Paradise Valley Conservation Area — Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024

Not larch and no madness! Admire the golden not larches on this local trail and you don't have to drive 3 hrs only to be met by the hordes and no place to park. Here you have bigleaf and vine maples, alder and many yellow turning shrubs. Lots of mushrooms too. Unfortunately, we were met at the parking lot by a huge pile of trash that some AH was too lazy to find a dumpster. Gross! If that mystical bear is still up there, this will bring him/her into total pest mode. I hope the county can get out there and get it cleaned up, this is way beyond the scope of the trail users to deal with. Loo in pretty good shape, stocked today, but you never know with this one.