FR 5

Story

I may be anywhere. The old, disused forest road meandering with me twists and turns without any clear purpose or direction. In places like this one, the road is certainly a road, but in most, it is more of a path, if that, than an actual road. But FR 5, or Forest Road 5, is in New Mexico’s Carson National Forest.

I revel in exploring obscure places and often spend hours, if not days, looking for the exact scene. This particular autumn day found me exploring the Enchanted Circle, a world-renowned drive for fall colors. The excellent day lent itself to wandering paths and old roads.

Light clouds came and went, providing endless interplay with shadows. Often, like with FR 5, I found a scene and waited for it to develop into something extraordinary. Sometimes it did, and most times not, but that was OK.

FR 5, though, appealed to me the moment I saw it. The road, such as it is, wends through an aspen grove at the peak of fall color. Its slight bends pull me deeper into the forest and make me wonder where the road might lead, if anywhere.

I can still hear the quaking of the aspen leaves as the faintest breezes gently rustle the leaves. All come together to pull me deeper into the forest. And all come together to create this magical moment in time.