The allure of fall is hard to deny. The contrast of cooling air settling over a tonally warming landscape proves eternally entrancing. Green gives way to intensifying shades of crimson, vermillion and gold. The key ingredient to the seasonal show is the shortening days themselves. The fading light not only transmits cues to the trees to cease chlorophyll production, but the softer, lower-angled sunbeams of October also enhance the aesthetic by backlighting colorful tree canopies. Northwest Montana’s wild spaces are fortunate to be graced with an abundance of larch, which rightfully take center stage during the transition to winter. The glow of their golden needles are as timeless as the seasons themselves. Meanwhile, a no less pretty offering of fallen maple leaves provides that satisfying crunch underfoot in town.
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