Neck Spring: searching for color

I’m trying to hike all the trails in our park before winter, so I can knowledgeably direct visitors to paths suitable for their abilities. Monday was the final day of Indian summer before our weather took an abrupt turn, and I was in the mood for a trek. The Neck Spring trail is 5.8 miles of up and down through pinyon-juniper forest, grasslands, and rock outcroppings — a perfect fall hike on my afternoon rove shift, with my best boots and favorite flat hat.

At mile 2, noticing abundant color, I began to shift my gaze to search for as many hues as I could possibly find. My mind drifted back to 18 months ago when one of my daughters shared a book with me exploring colors of the desert, and the idea was hatched for this gallery. Enjoy the sights!

Due to painfully slow internet speeds up here on the mesa, multiple photos won’t load. Being resourceful, I’ve gone to Plan B and created a Facebook album which can be accessed by this link. More photos than I could ever tack on!