We couldn't have timed this one any better. The fall colors were at their peak and they were just brilliant! The canyon looked like it was on fire. We went on a Friday and got a very early start hoping to avoid some of the crowd, which we did... for a little while. It wasn't too long before busloads of people were pouring in. I started to feel like I was walking through an airport terminal. It was a real challenge to get photos that didn't have people crawling all over them. There were several groups of (wannabe?) photographers camped out at the best photo spots and hogging the entire area with their tripod set-ups and their packs of gear lying all over the place (like next to the trail so you have to step around it or on nearby rocks so it ends up in your photo). They were rather inconsiderate, as though the whole place belonged to them. I have never hiked anywhere with that many people before. I can only imagine what it must have been like there on Saturday and Sunday!

As a solitude seeker, that type of situation would ruin almost any hike. But, West Fork was so completely breathtaking that day, I barely took notice of anything else. Fall has my vote for the best time of year to visit here. So very beautiful!