Look on up! My earlier leaf reports mentioned looking low in Spearfish Canyon to see the color transitions in the grasses and shrubs. Now it’s time to peer up into the highest points of the Canyon rim and cliffs for a cascade of color from the top down.

Today, Jerry J. Boyer accompanied me to the Canyon to survey the leaves. Leaf Report readers will know Jerry’s name as former president of the Spearfish Canyon Foundation and an avid leaf reporter for 20 years. Jerry is also author of several books including “Canyon Echoes: A Spearfish Canyon Photo Essay.”

Mountain Goats were grazing at the bend in the road after Bridal Veil Falls this morning. They were enjoying the leaves too, eating green leaves on trees and sauntering through the colorful grasses. A small, migratory population of Rocky Mountain Goats has lived in the Black Hills since the 1920s, according to the S.D. Game, Fish, & Parks. A goat sighting is a good reminder to drive slow through the Canyon. You never know when the next turn will reveal a sighting of these slow-moving, agile animals.