Here in the Northern hemisphere, leaves on the ground are fully layered. The leaves underneath are indeed a bit soggy and generally appearing as a dark brown pigment of substance. Above it we can notice generally yellow, and still intact leaves above that have fallen of the last week.
It’s gorgeous. It’s crisp. Its inviting to walk around and seeing even farther into nature. With the leaves off the trees, we do in fact see farther as the branches frame the landscape right in our view.