Today we fell back. In time that is. We may soon be falling back to the Dark Ages but that’s still to be decided. The ostensible purpose of this “falling back” and “springing forward” (Could we even do this without these catchy phrases?) is to give us more daylight in the summer months thus saving energy and reducing crime (True, you hardly ever see Time Bandits wandering around during summer.). Of course doing so completely messes with our primordial circadian rhythms (note: not a jazz quartet) leading to confusion, grumpiness, intemperate emails, and utterly artful (but still shameful) exposures during Zoom meetings. So sad. 😥 I’ll bet the Neanderthals would still be around if they hadn’t decided that daylight saving (not savings) time would give them an extra hour to hunt cave bears (or visa versa as it apparently turned out). Frankly, I think it’s a waste of time doing all this falling and springing. Let’s just pick a time and stick with it! And damn the Time Bandits!

Anyway, we had big plans for the “extra hour” we were going to have on loan until March 2021. We’d use this extra hour of early daylight to do an arduous hike, burning-up both miles and calories. Yes, sir! You betcha! Except…except…for those circadian rhythms. Those have been around ever since we began evolving from slime molds, they have seniority, and they DO NOT like being jerked around. No, sir! You betcha! So, when we finally woke-up, sunlight was pouring in, and it was either 0630 or 0730 or Tuesday. Yep, circadian confusion had arrived. If not for the life-giving substance known as coffee, we’d probably still be watching the clock turn, slowly (yes, it’s an analog clock – we’re that retro 🙄 ). What’s worrisome is that our thermostat, which is not smart at all (i.e., is not linked to Russian hackers), knows enough, all by itself, to do the appropriate falling and springing. Creepy.

With caffeine coursing through our now dilated veins, we decided we were just circadian-free enough to handle an old classic hike: Green Springs Summit to Hobart Bluff on the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT). No tricky navigating, just enough exertion, Fall colors, and a big view at the end! Win-win! An added plus is that we could easily do this hike without our GPS, which, like our dumb thermostat, suspiciously knows enough by itself (well, there are those satellites…) to fall back appropriately. But sometimes it indicates we’re hiking through Siberia, not Oregon. True, it’s a Garmin, but it’s still a bit creepy when this happens. 😉

Starting on the trail at an uncertain time in the morning
Fall color at Point 4750
All is gold except the pine trees
The big meadow on the broad saddle between Points 4750 and 4862
A huge tree fungus The LovedOne admired for its creamy underside
Through the forest below Point 5222
Up the Bluff!
Mount Ashland (1) and the Bear Creek Valley
Ashland from the Bluff’s rocky summit
Heading back, with a snowless Mount McLoughlin on the far horizon
There are still some big, old trees along this piece of the PCT
An oak in Fall colors
An oak in Fall
The Keene Creek Reservoir is the only one around here with much water in it
Almost back

Some 7.2 miles (11.5 km) later, after 1,000 feet (305 m) of gain, we had been to the top of Hobart Bluff and back on the PCT. The Bluff is a popular destination and the nearer trailhead on Soda Mountain Road can get quite busy of weekends – particularly nice ones like this one. 😎 But we’ve never encountered crowds out-and-back from Green Springs Summit and didn’t today – just 8 hikers, 1 runner, and 1 hunter. Stopping by Caldera Brewing on the way home for eats and brews seemed the sensible thing to do given the circadian rhythms still strumming in our skulls. All told, a good day in the woods, regardless of what ever happened to that extra hour. 🙂

The straight shot from Green Springs to Hobart and back
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