I don’t know what heals us. Maybe it is time, or the woods, or simply the reminder that the world goes on being beautiful whether or not we are ready to look. I only know I walked out of Winona lighter than I walked in.
Finding the perfect time to see the changing leaves of the Adirondack Park requires some finesse. Not every weekend allows for the drive. If the goal is photographing in the High Peaks area, located on the opposite side of the park from where I live, that is best accomplished over two days. The sun brings out the best of the autumn colors, so questionable fall weather also cuts down the number of ideal weekend opportunities. And there is always the point at which the wind and rain manage to strip the trees of their color, leaving us with something between brown and black, the opposite of what I came to photograph. But getting outside the house and inside the Adirondack Park is an excellent experience no matter the season. Roads of dirt or hard-packed snow make the experience even more compelling.
This past weekend was a shorter trip. The Stillwater-Big Moose Road offered dirt for the Subaru, foliage for the handheld and drone cameras, and water for some reflections and added scenery. The water in the Stillwater Reservoir was quite low, which made for some interesting photographs and hiking in places that normally would only be accessible by boat. It wasn’t the High Peaks weekend I had been waiting for, but a dirt road, a half-empty reservoir, and a few hours of sun gave me more than enough.
All of these photographs were captured with the drone, a DJI Mini 5 Pro. The launch point was 43.85943° N, 75.00660° W.
My Dad’s favorite season was Fall. He always saw the good in things, so I’d be reluctant to argue with his choice. On this particular morning, Fall was going out of its way to be good and beautiful, and snapping photographs along the way was a delightful disruption of the daily commute. Even a line of transmission towers had turned to gold in the first light. He would have seen the good in that, too.
The Finger Lakes region has a way of hiding its best moments just off the main road—you simply have to be willing to wander a bit to find them.
Autumn was settling in when we visited here in early October of 2022. The trees were beginning their quiet annual negotiation: each leaf slowly sealing itself off at the stem, an invisible abscission layer cutting it free from the branch that fed it all Summer. The result is the show we wait for all year—chlorophyll fading to reveal the golds, ambers, and rust-reds that were hiding underneath all along. It’s less an ending than an unveiling, and it’s reason enough to slow the car down and just look.
