When you ask a Southeast Alaskan what word comes to mind when they hear “October” that word is, more likely than not, “rain.”  Thursday, October 8 was rainy.  In the afternoon, a big sucker hole opened with sunshine and blue skies.  I was suckered into it, went out, got wet, but enjoyed it thoroughly.

I decided to hike along Cross Trail to the Indian River Connector through the muskeg toward the Indian River Trail.  When I started it was sunny and bright, highlighting the fall colors of the ground cover.  Then I saw clouds forming over the Sisters.  I watched, sun at my back, as dark clouds gathered in front of me. I watched a rainbow form, first faintly, then more brilliantly.  Then the rain caught up to me, in the muskeg, with no tree cover.  I got wet, it was beautiful.  I walked toward the Cross Trail and some trees to shelter from the rain and wind.  It was worth every raindrop.