Here in the northern Adirondacks, a weekend storm and the passage of a cold front stripped most of the remaining leaves from the trees and blew drifts of them into hollows, hedgerows, and ravines. Suddenly the vistas are opened up, while the wooded hillsides have become ashen gray, with patches of dark green conifers and coppery beeches, which cling tightly to their leaves all through winter.

 
The southern Adirondacks are another matter. The season lags for two or three weeks longer there, and our photographer, Tony Jancek, took a weekend to shoot some pictures of the late autumn landscape. The farms of the southeastern Adirondack foothills were still colorful and vibrant even if the sky was thinly veiled with cloud:

 

 
Frosty nights are more common now, though, as the hoar frost on this mum makes plain:

 

 

 
By midday the frost melted:

 

 
Time to hit the trail, but first the Sacandaga needs to be crossed. The boney river is in no hurry as it flows beneath the colorful hills as clouds thin and sun peeks through:

 

 

 
Small streams flow vigorously as they hiss and gurgle over miniature waterfalls on their rush to the river:

 

 

 
A lake comes into view through the birches:

 

 
An inviting cove encourages exploration around the lake’s shoreline:

 

 
The low sun at this time of year makes for dramatic contrasts and brilliant sparkling waves:

 

 
In the century since this part of the Adirondacks have been logged, trees have had a chance to mature to a ripe old age:

 

 
All in all it’s a fine time to go for a hike.

 

 
And then, to end a perfect weekend there’s a perfect sunset:

 

 
Autumn is the best time of the year, in many respects. No biting flies clamor for your blood. Crowds of tourists have moved on. The landscape is transformed from a uniform green to blazing hues that change from day to day. And temperatures are pleasantly cool for vigorous hiking and cycling. If only the season lasted longer…. But then again, it’s that ephemeral quality which makes autumn so special. Thanks to Tony for taking us along so we could enjoy this fleeting season a bit longer.

 
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