This photograph was taken on Williams Mountain in a township near Jackman. Our goal was to find the fire tower at the top of the mountain. My husband and I started our hike on an old logging road, where deep water-filled ruts and fallen logs crisscrossed at every height and angle. It was difficult terrain, and we were soaked almost instantly. Although the hike sounds miserable, each time we slipped into puddles and limboed, we laughed a lot, too. The logging road ended, and the going got much easier. It was only close to the summit that the trail became steep and densely packed with pine trees. At this point on our journey I took this picture. At the top we found a fire tower, an old cabin, and an official trail leading down the other side of the mountain. As tempting as it was to take the trail on the way down instead of the logging road, our car would not have been waiting for us at the bottom.

Squeezing in camping trips between two busy schedules is challenging, and weather rarely factors into our planning. We’re also convinced that the rain clouds follow us anyway. We also tend to gravitate toward places a little less traveled. I’m never exactly sure how our plans will turn out or what we’ll see, so I always bring my camera along to document the experiences I want to remember.