Autumn conjures many thoughts and memories: Strolls down mountain pathways lined with red and gold, the carving of pumpkins and the ensuing pulp stuck under one’s fingernails, and Old Man Withersnout threateningly brandishing a rake and yelling, “Out of my leaves!”

Everyone has their own memories of autumn – sometimes frightening, but most of the time fun. And there is plenty of autumn fun to be had in the High Country. Here are some of our favorite things to do in the fall.

Boone Fork Trail. Much better than the lesser-known and relatively useless Boone Spork Trail.

Melanie Davis - Hiking and S’mores

Autumn is, by far, my favorite season, particularly now that I live in the High Country. My perfect autumn Saturday would be a full day hiking. I prefer the Boone Fork Trail and Hebron Rock Colony area. It is beautiful and peaceful. The sound of of the river running between the rocks as you climb combined with the smell that is only detectable in autumn makes for a rejuvenating afternoon. I take a camera and snap away photos of the fall colors.

Throughout September and October, the temperatures are just right for a full day of hiking. As the evening draws in, I am ready to relax by a campfire in my yard. I usually invite a few friends over to roast marshmallows and hots dogs. After burning off calories hiking all day, I must replenish them with multiple s’mores to maintain my balance. That is, at least, what I am telling myself.

Matt Shepherd prepares to throw a slab of cow on the grill.

Frank Ruggiero – The Autumn Cookout

For my friends and I, the cookout is much more than a holiday institution. It’s an everyday thing. At least it used to be until my friend’s wife had a change of heart and made us take the grill outside. Now it’s an every-other-day sort of thing, but still a fun, special and marked occasion.

In the crisp autumn air, huddling around the warmth of my trusty, secondhand CharBroil (dedicated to Watauga Democrat alum Bill Cain) with the best of friends and enough animal flesh to terrify an entire herd of livestock just cannot be beat. Add cold beer into the mix (not into the grill) and the evening is set.

“Here’s my pumpkin!” - Caroline Monday

Caroline Monday - Pumpkin Carving

As any friend of mine will tell you, I love a craft. With that in mind, it makes sense that my favorite autumn activity is carving pumpkins. Growing up, my sister and I always decorated pumpkins for the Pitt County Fair. Between the two of us, we always won at least one ribbon, which usually came with a cash prize.

My approach to pumpkin carving involves more than your average scary face with triangles for eyes. I like to carve an entire Halloween-esque scene or, as I did this year, a pattern that covers most of the pumpkin. This year I printed a paisley pattern off of the Internet to use as inspiration for my seasonal craft.

“Casey Bones, you’d better watch your speed!”

Jeff Eason - Fall Color and the Ghost Train

With the advent of digital photography, I’ve been able to take thousands of more photos than I would have been able to afford back in the days of taking my film to the drugstore to be developed. In the past five years, I’ve developed a real passion for nature photography, and autumn gives my camera that short little window of incredible color up here in the mountains.

In October, I try to take some photo hikes on the Blue Ridge Parkway and near my parents’ home in Triplett. In addition to all the colorful leaves, this area has a lot of flowering plants that bloom in the fall, right before the first freeze of the year.

I also love going on Tweetsie’s Ghost Train in October! The spirit of Halloween lives on at Tweetsie, and riding on a steam locomotive through the darkness never fails to give me chills. Plus, they put on one of the scariest haunted houses you’ll ever visit.

Mark Mitchell - Fall at Kidd Brewer

Fall in the mountains is a beautiful time and place. When thinking about what is my favorite fall activity, I picture a sunny, crisp Saturday afternoon. With that in mind, it comes down to one variable ... is there an ASU home football game. I say this because there are few settings more beautiful than a Mountaineer home game at Kidd Brewer Stadium. The fans pile in and cheer, the band belts the fight song, puffy white clouds adorn a picturesque blue sky, and most importantly, the open end of the stadium becomes a canvas which captures the beauty of the changing leaves. For an ASU alum such as myself, this setting is unrivaled.

Sherrie Norris - All Things Autumn

I love long walks in the crisp early mornings of autumn as well as a leisure ride on the Parkway, surrounded by the beauty of nature in its full regalia of colorful display. I enjoy celebrating my son's birthday and attending "homecoming" events. I love sitting by the fireplace in the comfort of our living room for the first blaze of the season. A trip to the fair - whether a small hometown event, such as the one in Avery County or the larger State Fair in Raleigh, and sometimes both. The rustling sound of deer traipsing through the fallen leaves around my home, a piping hot cup of cider and just like every season, quality time with family and friends.