It was cool enough for a fleece vest on my morning walk today. Doesn't bother me a bit though. I like the brisk air. It's refreshing, invigorating.

And it signals change.

Summer is fleeting. Yeah, there'll be some more warm days, but you know when Clayton Lake up north starts making the news as the coldest spot in the US in late August (31 degrees this AM) that autumn is on its way.

Another sure sign, and a favorite of mine, is the appearance of the orange fruit on the American Mountain Ash trees around town. Sorbus americana if you're a tree nut like me.

A colorful mountain ash on Stevens Avenue in Portland this AM, a sure sign of autumn.

For years the mountain ash has been the tip off, the "back to school" sign. Time to wrap up summer's fun and get on to other things.

Like the best hiking of the year.

Those fleeting six weeks or so when our forests slowly change color; the tinges of yellow, red and orange taking over as the chlorophyll recedes back through the stems of the leaves.

Suddenly it seems we are bathed in brilliant color at every turn. For a precious couple of weeks. Then the winds will blow and the rains will come. And the show will be over.

But not the hiking.

For I've come to extend my season well into November, taking advantage of the uncrowded trails, shelters and campsites. The late colors. And finally, when the trees are bare, the far off views that are revealed once again, unseen since early spring.

Yes, change is in the air.

Breath it in. Deeply. Revel in it.

Then pack a few extra layers into your daypack. Maybe a Thermos of hot cocoa. And go.

My day job takes me to Boston for most of next week. A little city action. All good.

But then it's home to Maine and off to the other end of the spectrum: a few days of backpacking in the Nahmakanta Lake region. Maybe a climb of Katahdin. But outdoors and away from it all. All the way.

So, my dear Trail Head friends, fall is almost here. What are your big outdoor plans? For the long Labor Day weekend? For our most precious September? October?