A Fall Favorite

On Saturday, I visited one of my favorite fall hikes: Hope and Mig Lakes via the Tunnel Creek trail. I missed last year due to smoke from the Bolt Creek fire, but I try to come every fall. The Tunnel Creek trail to Hope Lake is steep-ish and a bit rough, but pretty short, with some some nice forested scenery. The trail between Hope and Mig Lakes is much smoother (it's technically a part of the PCT), and breaks out into open areas with spectacular fall color.

First, an image showcasing the intense fall colors of the ground cover near Mig Lake. F/14.

Next, Mig Lake. When I was taking this picture, I was concerned that the contrast would be too high, but I think it came together. I like how the reflections sort of frame the fall colors in the foreground. F/18.

Here's another view of Mig Lake. The peak in the background is the most prominent landform visible from either Hope or Mig (it isn't named on the map I have). Perhaps that partially explains the relatively light visitation - you don't have the jaw-dropping views of cliffs and peaks that you get from crowded lakes like Snow Lake, Lake Twenty-Two, Colchuck, etc. But I think Mig Lake has a different kind of beauty, and I really appreciate the solitude. F/13.

Next, Hope Lake. Its shores are more wooded than those of Mig Lake, but there are still a few spots to get a nice view. F/16.

Lastly, a view from the Tunnel Creek trail, with colorful vine maple leaves in the foreground. The contrast is a bit high, and I had to boost the ISO to get a shutter speed short enough to freeze the leaves, so the image quality suffered a bit. The image would probably be okay at standard print sizes, but it isn't a prize winner. F/16.