After yesterday’s long journey to the top of Mt. Marcy, we were ready for an easy day. We decided to hit the trail again, but this time tackle a much shorter peak, Mt. Jo. The trail begins across the street from Adirondack Loj and starts off on a flat, gravel path with interpretive signs for the diverse vegetation. It passes by Adirondack Loj Nature Museum before becoming a dirt path that begins the ascent. It was a beautiful morning as the light shined through the trees on this crisp, fall day. And while I wasn’t planning for a steep climb, we did have some work to do to get to the top. After a little over a mile of steep climbing, the trail leveled off just before the summit. Another short scramble and a climb up some helpful ladders and we were at the top of Mt. Jo looking over at Mt. Marcy, where we were just yesterday. Down below we could see Heart Lake and the trees were just beginning to show signs of fall color. We chatted with some hikers at the summit before heading back down. People are always so much happier when you meet them on the trail. Once we got back down, we added a little more hiking with a walk around Heart Lake. We stopped a few times to sit and enjoy the views, listen to the sounds of the wilderness and watch people in their canoes paddling across the lake. It’s in these moments when I feel most at peace. I’m always happy in the mountains. It was a great way to end an amazing couple of days in the High Peaks Region of the Adirondacks and I foresee many more trips to come.