Those of us who live to get outside of the confines of the cubical, it’s pretty much a given that autumn’s the best time of year to be on the trail. My feet arch aching this time of year to put some distance and get off-grid. My portable solar charger is a big part of each of my escapes.
The summer heat relents, and with the first light frost you can say good-bye to bugs for the year. Hardwood trees burst into their variegated fall color. Raptors and geese migrate overhead; elk bugles; huckleberries ripen. And though leaf-peepers may crowd the roadways, B and Bs, and standard tourist attractions, humanity is much less present on the trails, in the campgrounds, anywhere out there beyond the reach of heating oil, down comforters, and other civilized signs that the season is changing. Portable solar is key to making my escape complete.
Though fall is about seeing the change of seasons play out on nature’s grandest stages, my portable solar charger is a must have for charging my iPod and writing this blog between stops. The signature trees of the Cascades are evergreens red cedars and Doug-firs on the western slopes, ponderosa pines on the drier east slopes. But fall makes its mark on these mountains, and in lovely ways: here and there, pockets of vine maples erupt into a red, and huckleberry shrubs turn red while they issue their delicious blue fruit.
Into the Woods: What better way to pass a crisp fall day than sauntering along a forested creek as you admire the leafy light show of maples, dogwoods, alders, hemlocks, and cedars? Keeping your cell phone or camera charged is a snap for anyone using portable solar.
And now the balls in your court; don’t let the deep freeze creep up on you, seize this best of seasons, and get out there with portable solar!
Source: Gorp