Back in Tahoe for the Last Bit of Fall

We returned to Tahoe on Sunday. Yesterday was spent doing the required chores (unpacking, pine needle raking, and pinching ourselves to make certain we weren't dreaming).

Today, we headed to Fallen Leaf Lake with hopes of at least a glimpse of the gorgeous Fall colors everyone had been sharing. We were not disappointed. Wow.

Interesting, in the middle of all this natural wonderment we stumbled upon this Taylor Creek Stream Gauge and were intrigued. The corrugated culvert pipe was installed to measure the amount of water flowing through one of our favorite watersheds.

Based on some research, we figure it was installed sometime in the 1930s. The door was unlocked and looking inside, we found paperwork indicating that the last time a streamflow geological survey was conducted, by the US Department of the Interior, was in 1987. Intriguing, right? Why was it unlocked with all the equipment still inside. Hmmm.

Cool mushrooms and a massive paper wasp nest (below) were some of the other interesting sights along our path.

Fall colors, blue skies, warm temperatures, and kokanee still spawning... what an ideal Welcome Home.

It was a quiet and very peaceful outing. We crossed paths with only four other nature lovers. Two happened to be our friend, Chris, and his son, Steve. What a very, very small world.