04/09/2026
17 things to do outside in September before it's gone
I used to treat September like a waiting room.
Summer was over, the good hiking was behind me, and I'd quietly start filing everything under next year.
Then I actually counted. Between the first crisp morning and the first real freeze you get about 30 days where the trails are quiet, the light does that thing, and you can still sit outside without three layers on. Thirty. Fewer if you live somewhere high.
So this year I made a list instead of waiting.
Some of it is easy. An apple orchard. A new seasonal drink, and yes, the pumpkin latte counts. An hour with a book under a tree. Kicking through a pile of leaves like you're nine.
Some of it takes a bit more. One last swim in water that has genuinely turned cold. A night hike with a headlamp and one friend who won't complain about the dark.
And one of them is the unromantic admin thing that decides whether next year actually happens. The Tour du Mont Blanc, Alta Via 1 and the Haute Route all need booking 9 to 12 months out, and some accommodations don't open reservations until mid-October. Autumn is the planning window. Not January.
The whole list is in the video. Then go do number one before the weekend.
Which one are you doing first?
