The last good day

Winter is coming. 

I don't mind the colder temperatures, but the darkness is a problem. I don't like driving in it. I don't like going out in it. It's inconvenient, limiting and depressing.

So yeah, I really hate falling back to standard time.

Seth feels much the same, but this year, instead of complaining, we decided to take advantage of the nice weather and spend this year's last "good" day in the mountains.

Unfortunately, we got a late start on Friday, so the sun was already setting when we started our drive.

It was dark when we got to Pine,

and really dark as we neared the campground.

Hello darkness, my bad friend.

We'd planned to get dinner on the drive up, but although the restaurant's website said they closed at eight, they actually closed at four. Fortunately, I'd had the foresight to pack some emergency ramen.

Yum!

 After dinner, Seth built a fire.

This was not Piper's first camping trip, but it was her first fire.

Not a huge fan.

We stayed by the fire until we got cold.

Then we let Piper herd us back into the trailer.

Seth booted up his laptop, and we all watched a movie together.

Naturally, we picked something light and bright.

The next morning was cold, so we went for a short hike to warm up.

This part of the Pike National Forest has lots of big rocks...

and big views.

As usual, I took lots of pictures.

So many.

We could have stayed up there all morning, listening to the birds and the wind in the trees, but eventually everyone got hungry.

Back to the campground!

Seth made breakfast.

Yum!

We hung around camp for a while, enjoying the sunshine. Then we drove to a trailhead and went for another short hike.

Something big passed this way.

Family portrait.

Almost before we knew it, it was time to go home. We packed up the trailer...

and headed back down the mountain.

This morning I slept in an extra hour. Daylight savings time is over. For the next few months, I will try to embrace the darkness.