Fall Up North

Fall takes the prize over any other season. And if I could be anywhere during this time of year, it would be up north in the mountains.

It’s hard, really, to even describe how astonishing the mountains can be in the fall. The air is clean and crisp, and after every breath you instantly have the urge to take another. You can’t describe the smell in any other way besides FRESH. The foliage up north is absolutely amazing. You just look out and as far as the eye can see the mountains are speckled with vibrant yellows, oranges and reds. What’s not to love?!

Just imagine walking briskly down a mountain trail. The leaves gently crunch under foot, and there is a slight chill in the air with just a hint of warmth left over from summer. You hear the breeze moving through the trees and you gently tug your light weight fleece up around your neck, and tuck your hands into the sleeves. You shiver a little, but you are not at all uncomfortable. There are many big, towering trees at this level of the mountain. A slight feeling of dampness is hanging on the air, settling over the forest floor. The smell of leaves and of fresh dirt is EVERYWHERE.

As the terrain becomes more challenging and much, much steeper you begin to breathe heavily. It is just barely cold enough for your breath to be visible, and it is now coming out in constant little puffs. You soon begin to sweat which is a rather awkward sensation when it is this temperature. At one moment you are hot, but then the sweat absorbs into your clothing and you suddenly feel very chilly. You are so very anxious to get to the top and no matter how hard and fast you try to climb, the trees just won’t seem to part and open up to the summit. You pass the occasional hiker, but for the most part it is just you and the sound of your own breathing.

Now you are sure the top must be near, for there aren’t many trees and the few that there are, are small and flimsy. The smell is more of pine now. Finally, a break in the trees! You have arrived! You look out over the brilliant colors of the land. A huge weight is lifted, you’ve made it. The struggle and effort of your climb is now completely worth it. The feeling of discouragement at the thought of not being able to reach the top is no longer there. The regret of having even ventured out on this hike is now gone. Any fraction of doubt or of being unsure has now evaporated because you have finally made it. You literally feel, believe it or not, like you are on top of the world. Nothing can stop you! The rock face of the summit is nice and warm from the sun. You just sit and simply enjoy.

Although that sounds in itself enough to satisfy, there is one last thing that tops it off. It’s the SILENCE. You just listen to the silence. It is the greatest experience in the world, by far my favorite. You may think that it is impossible to listen to silence, but take my word for it, it is completely possible. Your ears become filled with it. All you can hear is each slow breath you take and the constant, steady beating of your heart. The lack of the sound of cars is beautiful, but there’s more. The silence is a feeling, an emotion. It’s a feeling of calm and of peacefulness that completely overwhelms you. It’s relaxing and also invigorating at the same time. You lose track of time because time itself seems to have stopped. You sit absolutely still and no matter what was on your mind before, now you are completely at peace with yourself.