I'm always surprised how amazing our surroundings can be. Even though I've visited the Black Hills dozens of times, I finally decided to explore Spearfish Canyon in South Dakota. This time it would be slow, intentional, and with my camera, and this is when new things are discovered.
Luckily, the fall foliage reports were falling perfectly in line to blast some color into the images.
We rolled into town late and it was quite rainy, but I was trying to be optimistic. Unfortunatey, the next day came and the weather was absolutely miserable. Huge wind gusts and sideways rain made it impossible to explore and shoot photos. It's a bit painful to just sit and wait on a devoted photography trip.
The early morning came quickly and I was happy to see that it was possible to step outside without being blown over and sprayed with a fire hose.
The passing weather made for some interesting mist and light as I drove around Spearfish Canyon.
I decided to explore the stream and was not disappointed.
I made my way to Roughlock Falls in Spearfish Canyon and I was in disbelief that I've never explored this area before.
I had one slight problem, however. My only remaining camera battery was at 50 percent, and the sun was still pretty high, so once again, I found myself just waiting to ensure I captured pictures in the most lighting scenarios.
The sun was in place and it was time to go.
Sidenote: (Of course) I found my third full extra battery stashed away in my camera bag the next day.
The foliage filled pathways led me to this waterfall as the water descended below splashes of colored leaves.
The path was clear and set for me to explore this fantastic scene.
A stream swirls around this leaf bathing in the sun.
The end of the path led to this majestic scene with so many details it was all a bit overwhelming to capture.
On the way out of the canyon, I saw this amazing line of trees.
The singe birch tree stood ahead in the middle guarding the rest.
Yet there are even more pictures of Spearfish Canyon...
