Autumn in Montana easily feels like the shortest season. It arrives quietly, hinting that it’s on its way in August, turns the landscape gold in September and October, and disappears almost as quickly as it came. Somewhere between there is a glorious window of crisp mornings, changing leaves and that unmistakable feeling that winter isn’t far behind.
When the Seasons Shift
You can start to feel the shift in late August. The bugs die down, the sun loses some of its intensity, and there’s a slight crispness to the air. By September, autumn is unmistakably on its way. Daylight disappears fast, trails and streams grow quieter, birdsong fades, and the woods take on that euphoric smell of decaying foliage.
Best of all, hiking temperatures are just about perfect.
Hyperphagia for the Alpine
Once autumn is in the air, especially in September, it starts to feel a little like crunch time. There are only so many weekends left to get into the alpine before winter makes access more difficult. It creates this almost insatiable urge to get up high as much as possible. The phrase for this feeling came to me this August: hyperphagia for the alpine.
Being up high while the seasons are changing also seems to temper that urgency with a kind of bittersweet gratitude. It instills reflection on everything you had hoped to do that summer, realizing some things will have to go back on the list for next year while appreciating everything the summer did offer. Without the birdsongs of summer and babbling creeks, the wind blowing across the ridgelines and mountaintops becomes more noticeable, as if it’s whispering reminders of an old, familiar cycle. A quiet reminder that the landscape has done this countless times before, and it’s time to change again.
Hyperphagia for the alpine: Just as bears have an insatiable urge to eat before winter arrives, I feel an insatiable urge to get into the alpine and soak up as much of it as possible. To somehow store enough of it to carry through the winter.
Ways to Make the Most of Autumn
Autumn’s shortness is part of what makes it special. You don’t need a big trip or bucket-list destination to make the most of it, either. Sometimes it’s simply a reason to change up your routine, get outside and pay attention to what’s happening around you.
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With less birdsong and quieter streams, the wind across the ridgelines somehow becomes more noticeable.
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Part of what makes autumn so good is its ephemerality. It never lasts quite long enough, which somehow makes the time you do get feel more valuable.
Gear for Autumn Hiking
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Recommended Day Hiking Gear
Suggested pack list:
