Chased by demons after a sleep-deprived night, I lurched into yesterday with my list of “to-dos.” The darkness demon persisted, my mood and gumption spiraled as I fell into an inner loop of anxiety which I opted to quell by tagging an impromptu summit. Mid-afternoon I parked at a trailhead surrounded by aspen already turned golden. I saw beauty everywhere. Tala exuded joy. Yet eight satisfyingly quick trail miles did not slay the demon, neither did the burger and Moosetracks milkshake. But after a night of vivid post-summit, dream-filled sleep I can happily report we needn’t call an exorcist today. Phew...!