AlpineVistas Community Blog

The Weber River Parkway in October

I was in Ogden for an appointment right before lunch.  Thinking ahead I put my bike on the car, hoping the weather would cooperate.  Most of my bike time is spent on the country roads that wind through the Ogden and Morgan Valley’s so I’m not very familiar with the biking options in the lower valley.  I decided to take a spin along the Weber River Parkway that winds through Riverdale City.  What a grand surprise!

With the exception of a few groves of aspen the mountains have shed their color, but to my delight the parkway was enchanting.  The cottonwood trees are still awash with the yellow shades of autumn, just now beginning to shed their leaves.  The path hugs the river for several miles and you would never know that a bustling city was next door.

While cruising the trail I discovered a small BMX park next to the Riverdale City Complex.  A Frisbee golf course was busy with lots of play.  There are several trailheads that access the parkway and each is well maintained with nice restroom facilities.  The paved surface is in excellent condition with a few sections of brand new trail.

So how was this biking experience like hiking?  First, the trail is bordered on both sides by towering trees and the river, reminding me of the Indian Trail.  Second, in several places the leaves had piled up, completely covering the hard surface.  As I rode through these sections I heard that crisp crunch I love under the tires of my bike.  It was a wonderful way to spend a lunch hour.

Get there quick as the weather experts are predicting a taste of winter by Tuesday!  You can find more details about this at www.weberpathways.org.

Draba is sad that the new autumn snow is melting - no more snowballs for a few weeks.

He looks sad, but it’s only because the early fall sun is quickly melting the new snow that fell on our mountaintops yesterday.  He got to chase and eat several snowballs and I told him these will be the first of many.  He was happy to hear that there are still several autumn hikes in the near future.

The peaks of Snowbasin outlined by mountain maples.

I was pleasantly surprised when the storm clouds departed this morning after spreading a rich frosting of mountaintop snow.  The mountains were awash with the Crayola colors of my youth.  Atomic Tangerine, Burnt Orange, Mahogany, and Neon Carrot, have been joined by Mango Tango, Maize, Raw Sienna, Blue Gray and Asparagus.   The sky was a perfect Blizzard Blue (although I have just discovered this color was recently retired by Crayola).

The colors are more soothing and less dramatic than last week.  The maples remain red, the oaks are a wide range of orange and bronze, the aspens are golden in one pod and green in another, and the grasses have a metallic hue.

The weather forecast is encouraging with sunny or partly cloudy skies for the next few days and temperatures in the 50’s.  Make sure to visit your favorite trail this week.

Check out www.utahfallcolors for some more great photos.

Mountain maples frame Snowbasin