Free Falling #15045

The Story

As a single golden maple leaf falls across the clear blue sky, a two-lane mountain road weaves its way through the dense forest. The sun brightens the big bank of even more gold and orange maple leaves waiting to fall. Still in faded green, the tall oak trees still await their showtime.

All along this four mile road, there were spots where the fall color would jump right out in vivid yellow, orange, and reds. There were also trees that had gone into the rare orange tinted with pink, one of the most vibrant colors nature can produce. On this Autumn day, some maples had gone to scarlet red, another color not often seen.

There were hardly any cars to dodge as traffic is low along this twisting shortcut mountain road. Nevertheless, I kept my ears working to hear any cars coming as I worked back and forth across the road for the best angle. Aside from my own safety, I didn’t want to surprise any drivers coming around a bend to find me in the road, miles from anywhere.

Autumn in Pennsylvania can be very scenic with many good drives to take through the colorful leaf season. If you search them out, higher mountain roads can be the most dramatic as seen here. These old two-lane blacktop roads out through the woods are the best bet for a good sightseeing adventure on a beautiful Fall day.

Another picture to see of dramatic foliage featuring sugar maples in yellow, this time featuring railroad tracks instead of a mountain road, is Light Tunnel #13707.

Location: outdoor central Pennsylvania along Blacksnake Road in Blair County, near Altoona. Picture and text © Andrew Dierks