Each year at this time I start thinking that if I could just get up above the trees the colors would be better or brighter somehow, but they never seem to be and I’ve never been really happy with any photo that I’ve taken that way. But maybe this time would be different, I hoped. The weatherman told me that we were at the peak of our fall colors, so last Saturday I decided to climb Pitcher Mountain in Stoddard to try again.
I kept seeing dark spots on the fading, pale orange striped maple leaves (Acer pensylvanicum) so I had to take a closer look. The quarter size spots were made up of many smaller specks.
I haven’t found a reference to anything similar so I can’t say what they are at this point. They looked like hardened drops of a liquid but I doubt the leaves would weep in such concentrated areas and not all over. If you know what they are I’d love to hear from you.
Something ate these little brown mushrooms and tore the stems when they did so. I’ve never seen this before and I’m not sure what animal would do it. There is everything from chipmunks to moose to bears in these woods so without tracks or other clues it’s hard to know. I do know that many kinds of little brown mushrooms can make a person very sick, and some can kill.
A pasture appears on the right side of the trail and I always stop here for a breather. The farm that owns this land raises Scottish highland cattle and my hopes of seeing them were raised by the regular snapping of an electric fence at just about knee and waist level, but the cattle never showed up. I had to pay attention so I didn’t get tangled in that fence with my metal monopod, so maybe it’s a good thing they didn’t.
The trail takes a sharp 90 degree left turn and parallels the pasture for a time. It also becomes quite rocky in this stretch. Not far after the turn, maybe a hundred feet or so, there is a break in the trees and brush to the right. If you follow this short path after just a few steps you come to a good view of Mount Monadnock on the right. And the electric fence in front of you.
The reason I chose Pitcher Mountain is because it has a full 360 degrees of viewing area on its summit. If the light is harsh in one direction as it was in this shot of Mount Monadnock from the trail, it often isn’t quite so harsh in a different direction. At least that’s what I was hoping. Finding correct exposure settings can be tough with some colors in such bright light.
Beech trees are starting to turn and they seem to be right on schedule. Though they are among the last to turn along with the oaks, most had turned fully by Halloween last year.
Before too long the fire tower glimpsed through the trees tells you that you’re very near the summit.
The old fire warden’s cabin might be in for a rough ride this winter if nature decides to make up the 15 inch rain deficit with snow. Though I’ve climbed up here in the winter several times if that happens I probably won’t be up here to see it.
You can turn and look back just above the warden’s cabin to see the pasture from above, along with Mount Monadnock in the background. The view from the summit to Monadnock would be almost directly south.
The fire tower is the second one to stand on this peak. Ironically the first wooden tower built in 1915 burned in April of 1940 in a fire which destroyed 27,000 acres of forest, including the tower and all of the trees on the summit. It was the most destructive fire in the region’s history. Stout cables keep this one from blowing off the mountain but there is still little to protect it from a large fire.
If you’re standing where I was in the previous photo looking at the tower and walk around to the left side of it, what I call the near hill seems to be close enough to touch. I don’t know its name or if it even has one.
It was hard to pay attention to far off colors when colors like this were so close by on the summit.
Scattered rock posy lichens (Rhizoplaca subdiscrepans) added to the orange colors of fall. I was thinking one day about how we rarely see orange in nature for most of the year but then all of the sudden we are saturated with it in the fall. The orange pad like parts of this lichen are its fruiting bodies (apothecia) and the grayish, brain like part is the body (thallus.)
Black and white crater lichens seemed to stare back at me from the stones. I think they are Diploschistes scruposus, simply called crater lichen after their cup shaped black fruiting bodies (apothecia,) which are surrounded by a stark white or gray body (thallus.) They grow on exposed rock all over the earth, even in the Polar Regions.
Pitcher Mountain is known for its blueberries, and they turn a beautiful red in the fall. They supply most of the red that can be seen in the near distance in many of these photos.
There were a surprising amount of berries that the birds and pickers had missed, but they were shriveled.
As far as the eye could see the trees were turning. I’m surprised to see how many more deciduous trees than evergreens there are in this photo.
I’m not sure what the name of the mountain in the distance is but it seemed to be higher than the one I was standing on and it wasn’t Mount Monadnock. It was quite far away but unfortunately I didn’t pay any attention to what direction it was in.
This birch tree was almost leafless but its comrades more than made up for its lack of color. It seemed a kind of exclamation point, as if colors like these needed to be emphasized.
I think this photo is my personal favorite from that day because it has all of the colors I saw in it. It also shows the incredible beauty that can be found up here.
It seemed strange to see the natural birdbath full of water in the middle of a drought; it must have rained recently. I’m sure the many birds that I heard are very grateful.
I’m sorry that this post was so photo heavy but our autumn “season” is really very short and we’re lucky if we see three weeks of the kind of colors that I saw on this day, so I went a bit overboard. Though I don’t usually climb strictly for the views on this day that’s what I came for and they were very good, with little haze.
To see what others cannot…
You must climb the mountain.
~Ron Akers
Thanks for stopping in.
I agree with your choice of a favorite pic! Our Ohio colors just don’t compare.
Thank you. I’m surprised that Ohio foliage isn’t just as brilliant but I’ve never been there to see it. You must be far enough south to keep the colors more subdued.
Beautiful leaf colour photos – never too many for me! I am glad you have had some suggestions for the cause of the patches on the maple leaves. It was interesting to look down on the pasture from the top of the mountain not only to see how far you had climbed but to see how big the pasture is.
Thank you Clare. I’m lucky to have such knowledgeable readers that are quick to answer the odd question or two that nature always seems to put in my path.
