Late fall is one of my favorite times to get myself “lost” in our backyard. The trails are less crowded (a relative phrase for the long-timers to the area), and there is a sense of tranquility unlike the seeming “hustle and bustle” of summer activity among the wildlife. It’s almost as though the land and its wild inhabitants are taking a peaceful rest before winter’s blanket covers the land. Also the “W” (that which we don’t speak the name thereof) makes for not so enjoyable outings.

The squirrels and chipmunks spend their days doing their last bit of foraging and eating. Usually heard high in the trees chattering scoldings and warnings to the rest of the woodland creatures, they are now found on the ground fattening up themselves and their food stores with the last bits of unspoiled pinecones, desiccated mushrooms and autumn berry harvests. A feast of the final abundance of the forest before old man winter arrives.

I often find myself meandering off trail, following the creeks and waterways as they wend their way through the wood. While I enjoy a creekside stroll any time of the year, the calm, steady trickle of the autumn waters has a very peaceful feel as opposed to the heavier runs of summer and the grand torrents of the late-spring melt run-off.

Accessing the waterways can often take a bit of work, as they can become well overgrown with plants enjoying proximity to a regular cool drink, but the rewards are beyond worth the effort. As I sit by the water’s edge, I find solace in the meditations of the slower flows carrying the last leaves of autumn reds, oranges and golds downstream, and can easily be lulled into a restful daydreaming nap.

The spot in this week’s image is not as much off the beaten path as other favorite areas, but it is only easily accessed in the fall. Most of us know Hessie Falls quite well, as it roars trail-side on the relatively easy hike up to Lost Lake. As the melt begins, the creek swells to a violent cataract, and the spot where I took this image is inundated. Once the melt subsides in July and into August, there is still enough flow to make the spot dangerous at best to access. It is only in the fall when the waters slow enough to a near trickle that the way down becomes amiable.

For the photography enthusiasts out there, the image belies the trickle, as I used a slow shutter speed to capture more of the water coming down in a single frame than seems “natural.” As a bit of a tip, one will either need a tripod or a steady place to set the camera down and use a remote shutter trigger or timer to fire the shutter. You will want to use an aperture of around f/14 or greater to help out the longer shutter speed and create the “drag” or “silk” of the water flows. In this case, the aperture was at f/22 with a 2-second shutter speed. In this particular shot I hadn’t used a graduated filter so I lost some details in the sky, but now I digress into photo geek-dom.

Whether you are a photo enthusiast, or you simply want a nice, quiet place to sit among the rocks and the waters and think, this is a beautiful spot to bring it all together. It also has the bonus of the fact that the tucked away nook takes a little scramble to get to, and once there you are typically not seen by passers-by stopping at the falls before continuing to Lost Lake or the Devils Thumb trails.

Always use caution, as the rocks may be slippery, and while the waters might not be enough for danger, one would not want to take a tumble down the log-strewn descent of the falls.

The next time you find yourself out on a chilled November walkabout in our beautiful backyard, veer your footsteps off the path a little bit, and find yourself a private little clearing along the banks of one of our cool mountain trickles. It may take a bit of work, but I hope you find your way to a tucked away spot to ponder your thoughts, find your place of peace and forget about the ails of the human world. Immersing yourself in the tranquility of autumn’s peace in the forest is a wonderful way to soak in the last creekside meditations before the waters freeze and winter’s blanket covers the land.

For additional information about James DeWalt Photography, check out https:// jamesdewaltphotography.com.