A couple of weeks ago I posted about our walk on the Au Sable Foot Trail at the Hartwick Pines State Park. This week we walked the Mertz Grade Trail instead. Is is only 2 miles long instead of 3.

At the beginning of the trail, a pine tree was bent over the trail, forming a kind of gate:

I noted several definite changes since our last walk in this park. For instance, there were fewer mushrooms. However, I thought these few were worth posting:
This is actually a sort of tree ear: color, lunar white, I would say:

I believe this is called a “Hen and Chicks:

Just another unidentified little fellow:

Berries on a tree:

Most of the maples were in their fall best reds, oranges and yellows:




Stumbled upon a spent wasp nest with cells exposed:

Lots of pine cones had begun to fall:

And many of the bracken had turned a delicious, golden brown:

We were reminded, occasionally, that we were, indeed, on a “foot” trail:

Said, “Goodbye,” to this forest scene for today: