Yes, okay - I'm a bit out of sync with the seasons here. But, as some of you probably know, I regularly post new shots taken at random times in the past and processed only recently.

This image, entitled "Autumn Meander," was captured from last fall along the very-popular Oberg Loop hiking trail near Lutsen. The loop includes several expansive views of Lake Superior and the Sawtooth Mountains.

I have captured many images from the scenic overlooks, but I also decided to make a photograph depicting a very small portion of the journey after seeing the potential of this particular spot. By this time, after having already spent a couple of hours photographing the overlooks, it was mid-morning. The sun was rising higher in the sky and the forest was aglow with colors ranging from green to yellow to red. This would be my last image of the morning.

To paraphrase a often-quoted proverb: In a life filled with goals and destinations, never forget to enjoy the journey. It's often just as interesting and rewarding as the destination.

Here are a few more images from this year's brilliant, but short-lived, fall color display on the North Shore. Most of these were captured along Minnesota's upper reaches of the North Shore:

Autumn Shack

Autumn Invitation

Peak Fall - Pigeon River High Falls

Pine and Dawn - Split Rock Lighthouse

With fall being my favorite season on the North Shore of Lake Superior, this year has been a real treat. The red and golden hues of autumn really exploded last week into one of the most vivid shows of color in recent memory along the North Shore. The maples and aspens right along the lake revealed their autumn hues about a week earlier than usual and nearly two weeks earlier than last year.

An unusual aspect of the fall foliage this year is that the colors of the trees nestled along the shore were nearly in synchrony with their inland counterparts. Usually there is about a 1-2 week separation of inland peak color and shore peak color. This year that separation seemed to be less than a week. Most of the Arrowhead was enveloped in a golden autumn paradise at the same moment.

This image was captured on the shores of Lake Superior near Hovland, MN. More Fall 2010 images to come . . .