Theresa is enjoying lunch at “The Notch,” a slot in the rock at an altitude of around 7,200 feet with a spectacular view of McKittrick Canyon, through which we just hiked and will hike again on our return trail.

Fall colors on the canyon floor are blazing red, orange and yellow.

A ribbon of color snakes through the McKittrick Canyon valley.  Fall colors tend to start in the valleys and progress up the sides of mountains.  This is somewhat counterintuitive because it’s usually cooler the higher you climb.  But deep cold pockets of air form in valleys at night to kickstart the annual autumn colors.

Theresa cannot help but smile with joy hiking through this soft explosion of color.

This blue dragonfly stands out on a white rock.  Dragonflies are valuable predators that eat mosquitoes, flies, and other small insects.

A year-round stream creates a lush environment in the valley floor of this desert canyon.

The Texas madrone tree has smooth bark that ranges from white to red-orange when it gets wet.  In spring, cream-colored flowers of the Texas madrone fill the air with a sweet fragrance.  In fall, the Texas madrone produces numerous clusters of edible red berries.  Primarily robins and other birds enjoy the berries, but the Pima Indians in Chihuahua, Mexico, still eat the berries, which are rich in vitamin C and zinc and apparently taste “sweet and savory like strawberries.”  (source)

The creek water shimmers in the late afternoon sun.

We crossed this pretty stream multiple times.

A friendly park ranger snapped this photo.

Theresa is sad that our wonderful vacation has come to an end.

This concludes our Guadalupe Mountains photo tour.  Thank you for enjoying it with us.  Please help support your U.S. National Parks.