Mitchell Canyon October

Autumn is subtle in northern California, but very beautiful if you know where and how to look.

This is the fruit of a California buckeye tree. These trees lose their leaves when the dry season comes - it's an adaptation to the summer drought.
They'll revive and grow new leaves next spring, after the rain. They're not related to buckeyes in the eastern U.S. The Miwok and Ohlone people, who lived here long before European settlement (and who still live here!) did eat the buckeyes in the old times, but they relied more on acorns, their staple food. They also know that buckeyes stun fish, making them easy to catch.

Mitchell Canyon, in Mt. Diablo State Park, is one of the finest hikes in this area!
And that doesn't begin to describe it.