The Golden Staircase
We all love the enticing colors of fall, the falling leaves, the softer light of the shorter, chillier days. The quest to experience that changing season seems a cultural universal in every place that hosts the trees and shrubs that reveal their October brilliance. But it is not the same everywhere. Here in the Pacific Northwest, we have ‘larch madness,’ a collective quest to be among a fall color show that ratchets the insanity to eleven!
Is it simply the rich, saturated golden-yellow colors that are so emotionally evocative? Do we see more than the transcendent colors? Or, is it something deeper, and more profound, perhaps about the internal human experience, the poignance of loss? Does our unconscious perceive an internal metaphor that speaks to the ephemeral, the mysteries of life? Probably all of it.
The rarity of the species, Larix lyallii, the subalpine larch, and its unique nature, result in a color display like no other. Known as a deciduous conifer, its thin needles lose their chlorophyll as the daylight grows shorter and the temperatures fall. The green color having masked the underlying pigments of the needles through much of the year, once gone, reveals the remaining colors of the needles, a stunning yellow gold. Like the leaves of a deciduous tree the needles turn in a graduated process, from green, to chartreuse, to yellow gold, and then wither and fall.
While a hardy species, the alpine larch lives in a marginal environment, at higher elevations, perched on rocky, well-drained soils. Their best-known companions are the whitebark pine and the snow-white mountain goats that browse among them. Except for two weeks every year when hordes of larch enthusiasts join them to witness their changing colors.
It is not only their mesmerizing luminescent yellow-golden color that enchants us, but also the palette that hosts them, the way the subalpine larch trees are scattered in small groves against the hard gray of broken granite slopes with harsh crenelated peaks towering high above them. While the range of most of the North American subalpine larch extends from the Rocky Mountains north into Canada, there exists a disjunct population on the sunnier, eastern side of Washington’s Cascades. Those golden groves, scattered amongst the rugged granite peaks are where these panoramas were taken. These are some of my favorites.
Bill Edwards
Oct 4, 2023: Alpine Larches, Kangaroo Pass Trail, North Cascades, WA State, USA.
This magnificent larch grove surrounds the Kangaroo Pass Trail as it approaches a small alpine tarn on the way to Kangaroo Pass. The hike to the pass is steep, the approach crosses several boulder fields and ravines that interrupt the unmaintained climber’s trail. Route finding is arduous and time-consuming. The reward is that the alpine larches are resplendent with golden needles. It is October 4. Elevation: 6,300 ft.
Oct 4, 2023: Kangaroo Temple from Kangaroo Pass West, North Cascades, WA State, USA.
Kangaroo Temple, an impressive rock tower rises above the south section of Kangaroo Ridge. This North Cascades panorama looks southeast from Kangaroo Pass across an alpine cirque populated with stands of subalpine larch, Larix lyallii. It is October 4. Elevation 6,600 feet.
Sept 27, 2018: Alpine Larches, Maple Pass Trail, North Cascades, WA State, USA.
Maple Pass is visible on the skyline above the trail that leads through rugged terrain and stands of subalpine larches. It is September 27 and their needles have turned an iridescent gold. This golden show will last another week or two before their needles drop in anticipation of the harsh winter ahead. Elevation 6,700 feet.
Oct 3, 2018: Alpine Larches from Headlight Creek, Alpine Lakes Wilderness, WA State, USA.
Mount Stuart is visible on the skyline from the Lake Ingalls trail that leads through Headlight Basin to the Lake Ingalls. Stands of subalpine larches populate the basin and are a major attraction for hikers. This panorama was shot among the luminescent golden trees where the trail crosses Headlight Creek. It is October 3. Elevation 6,300 feet.
Oct 9, 2024: Goat Peak, Larch Vista, Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, WA State, USA.
The historic Goat Peak fire lookout etches itself against the skyline, perched atop a knoll well populated with golden subalpine larches. Today the skies are in turmoil, massive gray clouds jostling with a whisper of blue trying to break through. The drama of the sky hovering over the knoll of gold makes the scene storybook magical. It is October 9. Elevation 6,800 feet.
Oct 11, 2024: Blue Lake, Overlook Vista, Okanogan Wenatchee National Forest, WA State, USA.
Blue Lake is a popular North Cascades hiking destination near Washington Pass. On this day, the weather has turned and gray clouds blanket the lake and nearby peaks. Chill is in the air on a hike renowned for abundant fall color and golden subalpine larches, Larix lyallii. It is October 11. Elevation 6,300 feet.
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