Bessie's Woods(Town of Sand Lake, Rensselaer County)

Visited the Rensselaer Plateau Alliance's newest preserve this afternoon, Bessie's Woods, located near the hamlet of Taborton high up in the Rensselaer County hills.  Off and on rain all morning finally let up, so I headed out to explore these woods in search of early fall colors.

I took all of the perimeter trails at the preserve, which range in elevation between 1300 and 1600 feet, passing through dark hemlocks and open hardwoods.

Cruising through a sea of golden ferns near the site of an old homestead.

Fall foliage is starting to take hold at these higher elevations.

The recent wet weather has left some very muddy trails, such as this section along an old woods road.

Covered about 2 miles at this quiet little preserve.  Nothing too flashy or memorable-but a nice escape into the woods.

On my drive home, the Rensselaer Plateau's fall foliage was alive and well, with vibrant colors around every turn.