Well, here we are once again. Bring on the spiders and spooks, summer has ended. We feel it too: the twinge of heartbreak as you notice the first maples turning yellow, the bummer of stuffing your puffy into your pack (and not “just in case”). But while the long hours of sunlight and days of lake jumps may be behind us, the trail running opportunities are still plentiful. We suggest taking the Nathan Hawthorne approach. He wrote: “I cannot endure to waste anything so precious as autumnal sunshine by staying in the house.” Read on for 10 reasons fall is the best trail running season and motivation to get after it.
Photo Credit: Nick M Danielson
1: The Alpine is Open. High Country routes are the siren song of mountain loving trail runners and some of the best just lost their snowfall from last year a few weeks back. These trails high above the tree line boast broad vistas. The narrow ribbons of dirt we follow weave through delicate meadows, rocky crags and summit blocks. These are the trails that culminate in an endless skyline of peaks, ridges, and life giving vistas. Go now, before a dusting of snow becomes a route finding nightmare.
2: Vaccinium deliciosum aka Huckleberries. Native to western North America from British Columbia to northern California, this clumpy shrub is the sweetest and most nuanced of hucks. It grows at elevations between 2,000–6,600 ft in subalpine and alpine climates. While these matte blueberries first appear during the summer season, it’s only when the night time temperatures begin to dip toward freezing that the sugary antifreeze produced to preserve the fruiting body translates into a peak berry sweetness.
3. Color. Not to be too obvious here, but Autumn is beautiful. As the days shorten and temperature drops, the leaves of deciduous trees stop making food and thusly chlorophyll. And nature’s indigestion is man’s delight as the yellow, orange, reds, and purples of fall’s splendor line the trail. Valley’s full of aspen, hillsides covered in vibrant brush… the display is illuminating.
Photo Credit: Nick M. Danielson
4. Temperatures. There’s no denying the charm of the summer sun, but when putting in big miles, autumn temperatures are a welcome reprieve from the hotter temps of high summer. “Sixty and (mostly) sunny” presents ideal running conditions for enjoying yourself and retaining your vitality through the entirety of a run.
5. Clouds. More clouds means more depth and drama to the mountain views. The sight of a finger of cloud sitting in the valley you just climbed out of, or cresting a ridge to view an inversion waiting on the other side down below makes for breathtaking scenery. Even a quiet misty morning can bring with it a feeling of peace and clarity.
6. Leave the crowds behind. As the clouds roll in, the crowds roll out. Increased solitude on trails creates an opportunity to sink deeper into the rhythms of the environment, to breathe deep and reflect.
7. Autumn Light. The sunlight of September and October takes on a crisp clarity all it’s own. The light’s longer, low angle journey brings more detail to the hillside, revealing characteristics once vailed by the strength and focus of the summer sun. Don’t sleep on it! This quality is ephemeral, so get out while the getting is good!
8. Lodges. As the nights get colder, camping takes more gear and more grit. Enter the mountain lodge… roaring fire, cowboy coffee and the charm of rustic opulence in a mountain setting.
9. Dawn Patrols and Sunsets. Setting the alarm for a summer sunrise run is so early it’s almost wrong (yet somehow always worth it). By fall, you can set the alarm at a more reasonable hour and make it out for the prismatic celebration of light the greets the dawn traveler. The flipside is also true. With the sun dropping below the horizon earlier, there’s time to watch the show from an epic perch, drop down to the trailhead and still get back to town in time for soul satisfying grub.
10. The Fall Trifecta. While technically a conifer, Larch trees are deciduous and lose their needles each fall, but not before a brilliantly turning gold for a few short weeks. Combine golden larches with blue skies and a light dusting of snow, and you’ve got a trifecta of color worth putting in the miles to enjoy.
The Aspire fall calendar features a dynamic range of trips that showcase the 10 reasons fall is the best trail running season.
The North Cascades Traverse – An east-to-west crossing of North Cascades National Park, featuring rugged valleys, massive glaciers, and miles of runnable trail.
Stehekin – Four days of running and relaxation based out of the Stehekin Valley Lodge, deep in the North Cascades.
Sawtooth Backcountry All Women’s Trip – A women’s only weekend exploration of the incredible Sawtooth Mountain range.
Trent Banks is a mountain rambler, a disc jockey, and father of two daughters, based out of Bellingham, WA. He joined the Aspire crew in 2018. You can find him playing clubs and livestreaming DJ sets, working aid stations at races across the Pacific Northwest, and guiding trips with the rest of the Aspire team.
Listen to his Spirit Ventures DJ mix series, inspired by and made for trail running.