I love the seasons.  Summer, winter, spring and the fall all bring their own magical beauty throughout the mountains for different reasons. It does not matter how many times you have hiked that same trail, climbed that same mountain, or camped in that same vicinity. If you go there and do it at different times of different seasons, I promise, you will NEVER be let down or disappointed. Sometimes you may have to push a little harder and prepare a little differently and use appropriate gear but its always worth it. This trip we hiked a mere 7.5 miles throughout a beautiful day, taking our sweet time. We found our spot to make camp next to a babbling brook feeding a lake, very early in the afternoon.. with ample time to sit and relax, gather wood for a fire, relax some more, enjoy afternoon coffee,  relax even more and then make a nice fire as the deep pink/purple and red sunset swallowed the evening sky over the lake surrounded by trees of late October colors,  turning our campsite into the best views anyone could ask for, with the mere cost of a 7.5 mile hike in. This trip for me was more of a camping trip, as last month my Northville-Placid trail thruhike was more intense with 7 consecutive  high mileage days.. I wanted to do some easy miles this time, with friends and have time at camp to chat and do as little as possible except take it all in and absorb nature and all of earths magic for this time of year!  My gear used on this trip was: Pack; Zpacks Nero 38 L.  Quilt: MLD 28° quilt. ( Night temps dipped to 31° ). Bivy; MLD Superlight bivy. Tarp; Borah Gear solo silpoly 5×8.9 ( not needed or used). Sleep pad; Thermarest Neoair X Lite regular/wide. Sit pad/ ground pad/ chair pad; Gossamer Gear 1/8 thinlite pad. Chair; Helinox Ground. Cookset; Evernew Appalachian Set using Esbit tabs ( Evernew 500 ml cup/mug with titanium dx stand and I use a custom titanium wind screen). Food storage; Ursack. Water purification; Steripen ( I LOVE IT).