It's hard to believe, but autumn is here, which means it's time once again to think about seasonal maintenance for your home or rental property. With temperatures cooling down, now is the perfect time to visit those tasks that were on the back burner during the busy summer months. Fall is the ideal season to check for inexpensive maintenance issues, such as areas that need caulking, gutters that need debris removed or vegetation that needs trimming, to prevent future damage. It's also the perfect time to check the roof for loose or missing shingles. The key is to fix the little things before they cause big, expensive problems. RISMedia's House Call has put together a great one pager for autumn maintenance called Fall Maintenance Tasks for Your Property:

As the snow begins to cover the mountains there is still time to get out on your bike before you need to put on new tires. On The Snow recently published Top 10 Mountain Biking Trails in North America and Park City makes the cut. Good skiers make good mountain bikers. So, it's no wonder that North America's best ski towns turn into the best mountain biking towns each summer. Mountain biking isn’t only good for your legs and core, but also for your heart and lungs, which will help you on those top-to-bottom burners when ski season rolls around again. Mountain biking is also great for your balance, coordination and reaction time. .  here are the top 10 (even though it snowed all night and is still snowing now):

1. Rim Trail - Lake Tahoe, California and Nevada

2. Phil’s Trail - Mt. Bachelor, Oregon

3. Fisher Creek Sun Valley, Idaho 4. Lower Rock Creek Trail Mammoth, California

5. Flying Dog Park City, Utah - Flying Dog is a scenic, fairly non-technical IMBA-designated Epic Ride. It’s perfect for groups with intermediate mountain bikers, as well as experts, who can enjoy cruising down the fast, buffed out dirt and over bridges that cross ponds and streams. The shortest route is a 10-mile ride with a 1,500 vertical feet elevation change, so be prepared. Options include a 10-mile easier ride, a 16-mile moderate ride and a 23-mile ride with 3,000 feet of climbing.

6. Hermosa Creek Durango, Colorado

5. 401 Crested Butte, Colorado

8. A-Line Whistler, British Columbia

9. Powerline Snowshoe Mountain, West Virginia

10. Kimmer’s Trail Stowe, Vermont

We will wrap up this week's blog with something very important - Moose Safety. Park City Magazine shares Trail Safety 101: When You Meet a Moose - How to avoid angering one of Park City’s most frequently seen wild animals. Moose are frequently spotted in and around Park City, but they’re not likely to be friendly if you get too close.

If You Meet a Moose

• Give the moose plenty of space and DO NOT approach it. Keep at least 50 feet between yourself and the moose while you walk past slowly. From a distance, a moose may simply be content to watch you warily or move away, but if you get closer, your presence might agitate it.
• Make sure your dog is leashed and under control. The moose will likely decide you and/or your dog is a threat if your pup is running around and barking. Moose will not hesitate to kick a dog, which can be lethal.
• Don’t get between a mama moose and her calves. If you happen upon a female, be extra careful to assess the scene in case she has little ones nearby. Baby moose are vulnerable to a number of predators, including cougars and bears, so mothers won’t hesitate to aggressively defend their young.

Reasons a Moose Might Charge & Signs of Aggression - Just like other animals, moose have their way of telling you they’re feeling threatened. An angry moose will likely pin its ears back, lower its head, or raise the hackles along its shoulders. If the moose starts moving towards you, it’s a crystal clear message for you to run and get under cover if possible. Usually, if you stay well away from them, moose will simply run away or eye you suspiciously as you pass. A stressed, cornered, or harassed moose, however, might decide to charge. Bull moose are more aggressive and particularly dangerous in September and October during the mating season while cows get prickly during the late spring during calving season.

If A Moose Charges - Should a moose decide to charge you, your only option is to run and take cover. Moose can reach speeds of 30+ m.p.h. so you probably won’t outrun it for long, but at least you’re not going to trigger a predatory response. Your best bet is to try find some kind of cover or climb up a tree if you have time. If the moose catches up and knocks you down, curl into a ball, cover your head as much as you can, and don’t move until the moose leaves. Getting up might make the moose think you’re a renewed threat.

Remember, if you provoke a moose, you’re setting yourself up for a loss since they’re much bigger and more dangerous than you. Best to make some noise, stay away, and let it go about its day.

Keep warm and be safe on the roads.