When you’re standing at the edge of the pasture it looks huge, but then from above it doesn’t look so big. It’s all perspective, I guess.
You do have very beautiful fall colors there with all the varieties of deciduous trees!
Thanks Montucky! Yes, just the maples, beeches and oaks make up 7 or 8 varieties. Then add the birches, cherries and poplars and you have a lot of colorful leaves.
I was surprised the colors were so vibrant this year in spite of the drought. You captured some wonderful color here!
Thank you Martha. I think we were all a bit surprised!
Sure, rub it in! I have to choose where I go to shoot fall foliage photos based on what time of the day I’ll have the best light. You get to go to the top of a mountain that has a 360 degree view so that you have good light in one direction or another at any time of the day. 😉
And, what wonderful photos you got! I think that my favorite is the same as yours, because of all the colors, the view in its entirety, and even the rocks in the foreground add to its appeal!
On the cattle, it may be that you don’t see them because of the time of day it is while you’re there. The cattle could be taking it easy, chewing their cud from mid-morning until late afternoon. But, I’m sure that you’ll catch them one of these days.
I liked the fact that you were’t so focused on the views of the fall color that you forgot about the smaller things their, like the lichens. We may not see them in the wide views of the camera, but in person, we can see them, and they add much to our enjoyment of such places.
Thanks Jerry! Don’t worry, I still have to do a lot of picking and choosing according to light, but it was a pleasure to not have to up on Pitcher Mountain. The colors were great up there!
You could be right about the cattle. I don’t know much about their habits or if they are even kept in that pasture. They’re a neat looking animal and I’d like to get a shot someday.
I always check out the lichens when I’m there and believe it or not I usually find one or two that I didn’t see on the previous climb. They’re part of the experience, so I had to get some shots of them too!
Ah, fall color in New England. The autumn foliage here seems more subdued than usual, maybe because of the warm weather?
I’m not sure. I’ve heard all kinds of theories over the years regarding what makes the colors better or worse, including the one that said the trees need a lot of rain for best color. With our ongoing drought we’ve proven that rain doesn’t have much effect on colors, I think. We also had one of the hottest summers I’ve seen.
Glorious autumn colors – don’t apologize, I’ve loved every photo!
Thank you Eliza!
An excellent adventure with many treats for your grateful readers.
Thank you, I’m glad you enjoyed it!
Your autumn colours are so varied, beautiful. I like the natural stone bird bath. Amelia
Thank you Amelia. That birdbath always seems to have water in it no matter how dry it’s been!
That’s great for the wildlife, it must be the dew.
Autumn is renowned for its colours. But – as you demonstrate here – there is much else to examine, ponder and wonder at.
Thank you Ben. Yes, nature always seems to have a big basket of wonders to poke through, and I love doing it.
Yes, I had a suspicion that might be the case. 😉
You can never have too many of those wonderful Autumn views.
Thank you Susan. There will be a few more coming, so I’m glad you think so.
Well, you certainly never have to apologize for having a photo heavy post — at ANY time of year. I enjoyed going along on your hike. I traveled the road to Pitcher this week too, but never made the climb. I was surprised how much good color there still was in Greenfield-Hancock-Stoddard while other areas seemed to have peaked.
Thank you Pat, I’m glad that you think so. I’ve noticed by working over in Hancock that it seems to have its own microclimate and things seem to happen at different time than they do on Keene. I’m guessing that Stoddard and Greenfield are probable the same. I’m hoping the beeches and oaks at Willard Pond in Hancock will be at peak next weekend like they were last year. It was amazing!
Gorgeous autumn pictures. Some are quite painterly!
Thank you Cynthia. I thought the same!
Stunning colors, well worth the climb for the views. I absolutely love highland cattle. There are several farms I visit regularly to get my fill of them!
I’ve still never seen one! I thing they must keep them out of those pastures for some reason.
Hi Alan. I always enjoy your posts. I thumbed through Charley Eiseman’s book “Tracks & Sign of Insects”, but did not find anything that looked like the red dots on your leaf. Pretty sure it’s from some insect though. If you go to Charley’s website, you can send him a picture for more information. His book is fantastic and opens up a whole new world of “odd” things one sees in nature, but has no idea what they are.
Thanks very much Cindy. I appreciate you taking the time to do that. I haven’t heard of Charley but I’ll surely be visiting his website and I’ll see if I can find his book today. I love books like that!
Regarding the spots, two readers have agreed that it’s a form of maple tar spot. I never knew that tar spot came in different forms so I’m learning a lot this morning!
Thanks again for your help!
the leaf spot is Rhytisma punctatum, tar spot of maple.
Another tar spot, R. acerinum, is common here as well but it forms more diffuse spots, not punctate as yours
Thanks very much Gary, I appreciate your help with that. As I just replied to Mike Murray, I didn’t know that tar spot had different forms. I’m more familiar with the perfectly round, bulls eye like spots that have black in them. I’ll be looking into tar spots in more depth now. Thanks again!
I think the round, dotted spots on the maple leaf you asked about are a form of maple tar spot fungus (Rhytisma acerinum). Check this out. This also gives me the opportunity to say how much I enjoy your blog. Be well, Mike Murray
Thanks very much Mike. I didn’t think it was tar spot because it didn’t have the perfectly round bulls eye look of the tar spot I’ve seen on other maples. I didn’t know that it took different forms so I thank you for that.
I’m glad you’re enjoying the blog!
Lovely to see your autumn colours …. I can never see enough photos during this season … So thanks for climbing the mountain!
You’re welcome, and thank you. I’m glad you’re enjoying them, it’s been a great year for color.
Reblogged this on Poltrack Pix and commented:
Pitcher Mountain
Thank you John.