Two weeks of late-season backpacking in Southern Oregon: Crisp days, some wind and rain and a whiff of snow. No phone calls, no email, no deadlines.

Just get up each day when the sun hits the tent, have a leisurely breakfast with maybe a second cup of tea, pack some lunch and begin walking through beautiful, empty wilderness. Climb an easy peak, maybe, or explore a side trail. Sit in the sun. Circle back to the tent after 10 or 12 miles of wandering around and have dinner. Read. Go to sleep when it’s dark.

Lather, rinse, repeat….

And now it’s back to photography and writing.

photo: In the Mountain Lakes Wilderness, 2010