Last year, I invited a bunch of girlfriends up to our Vermont hideaway for a weekend in the wilderness. The November air was crisp and we spent the weekend hiking a misty trail, cooking Autumn-inspired meals and conversing around a campfire. It was that type of good-for-the-soul quality time with friends that, turns out, all needed a little getaway of their own, too. In a silly state as we summited Pico Mountain, we decided to name ourselves "Troop Misty Moss". In part, this was a play off of the iconic 1989 film Troop Beverly Hills, which still remains one of my favorite movies. It could also have been the cold, raw, rainy weather that had us in a slight delirious daze.... From that moment, I embraced the establishment of our troop name and ran with it....

This year, we turned things up a notch. Our second annual weekend was another one for the books. We took turns cooking up fabulous cabin concoctions, hiked up to The Long Trail, carved mushrooms, built fires and enjoyed Cheese By Carol. It was a weekend that served as a reminder of how important it is to sometimes take pause from "real life" whilst enjoying the natural landscape with people you cherish. Being silly is also "OK" in adult life... Here's to the the 3rd Annual Weekend next year!

Troops were greeted Friday evening with bandanas for the weekend's hike, local Vermont jam and branded matchboxes.

My sister meanders through the forest with my vintage Adirondack pack - perfect for holding all the mushrooms and ferns we foraged...

Our kooky A-frame, ready to greet the troops!

Cheese By Carol makes a debut by the firepit.... this cheese board didn't last long.