Autumn on the Ridge Trail

Every year I tell myself I will go before the leaves peak, and every year I end up going just after. This time I finally got the timing almost right.

The plan was simple: three days on the ridge, two nights in small shelters, and no schedule beyond reaching water before dark. I packed light, which mostly meant leaving the second jacket at home and regretting it on the first evening.

Day one

The first climb is the hardest part of the whole route, and it comes before you have warmed up. After that the trail flattens into a long, gentle walk along the ridge with the valley on both sides.

I stopped far too often to take photos of the same maple tree from slightly different angles. In my defence, the light kept changing.

Day two

Fog in the morning, sun by noon. I shared lunch with an older couple who have walked this trail every autumn for twenty years. Their advice: start earlier, carry less, and always pack a dry pair of socks.

"The view doesn't change much. You do." — something they said that stuck with me.

Day three

The descent is steep but short. By early afternoon I was back in town, eating noodles and already planning next year's trip, which I will, once again, probably start a week too late.