The Joy of Hiking in the Rain

Few things in life are as satisfying and enjoyable as a fall hike in the rain.

Until I moved to Utah, most of my life was spent hiking in the Adirondacks and Cascade Mountains, both of which are well known for wet misery.  I actually rate the Adirondacks higher than the Cascades on the wet misery scale, as the Cascades enjoy a pronounced dry season during the summer.  In contrast, suffering in the Adirondacks is a year round affair.  Nothing hardens you for outdoor pursuits like cross country skiing in freezing rain or forced marches in muggy, driving rain to black fly infested leantos.

So, when I woke this morning to the pitter-pat of rain, a smile ran across my face.  There's nothing better than a fall hike in the rain, especially since wet in the Wasatch is typically fairly tolerable. Below is the only patch of mud I ran into the entire morning.

And, with the mountains obscured, one's focus tends to turn to the wonderful fall colors.