While Mark was on site with a client, I was left to my own devices for the day. A quick check at the hotel front desk revealed there were hiking trails within walking distance. I was handed a map of the loops they recommend to patrons for jogging and headed off into to the crisp autumn day. The rain had stopped and the skies cleared long enough for me to have several hours of hiking.
There were heaps of trails around the hotel that were not on this map. Had I known, I would have provisioned myself better with water and snacks. Narrow spurs that wound their way up the hillside were everywhere. We are here for a couple of days, I'll have time to explore these routes.
Photos can't seem to capture just how dark and dense the stands of black firs are. I could have been passing through a cave, I could see the light on the other side shining brightly through the golden birch leaves.
The air smelled clearly of autumn, of leaf decay, but had distinctly different flavor to the aroma than that of home.
In the grass, there were tall (8-10 inches high) mushrooms huddled together like friends caught up in conversation. All around me were new and yet strangely familiar flowers, trees and leaves. The shape and color, or texture of bark all told me these were plant families I knew, yet so unfamiliar.