Here in the Mid-Atlantic, "shoulder season" is what I think of as the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas, when the weather is cold but not quite cold enough, the leaves are gone but the ground not covered in snow, and occasionally, the late, soft sunrises are joined by the warm, still air of an Indian summer (is there such thing as Indian autumn?). For me, this month is what makes Maryland so special. It is obviously not "shoulder season" in New Haven or in hardly any other region of the country.
These photos were taken on two hikes we did on consecutive December weekends - in the Hilton area of the Patapsco Valley (20 minutes to our west), and at Liberty Reservoir (30 minutes to our northwest). Waking leisurely at 7 AM on Saturday, hitting the trailheads closer to 8 AM, and delighting in the low, slow arc of the winter sun and its gentle golden light. A never-ending sunrise. Tinted morning mist drifting up over water and wood.
