After a quick breakfast at chilly Cave Springs Campground, I arrived at Call 'O The Canyon a little after 9 a.m., pleased to see plenty of parking spaces available since it was all full when I drove by the previous afternoon. Went through the usual pre-hike ritual, geared up, ... and found that I had forgotten my camera back in the tent - my camera, of all things! Luckily I was camped close by, and after a hasty drive back up the hill, I was once again ready to hit the trail around 9:30 ...
This was the first time I have done this hike during the peak of fall colors, and it did not disapoint! I think that that much beauty - all those gorgeous colors, the sound of the creek, plus the sunlight flickering through the trees and the leaves falling all around - could be seizure-inducing. It was almost too much to take.
Of course, there were a ton of people - but who could blame them all for flocking in to experience the spectacle - and therefore the only animals I saw were one squirrel, one chipmunk, and one acorn woodpecker, and a few lizards ...
Met some friendly, happy people along the way - along with a few unfriendly jerks.
Chatted a bit with the handsome, polite young man from the Forest Service who was chopping up a big tree that fell across the trail near the end. Took a photo of him at work, but I forgot to change my settings for the day's only action shot, so it came out blurry.
Made it to the end of the official trail, and waded/tip-toed along the edge a little further to enjoy my lunch in privacy.
Word of thanks to the few people who I saw with leashed dogs ... don't understand why it seems to be so hard for the majority of dog owners to follow the rules!