I went up to Hurricane Ridge (Olympic National Park) near the end of September checking to see what the autumn colors were like. It was a little earlier than previous years, but the weather had changed and it has been a hot, dry summer. And the colors were beginning to show, but their effect was offset by the overall dryness of the meadows. Still nice though.
Washington State isn’t known for a lot of fall colors. The flora isn’t primo and the weather usually doesn’t cooperate. But vine maple provides a lot of color on a reliable basis. Just in a smaller dosage than (for instance) the forests of New England.
The weather conditions in Western Washington were perfect this year for bringing out intense fall colors.
Fort Worden State Park in Port Townsend has miles of great walking/hiking. Besides the beach, the trail system runs up across the hill and gives you a nice view of the main Fort residence area. (used in An Officer and a Gentleman).
During one of my walks around Fort Worden in Port Townsend, I noticed a number of Junco’s flitting through the branches of a tree along the trail. This little guy was nice enough to sit still long enough that I was able to get a couple shots off… I think we had the same thoughts: is it spring yet?
Camera: Nikon D850 Lens: Nikkor 28-300mm set at 300 ISO 800 1/800 sec f/6.3