Taking a hike at Douthat State Park, I saw many interesting sights and signs of life this fall. It was a brisk and foggy morning, perfect autumn hiking weather. 

Fog blankets the valley from Tuscarorra Overlook at Douthat State Park

Camouflage is always an interesting trait to see in the animal kingdom, and I stumbled upon two walking stick insects during my hike. 

Common walking stick camouflages well on a tree or branch

The fog made for a calm and dreamy stroll in the morning, the air cool and moist, the colors of the forest swimming through the condensation.

A fall hike on a foggy morning

The hike was difficult at times, but warmed the bones, and it felt good to move up the mountain, seeing colors shift towards more red and orange at higher elevations, the top wave of changing autumn rolling down the hillsides from cooler to warmer places.

When we got to the top we were blown away by the view.

Panorama (click image for larger view)

The fog sat in the valley, peaks barely peeking up above it. It felt like we were on the edge of the world. It was a great place for lunch and basking in the sun, something that was impossible at the moment 500 feet below us. Timing is everything when it comes to nature, hikes, views, and lighting.

This scene would be transformed and completely different soon. What a world of difference exists in an hour. We sat in the heart of beauty. We took time to sit and reflect, watch and wait, as the sun grew higher in the sky, the ground below warmed, and the air slowly rose up and up making the fog rise and dissipate into the waking up of the day.

Fog in the valley makes the mountains feel ancient and primeval 

After the fog lifted the sun warmed everything nicely. 

Nothing beats a fall hike at a Virginia State Park

While descending the mountain we saw a wide diversity of fungi, including a lion’s mane mushroom, also called a pom-pom mushroom. They sometimes have spikey points similar to stalactites, but this one looked more like a pom-pom.

Lion's mane mushroom

On a dry sunny side of the trail a snake slithered quickly, turbocharged by the heat. A fence lizard was showing his spiderman-esque skills, hanging upside down on a rock, scurrying there from his sunning spot when we spooked him.

Eastern fence lizard clings to a rock upside-down

Adult Eastern newts wrestled in the water, squirming and turning over like amphibious wrestlers vying for dominance and prime real estate.

Red efts seen on land transform into adult eastern newts

Dragonflies darted and danced along a calm spot of the lake near a downed log. Males swung their mates like trapeze artists, the female depositing her eggs in the water in a swaying and hypnotic display of cooperation. (See my blog on dragonflies here). Autumn meadowhawks are one of the last flyers of the year, and they were out in full force this early October day. 

From seeing fog blanket the valley and gazing out at the mountains to watching insects and amphibians and reptiles, what a wonderful hike full of a rich diversity of sights and sounds, animals and landscapes. A good hike surely is a tonic for the mind, body, and spirit.