Into the Enchanted Forest

My husband and I spent Friday night in the woods, on our quick one-night backpacking trip. It was cold and clear, and every time I opened my eyes, I saw the night sky, full of sparkles, full of shine. The temperature at dawn was just a few degrees above freezing, but we were snug and warm in our sleeping bags and our tents - snug as two bugs in a rug!

By the time we were ready to get out of our tents, it had warmed up a bit and clouded over. The rest of the day, the sky above us was a mix of sun and breaking clouds. We spent a leisurely morning around our camp site. My husband had brought a thermos of hot coffee along and tucked it in his sleeping bag at night. So first thing in the morning, we had coffee that - while it wasn't what I'd call piping hot - was plenty warm and tasted awfully good. These little vestiges of civilization mean a lot in the middle of the woods.

I was still giddy over camping out in a brand-new tent, and after it had warmed up a bit, I practiced putting the fly on it in the morning sun. It was remarkably easy to do, as the fly has fastex buckles that easily snap on and off. (Oh, the wonders of modern technology!)

And then we packed up our gear and hiked out - out of the woods and down the hill. And at the bottom of the hill is a stand of tamaracks. At this point in the autumn foliage show, the tamaracks have finally gotten into the act. Most of the year, the tamaracks stand around pretending to be evergreens. But in the fall, they reveal their true colors, and turn a bright yellow-gold - bright as flames - before dropping their needles.

On this particular morning, the tamaracks were putting on a pretty awesome show, and the little pathway through them looked like a path into an enchanted forest. Who knows what magic lies around the next corner? And I thought to myself that backpacking in the best part of a Pennsylvania autumn is like having the whole woods as your house, with every room on fire, and each room wearing a slightly different color of flames.

The soundtrack: Stevie Nicks, Rooms on Fire.