This was a week of brisk, foggy mornings, leaf strewn sidewalks, and warm, sunny afternoons. While I found few opportunities during the week to get outside and enjoy the lovely glorious fall weather, I did manage to fill my weekend with plenty of time outdoors. Headed to the Iron Goat trailhead Saturday morning for a early start to meet my book club group for our October hike, I witnessed one of the most magically misty mornings I’ve seen in years. Low clouds hung heavily over the mountains, and as I drove east, the sun began to pierce through, catching the orange and golden leaves lining the highway and making them glow. Knowing I had a little time to spare on my drive, I even took the opportunity to stop at a small fishermen’s access to the Skykomish River to soak in the misty morning and snap a few photos. By the time I’d reached the trailhead, there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. If it weren’t for the distinctly autumnal colors lining the trail, it would’ve been easy to mistake the balmy day for July instead of late October.

Sunday, after a lazy morning spent at home watching cartoons and knitting, Andy and I headed to my parents early. While Andy spent a few hours working with my dad’s tools in the garage, I managed to squeeze in a little more time in the woods with a short walk through Paradise Valley. With all the photos I stopped to take of the incredible assortment of fungi poking out of every damp, shaded patch of ground, a walk that would normally take me 20 minutes wound up taking an hour. I know that soon the branches will be bare, and the color gone from the woods until spring, so it feels important to linger in the forest when I have the time. I must get my fill of fall before it vanishes!