Living in a small Colorado mountain town has a way of changing a person. You have to get used to things happening a little slower, and to driving longer distances to get the stuff you want. But what it lacks in convenience and cultural amenities it more than makes up for in inspiration.

Whether I’m walking to the store, riding my bike to work or just looking out my kitchen window, the mountains are always there, teasing and taunting me with the prospect of adventures I would never consider if they weren’t staring me in the face, every single day.

But these mountains don’t give it away easily. If you want to attempt something, you need to show up fit and ready for discomfort. If the objective is bold, there are no guarantees that the mountain will let you pass. It’s not up to you; it’s up to her.

Fortunately for me, the peak of my fitness and wanderlust always seems to culminate in the fall. Even though this time of year signals the looming threat of snow, it also happens to be the best time to wander in the mountains of Colorado. You might disagree with this, but that would mean you are either misinformed or just plain wrong.

While legions of leaf-gazing tourists descend upon the trailheads and wander around in a daze, staring at the leaves like suburban soccer moms at a yard sale, I’m itching to get on with it and see it all. The shorter the days get, and the more yellow the leaves turn, the greater the sense of urgency I feel to cram more activities into every day before the snow starts to fall.