Photo: Panasonic GF1, 20mm, f/4, 1/40 sec.

Last weekend, I was hiking with Alan Dixon in Shenandoah National Park, and filming another episode of “24” – that is, 24 hours round trip from Washington, D.C.

Fall is disappearing fast here, and a thick layer of leaves covered the rocky trail up Cedar Run, making footing precarious, but softening the footsteps in most places.