Your microspikes bite into the ice covering the trail. A breeze passes through the trees, and you draw up your buff. You're one mile from the peak, and a beautiful winter view is waiting for you.

Icicles glisten along a snowy trail, and the quiet of winter surrounds you. You are the only person in the forest. The snow crunches under your boots, and you have the space you need to reflect and find your peace.

You stop for a quiet moment at the edge of the forest, where vibrant red leaves frame a sweeping view of rolling mountains. The sky stretches wide and blue above, and the crism autumn wind invites you to pause, breathe, and take in the beauty around you.

You pause to rest at the edge of a field. The day is chilly, with thick clouds blocking the sun. In the distance, the mountain range is dusted with snow, the freeze lingering at the high elevations. You snug your jacket around you and prepare to move on.

Ripples extend from a dog exploring the clear lake. The sun glints off the blue-green surface, and your feet dig into the sand as you watch from shore. Across the lake, the trees are bare, but soon there will be leaves and spring flowers.

Water roars down the thin layers of shale, its cool breeze making the purple phacelia dance on the hillside. You listen to the white noise, feeling the dappled sun fumble with the waterfall mist.

At the base of the mountain, the day is warm. But here, three thousand feet higher, the wind rips across the bald, loosing ice from the trees. The white branches stretch toward the peaks in the distance. You enjoy the view and the sunshine before crossing the bald and beginning the descent.

You follow the sound of trickling water until the forest opens before you. Time slows. You sit and listen to the water whispering over the stone shelf. You're privy to the forest's secrets.

After a cool summer night high on the mountain, you trek through the dark woods, your headlamp lighting the trail. The trees open to a rocky outcropping, and the morning breeze nips your skin. In the distance, the first colors of morning paint the sky until the orange sun peers over the mountains.