Searching For Fall
Ah, Fall. My favorite time of year. Cool, crisp mornings and nights. Pumpkin-flavored food and drinks. The smell of chili and campfires. Flannels, boots, and “comfy” cloths. Backpacking, camping, canoeing, and the beginning of Outside October.
Like a moth drawn to the flame, I’m yet again called to the mountains on my annual pilgrimage to capture Fall colors. My friend Cassie proposed an overnight backpacking trip in the Dolly Sods, which happens to get some of the best and earliest fall colors in the Mid-Atlantic region. It was an immediate yes.
We settled on an 11ish mile route, putting in about 8 miles on day one and the remainder on day two. We did a lollipop loop, of which 2/3 of the trails I was familiar with and had done before, and the remainder were pretty mysterious to me. Other than the fact that I knew their natural state is wet and muddy. But boy, did this lead to some pretty amazing colors. Actually probably the best, and my favorite, colors of our route.
We took our motley pack of three dogs, Sal of course, plus Cassie’s Darrell and Bernice. Sal and Darrell got plenty of time off leash to explore the trails and play in the campground, covering way more ground than us humans, per the norm. We set up camp 500 feet up the trail from a beaver pond, which painted a magical scene in the early morning light. And gave us quick access to filter water of course.
We were a little early for full Fall colors, but my heart was filled once I got to review these pictures at home.
