face that can only mean summer is definitely over.  The willows are fast changing colors and the beaver ponds on Spread Creek were teeming with bird life such as the Golden Eye ducks seem in this pond.  The Tetons reared up  on the western horizon over dark forests of Pine, Spruce and Fir.  

What a great way to begin the day.

Beautiful waters.  Changing colors of fall in the grasses.  A forest and a rock slide in the background.  A beautiful scene only interrupted by a fierce wind blowing.

This fellow walked across my yard this morning and entered the river wading upstream befor I could retrieve my camera.  I did manage a few shots of him as he went to browsing his breakfast on willow leaves from the rivers edge.

The sun has dropped behind the horizon and the last light of the day casts itself across the upper face of Mt Moran.  Though heightened by the regions fires it is non the less absolutely pure beauty.

On the Lewis River at about 4 PM.  So quiet and calm.  Complete tranquility.  No Democrats.  No Republicans.  Did I mention tranquility

It definitely seems way to early for the trees to be changing but a few Aspen groves are doing just that.  This one at Christian Ponds in Jackson Hole catching the last of the days sun.

Vicki and I ran across this fellow towards sunset busily digging up roots and devouring them in a small horse pasture near the Buffalo River  A beautiful silvertipped body.  A classic looking grizzly. 

I return year after year to the Parque Creek meadows north of Dubois.  Frost from the evening is burning off with the rising sun as soon as its rays touch grass and logs.  The air is crisp and the views simply outstanding.  I can smell elk back in the timber but see none..