November 25, 2017
Mirror Lake Loop
Total distance walked: 7.44 miles

It was Thanksgiving weekend.  We gave thanks for the many blessings in our lives, including time spent together on the trail.

Wrapped in scarves and jackets, we traveled on foot around Mirror Lake in Yosemite National Park.

A fall palette of colors caught our eye.

Marching downhill, we rounded a curve and came upon a large-eared mule deer.  With perfect seats to watch hikers, she and her four well-camouflaged friends sat on a bed of russet leaves chewing their cuds.

An autumn breeze shook leaves off the trees.  They danced gracefully down to the ground leaving a colorful carpet for walking.

Tawny sedge tufts surrounded the lake.

The meadow sported her autumn dress with skeleton-bare branches intermixed with deep green conifer foliage.  A stunning backdrop of gray granite topped with a powder blue sky completed the fall look.

A bobcat, flaunting a luxurious winter coat, strode confidently up the trail like a fashion model.  We stopped dead in our tracks and all talking ceased as she walked by.  The only sound was the clicking of cameras.  Ignoring us, she continued determinedly into the wilderness.

Near the lake were a mound of black-flecked stones draped in silver gray—cairns, pointing the way to nowhere.  Someone took a long time to stack these ancient rocks.

It was a blessing to wander through Yosemite’s beauty with my family, experiencing the season that is adorned with magical light and a colorful palette: autumn’s look.