LEAF PEEPING IN BOZEMAN, MONTANA

I'm off again, this time to the Rockies and Bozeman, Montana, to see the beautiful fall colors. One thing I miss living in the south - the beautiful fall colors that each autumn brings to the West and New England.  

But imagine my surprise when I look out the window of the plane and see a heavy snow cover not only on mountain tops, but on the fields and valleys in and around Bozeman!  Did I bring enough warm clothes?

One thing I have learned about fall in the West is that it can snow one morning and then the sun comes out and melts the snow. This is good and bad, because it make my hikes a little muddy.  Nonetheless, the hiking and biking through the yellow aspens and red maples is spectacular.

What can be better than looking out over the local scenery and seeing these beautiful colors with a background of snow capped mountains?  This is a beautiful time of year in Bozeman.  Fly fishing, biking, hiking are wonderful.  It is cool but the skies are bright blue and contrast so beautifully with the yellow leaves.

Remember when you were little and jumped in piles of raked leaves (maybe you still do)?  Here the streets are covered with a carpet of leaves and the local children are just ecstatic jumping and running through the leaves.  Halloween is not far away and this crisp fall weather makes me remember when I was young doing the same things.  

Again it is snowing....but as I never see snow....I love it.  Tiny small flakes dust the trees and the lawns but before long, out comes the sun and the snow has turned to glistening water drops on everything. I am off on a hike today through the woods.  It is harvesting season for the bears so have to carry my bear spray with me just in case.

Tomorrow I am off to Yellowstone only one hour away to see the real thing I hope....grizzlies maybe? Also it has been severall years since I have seen Old Faithful which I understand is not so faithful any more.  Now  blowing it's top every 90 minutes (+/- 10 minutes per the sign), this huge underground volcano has not erupted for thousands of years.  The new Visitor Center gives the history of Old Faithful and other geysers around the world.  It is a beautiful new building with excellent information on all things geothermal

The grizzlies are not there (I see more bears  -Black Bears- in Florida)  nor  other animals. In any case, Old Faithful and the surrounding thermal pools are beautiful.....a great way to end my weekend in Bozeman.  So many more things to do and not enough time!  I will be back next year!