It was a beautiful sunny day in October. I’d been watching the weather all week, hoping the rainy day wouldn’t end up falling on this day. It seemed to have rained nearly every day this year, and after enduring a year full of emergencies and bad news, it was due time to relax and enjoy the outdoors. I was hopeful that I would be able to find some peace and enjoyment in nature, to escape for just a moment from all the tragedy enfolding my life. So we embarked on our yearly journey to explore the mountain landscape in Rangeley, Maine.

I breathed a sigh of relief. Already as we drove west, I felt more relaxed. Nothing else mattered, just the road ahead of me. I had been perpetually stressed out all year, but I could feel my anxiety start to melt away as we drove through the expanding volume of fall colors. At home, the trees had barely started to turn for the season, and most were still green. The heavy rainfall and mild temperatures seemed to impact the foliage this year. Leaves had started falling from the trees before even turning colors, and the lawn was covered with strange crispy green leaves. When the occasional tree did start to transform into warmer colors, the leaves had none of the vibrance that New England foliage is usually known for. A maple tree that should have turned bright yellow looked dull and brown. The leaves were falling inconsistently, leaving even the brightest trees to appear patchy and uneven with many bare branches. It was a constant reminder of how incomplete my life is now without my dad.

Moving west there were still many trees with this inconsistent leaf pattern, but the autumn hues were intensifying. I knew when we were getting close to our destination when the mountains appeared in the distance. Mountains always makes me feel calmer, especially this time of year with the pop of colors. A combination of clouds and heavy fog covered the mountain summits, making an incredible sight to behold. We stopped numerous times so I could hop out to get photos along the way.

We started winding through the mountains, and I knew we must be almost there. This year we added a new location to our trip. I had never been to Smalls Falls, so I was eagerly anticipating the chance to explore this new location.

As we started ascending a mountain, we suddenly pulled off into a little parking area. We’re here! Grabbing my camera, I hopped out of the car ready to stretch my legs. We walked past rows of picnic tables and descended a staircase leading to a wooden bridge. The sun was shining through the trees, casting intricate shadows on our path to a bridge carrying us over a stream. I peered over the bridge to see fallen leaves dancing along the current and being pulled under a smaller waterfall.

The larger waterfall in the distance was flowing into the shallow waters. I was thrilled to learn we could get even closer. Vivid colors of green, red, orange, and yellow surrounded me as we made our way across the bridge along the stream. We walked along the trail running parallel to the water. As we approached the series of waterfalls, I felt all my worries melt away, and all that remained was this moment frozen in timeless wonder.

I drew closer to the waterfalls and the roar of the water grew louder as it plunged into the stream from towering heights. I felt mesmerized by the soothing melody of rushing waters. But we could get even closer.

Climbing a staircase of tree roots, I made my way up the river to another series of cascading waterfalls. I had no idea there were so many! A fence along the way kept me from falling in and helped to make my way to the top. As I fought my way up, I knew I should have brought my hiking shoes. My shoes slipped, but I grabbed the fence and kept going. I had little confidence in my sneakers on the smooth rocks I needed to climb. Clinging to the fence and moving slowly, I managed to continue the ascent.

Finally reaching the top of the cascades, I inched out onto a rock at the center of the rushing waters. Careful not to lose my balance, or more too fast and fall in, I gazed at the formations and lines of the smooth rocks formed over time by the Sandy River. More leaves danced along on the surface of the water and were pulled down the multi-tiered waterfalls lined by pine trees. What an incredible display of the power of nature. The rushing waters and little birds in the trees were the only sounds I heard. The pine tree were glowing from the warm rays of sun filtering through. Everything was so peaceful.

I could stay here all day, but we had a lot of ground to cover. Moving on to the next location, I found that the path down wasn’t quite as treacherous as the way up. I continued to hold on to the railing as we made our way back to the car.

After stopping in Rangeley Lakes for a delicious lunch at Sarge’s, the blue skies were gone, hidden behind puffy clouds. As the skies grew even darker, we started driving back into the mountains to my favorite spot, Height of the Land. We approached the first scenic overlook to cloudy skies and vibrant fall foliage, looking down at Rangeley Lakes in the distance. The wind was picking up, blowing the vegetation around wildly.

Without the sunny skies it had grown very cold. The chill in the air wasn’t enough to discourage me from enjoying this tranquil scene. I wandered around, the wind catching my hair, taking in the spectacular panoramic views. The green from the pine trees sprinkled into the foliage across the distant mountains enveloped by the fog. A cloudy day could have felt dreary, but with so much vibrance from the autumn landscape it was breath-taking.

Standing on the edge looking down, yellow, red, and orange treetops extended for miles to blue hazy mountains in the distance. Even without the sun, the autumn colors seized the spotlight. Once again, I could spend forever looking out at this picturesque Maine landscape. Hugged by the wind, I felt a gentle invitation to be still and calm, to just be caught in the serene beauty of nature. For just a moment, I could let go of everything that happened this year.

The wind continued to pick up, and finally I proclaimed that I had enough photos. Regretfully, with the short autumn days, the sun was already setting behind the thick clouds. We needed to start heading home before dark, and our adventures were coming to an end. As the mountains faded in my rearview window, I resolved to carry the calmness of this weekend with me through the rest of the season.