Hi again everyone!

The past two weeks have been packed with hikes, mountain scrambles, and horse treks. Last weekend I drove out to Son Kul Lake, which is located at about 11,000 ft above sea level, and woke up to about 6 inches of snow. Having left sunny Bishkek at 80 degrees that morning the temperature drop was no joke. For the last month the weather has been in the 70s, but now in October this is unusually warm for Bishkek. Everyday I leave my house I have to prepare for essentially 3 different climates. The mornings until about 11 am are all around 50 degrees and a little rainy, but by 2 pm it will be 75 degrees and sunny, only to drop back to a brisk 60 by 8 pm. Even up in the mountains at Son Kul this pattern held true.

I love walking around Bishkek in the late evenings. It is the perfect weather to sit at a cafe in a blanket or to walk down the streets knowing that Fall is here (or more accurately Walktober is here). I will say the air quality in the late afternoon seems to be the worst. Post rush hour, the smog from traffic mixes with the damp air and it takes away from that “ahh crisp Fall air” feeling, but at this point I am becoming accustomed to it. It is only on the weekends when I get out of Bishkek, into the mountains, and take a deep breath that I really remember what fresh air feels like.

Some of the trees are starting to turn colors and leaves are falling in the parks, but it still feels like the very beginning of Fall. I’ve heard that the Winter is the worst in terms of air quality so I am a little concerned for what is to come, but right now I’m going to go outside, take a deep breath, and crush my Walktober steps while I still can.