The fall color has really come along the last few days in the Ozarks and we will be hitting peak color over the next few days. On Thursday and Friday, I took a couple of hikes into the Ponca Wilderness near Ponca, Arkansas. Thursday was a day of calm winds, low clouds, fog and drizzle.  As long as the drizzle didn't get too heavy, it was an ideal time to photograph the forest and it was fun to watch the ever-changing fog only a few hundred feet above the banks of the Buffalo River. 

Old River Trail near Steel Creek in October

When the fog wasn't too low and thick, looking down onto the Buffalo River Valley was also a treat. So many colors! 

Steel Creek Overlook in October Buffalo River Trail near Kyles Landing Overlook in October

I believe those are sweet gum trees that are turning brilliant shades of orange.  On Friday, the drizzle stopped and the ceiling lifted, but there was still ample cloud cover to photograph the flowing water and the forest.  

Grey Rock Shoals on the Buffalo    Grey Rock Leaf Swirl Vertical

As dusk approached, I photographed the leaves swirling in the eddy. These images were made with about a 5-10 second long exposure to get the circular movement of the leaves and bubbles in the water.  

Grey Rock Leaf Swirl on the Buffalo

On Friday night, the skies cleared and the forest was beginning to dry out. However, there was enough lingering moisture in the air to create some patchy light fog in the valleys of the Upper Buffalo Wilderness. These images below were taken just after sunrise on Saturday morning. 

Cloudland View October

So far, this has been a good year for fall colors in Arkansas, possibly the best in the last few years. I will have more fall color pictures for my next blog entry to come in November.