forest primeval in transition

October 05, 2025 • 8 Comments

It was a perfect autumn day, crisp and cool under a deep blue sky, and the leaves on the aspen trees seemed to be turning yellow, gold, orange, and red by the minute. There were many locations in Santa Fe where a person could look to the east and see the palette. And we are not the only ones who knew it because the Aspen Vista Trail parking area was packed with cars before 10 a.m. on a Wednesday morning. With no room at the inn as it were, we revised our plan and headed to the Ski Basin and the Winsor Trail. We had not been on the trail in years. The sound of a Clark's nutcracker echoed and the Forest Primeval awaited.

The smell of moisture and organic matter from falling leaves, spruce and Douglas fir needles, mushrooms, lichen, and moss filled the cool air at 10,350 feet. It is nothing short of intoxicating. As always seems to be the case in a dry place, running water in even a small stream is a thing of beauty.

The aspen leaves dotted the ground in different colors and sizes. I could pick them all up and take them home, but unlike seashells, the leaves have a shelf life, and are best left alone to add to the primeval feel and fragrance.

Occasionally, a geranium leaf such as this one, in the midst of wild strawberries and clover, was also transitioning.

It has been damp in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains this monsoon season, which offers ideal conditions for assorted mushrooms. We encountered a man on our trip down the trail who was collecting them, showing us his basket of chanterelles. He would have known what these are, but I was collecting photographs instead.

It seems there is always a miniature scene set by nature that reminds me of an underwater collection. Lichen and moss were everywhere, but I had never seen these flared tubes or trumpets. "Pixie Cups" (Cladonia asahinae) are actually a fairly newly named species (1969), honoring the Japanese chemist and lichenologist Yasuhiko Asahina (this according to Wikipedia).

There were magnificent vistas everywhere but the one below, to me, was a bit out of the ordinary. We saw the outcropping along the Raven's Ridge Trail prior to turning toward Nambe' Lake.

As nature makes its seasonal transition, may you find many breathtaking scenes to photograph or just enjoy.

Thanks to Karla, Tim, TTT, Victoria, Terry T., Jean & Sam, and Catherine for commenting this week.

until next Monday,

a passion for the image©

Keywords: aspen leaves, blacks crossing photography, daryl a. black, landscapes, nature, new mexico, photography, pixie cup lichens, still life

Comments

Louise Watkins(non-registered)

Your photos are beautiful! What an amazing place we live in! How lucky we are to have you share its beauty. Thanks

Brenda Morgan(non-registered)

Hey Daryl,
Those photos were splendid. I so miss New Mexico. It's a good thing you can bring it to me thru email. Hope you and Fred are in good shape and ready for whatever comes next via the clown in office.

Claudia(non-registered)

My favorite time of year…just lovely!

Ingrid(non-registered)

Love all the colorful leaves and mushrooms. Of course the vista is grand

Catherine Sobredo(non-registered)

Daryl, these images are just incredibly precious. I wouldn’t know which one is my favorite. Probably the aspen leaves. So much beauty that we need to concentrate on in trying times.

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