#fall hiking

I found a hiking spot at the edge of gold country that in the Fall is so gorgeous. Nestled on the west side of Lake Natoma in Fair Oaks, the Middleridge Trail is only about 2 miles but it has a stunning view of the lake and foothills. It’s not really out in the wilderness but for a suburbs trail right near housing it is pretty great. Oak trees line the trail that winds along a hill and at the top is a breathtaking view of the oak trees nestled in by the bright blue water. These photos were taken in November of 2020 and they are making me extra excited for the upcoming fall months ahead of us.

Early morning hikes around Folsom Lake are such a treat. Last October I took my puppy for a quick hike around the Granite Bay side of the lake for some fantastic exploring. We loved seeing a new side of the lake with it’s gorgeous oak trees and grassy golden fields. Exploring the lake in the late autumn and winter really allows you to see the beauty of the structure of the trees and landscape. The leaves have all fallen away and what is left brings a distinctive gentleness that I love and appreciate.

After so many months of not being able to hike in the mountains, I am really getting excited to get back in the elevation. On one of my last hikes in the mountains I took my drone, Sparky, for a flight (which did end in a bloody drone accident) and captured these gorgeous photos along the Lake Margaret Trail. Fall color was almost in peak which made the lake even prettier. While this trail is one of my favorites, it is even cooler to see it from the sky.

Autumn in gold country is full of gorgeous gold color in the trees. The end of the season was coming so I headed out in Placer County to Auburn State Recreation Area for a long afternoon hike on the Robbie Point Firebreak Trail. This trail goes along the North Fork of the American River which I have only recently started exploring more. And while it looks fairly similar to the South Fork, the elevation is higher so we got to see more pine trees along the trail.  

In other news, today is the six year anniversary of the start of this blog. So thank you to all the followers both new and old for exploring California with me. 

Autumn in the sierra nevadas is just spectacular. It happens much earlier than down in the foothills and the valley but it is so worth the time and travel to explore the beautiful groves of aspen trees. Early to mid October is peak season for these trees and this year, I went to some new places to explore. We had been to Lake Margaret over the summer and decided it would be fun to do the hike again in autumn to see the aspens. And while some spots were past peak and some would be peak in another week, it was so wonderful to get away from the road and see the aspens back in the forests. The trails were busy with chipmunks preparing for winter and birds flying around. The gentle wind rustles the aspen trees and makes the chilly morning all the more spectacular.

The middle of autumn in gold country is not necessarily very colorful in appearance. At Folsom Lake the water is low, the trees are barley green, and the grass is light brown. I went on a new hike this week from Red Bank to Brown’s Ravine which went along the southwestern part of the lake. Early in the morning, the sun was peaking through the oak and pine trees along this trail. The deer, squirrels, and birds were busy with the morning work. Winter is starting to approach at the lake and I am excited to continue exploring new parts in gold country in the upcoming months. 

I’m working on hiking in lots of new places that are close to home and am excited to be more of a tourist in my own area. This spot is along the American River at Lake Natoma in Fair Oaks. It really is right on the edge of gold country but I felt the landscape fit more with the oaks of the foothills than the valley. And while this was a short hike we went on, the view at the top of the lake was spectacular. I’ve driven by this area lots but never thought I could go hike there. It’s relatively close to other parts of the American River I’ve hiked lots at but the landscape is totally different, just oak trees and grass up along the ridge.