Adirondack High Peaks in Autumn

Upon hearing that there had been freezing temperatures in the Adirondack Mountain high peaks region in the third week of September, I got the lust to photograph there.  Here is a summary of what I found.

It was a beautiful day when I arrived around midday.

Connery Pond near Lake Placid- panorama using iPhone 5S

In the later afternoon, I hiked 1/2 mile into Round Pond off NY 73, near Keene Valley. The trail in had some nice asters and golden birch trees.

The day was mostly calm, so reflections at Round Pond were nice.

Love the play of glacial boulders and colorful trees at the pond.

As the light faded, beavers appeared. I needed my headlamp to see the trail back to the car.  I decided to return there in the morning.  There was more to see.

In the morning, I discovered another small pond nearby.  It, too, was colorful.

As you can tell, reflections add a lot to an image. They create two levels to explore.

After a hearty lunch (and lots of coffee) at the Noon Mark Cafe in Keene Valley, I explored a bit before an evening climb of Owl's Head for a panoramic view of the mountains and valleys. This is a shadowy self portrait.

The trees atop Owl's Head must stand against some pretty hard winds and cold.

Naturally, the blue skies faded as the sun dropped behind the mountains.

I had saved the most strenuous outing for the next morning.  My goal was the Ausable River below the Lower Ausable Dam.  Leaving the private access road onto the trail towards Gothics, I first found the foot bridge across the river. It is a beautiful setting.

Looking upriver is a nice view of a distant mountain and the warm reflection of fall colors.

Spent nearly an hour at the bridge before taking the trail up the east side of the river. 

I try to see both the big picture and the more intimate one.  Found this. Wow!

And found this, too.

 

 Now is when I say something like ".. when I reflect on my day..."

 

All puns aside, there can be a lot of experimenting with a scene before the composition works.  I was away from the car for a little over five hours and hiked maybe 8 miles.  That's a pretty slow pace, and indicative of how long I was working a scene for the right color and composition.  The less I hurry, the more I see.

I hope this inspires you to look outside and to slow down and really see.

Paul Schmitt