Last of the larch

Looking down on Missoula from top of Mount Sentinel

The larch in color near Lubrecht Experimental Forest

I barely made it this year to honor my fall tradition of heading west of the Divide for a look at the coloring larch.
We caught the last of the larch in color, before their needles dropped, on Sunday on a trip to Missoula.
It was rather late, so the colors weren’t at their height.
The larch is a deciduous tree that looks like a pine. Its needles turn a bright yellow and then fall off each year. This tree brightens the west side landscape each autumn.
I also got a chance to climb Mount Sentinel to the top, an elevation gain of nearly 2,000 feet.
This mountain never disappoints. It is a Missoula treasure.