For weeks, I’d hoped to spend the last weekend of September off on one last backpacking trip before a blanket of snow descended on the trails. Sadly, after an exhausting week for both Andy and me, those plans were canceled for a more restful weekend. Even if we weren’t going to spend the weekend camping in the mountains, I dreamed of a long hike near Mt Baker or Mt Rainier to soak in the autumnal wonderland that had been crowding my instagram feed all week. When Andy suggested a specific hike much closer to home on Sunday, I begrudgingly agreed. The trail we wound up on is close enough to home that we were able to sleep in and still make it to the trailhead at a decent hour, and I spent the short drive grumpy and feeling like I was missing out on a real adventure. After only a few minutes on the trail - which we had to ourselves! - I couldn’t help feeling a peaceful joy. Thoughts of grander trails disappeared as we climbed through the quiet maple forest. Social media makes it temptingly easy to chase the adventures of others, but this hike was a great reminder of the peace that can be found in the mountains when you venture off to a trail less traveled.