Fern-Lined Path Into Sproul State Forest

The big change has come. The temperature dropped by 20 degrees between Thursday and Friday, and it suddenly feels much more like fall. My husband and I had talked about a backpacking trip over the weekend, but rain arriving overnight Friday night into Saturday convinced us to make our Friday adventures a day-trip only.

So we packed up our hiking gear and headed for Sproul State Forest. We walked in to the campsite we call Pine Glen, but only for the day, not for an overnight. First, we tried to find the little pond nearby, and we walked past it. We were looking for the glint of water, reflections of sky. But it turned out the pond was completely covered in pine needles, so it looked just like the rest of the woods. We could see why we walked on by.

Then we spent the afternoon at the campsite, sitting in our chairs. A lot of pine cones have fallen, and some sticks too. So we took a little time to do some clean-up. No telling when we might be back, but it's best to keep a campsite tidy, you know.

I also photographed the amazing collection of mushrooms that have appeared at our campsite. I am not an expert so I can't tell you exactly what kinds they were, but they were very diverse, some of them quite colorful. I did not touch any, but was down close to them with my camera, and suddenly had a reaction: about a dozen to a dozen and a half sneezes! Mushroom spores, anyone?

It felt so strange to be there without our camping equipment, but refreshing, in a way, not to be carrying so much. This was one of the little paths we walked on. There are several cabins off this road, but they are often empty, except on the weekends.

The path is lined with ferns in all colors of green and gold. Though occasional pretty yellows or oranges can be seen here and there, the trees are already mostly rather bare in this spot. I have read that the very wet weather means that in some areas, the leaves may just drop instead of changing.

The soundtrack song is all about changes. So here is David Bowie, with Changes.