The best color we saw along the shore of the Green Lane Reservoir
Kali and I did a 6-mile hike at Green Lane County Park in the northwest part of our county. Though we've lived in this county for 23 years, we'd never visited this 2,300-acre park. The parkland surrounds a large drinking water impoundment called Green Lane Reservoir, and most of the parkland hugs the shore of the lake fairly closely, so the trail system is basically a walk along the lake shore, much of which is very steep.
The parkland is located in an interesting geological area where igneous sills had intruded into sedimentary sandstones and shales. So, it's easy to see the juxtaposition of soft, red sandstones and shales right up against very hard, erosion-resistant black igneous diabase rock.
The Blue Trail; despite appearances, it was very muddy, even here
Fall color was not spectacular around the reservoir, the trail was frequently muddy, the guidebook did not give comprehensive directions for the hike, and the trails climbed up and down hills a lot. Kali and I decided that (1) the experience was 25% positive and 75% a slogging trudge, and (2) we wouldn't repeat the hike. Nevertheless, there were some pleasant spots, especially a side trail that traversed two hemlock ravines with nice, small waterfalls. Unfortunately, my camera battery was exhausted mid-hike and I didn't get images of the best parts of the hike.
