On Monday, September 19, I walked up to the backside of Pajarito Mountain on the Zero Road East from the Pajarito Mountain Ski Lodge. It was one of those heartbreakingly beautiful fall days.
Ski area was working to get Lone Spruce chair lift cables up and put lift in working order. The cables fell to the ground during this summer's Las Conchas fire. After our very long monsoon, with regular afternoon and/or evening rains, it was wonderfully relaxing to enjoy a sunny day with turquoise blue skies. There were some layered clouds and even though the clouds had dark bottoms, there was no vertical growth.
Saw pancake mushrooms 8" in diameter, couple of puffballs, golden eye, a few harebells, couple of lonely wallflowers along road bank, mullein stalks on ski slopes, pale pink wild germanium, Indian paintbrush, stubby remains of fireweed, thistles gone to seed, camas gone to seed with purplish stems, red clover, yarrow, dandelions, erigeron, asters, both yellow and purple. The sunny brilliance of the colors was amazing! The evergreens at the back of the mountain were a darker green color than I had ever seen them. I looked hard at the meadow of grass and evergreens, trying to conjure up a bear. Although the aspen leaves had not yet begun to change colors, a few had yellowed and fell and looked so pretty. I don't know why but it's a blessing to look upon a golden aspen leaf!
All my thought were not sweetness and light: Not too long ago, the death camas were blooming strongly on the mountain (the fireweed too) but now, they are all closing down, getting ready for winter.
I need to carry my windbreaker next time. At the top, to warm up and dry my sweaty shirt, I tucked my pant legs into my socks, put a red handkerchief around my neck and buttoned up my outer shirt.