I have seen animals go silent just before the earth started to shake. They sensed the tremors coming. In some parts of the world, people maintain the instinct to feel an impending earthquake or tsunami. I believe that we are all born with a wealth of protective instinct and that most of us become disconnected…

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This kind man stopped and chatted with me in the Great Basin. We shared real connection. He introduced me to his son and gave me his work gloves to protect my blistered hands when I was walking on crutches. If I had just said “Oh I’m fine” when he asked, this connection would not have…

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Hiking helps me put my “mistakes” and decisions into perspective. I used to sometimes stop somewhere for the night only to regret the next day that I hadn’t walked just a mile further to a more lovely camp spot. I agonized over which route to take, not wanting to miss the “better” of my choices.…

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I stand on the top of a mountain feeling satisfied that my aging body made the climb. I eventually pull myself away from the views and make my way down. Sometimes I lose as much as 4,000 feet in elevation, and while I am going down I see the next monolith I will have to…

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I’ve heard a lot of people out here blame the Forest Service for the number of forest fires. They say it is mismanagement that has caused the fires. I don’t know if it is quite that simple. I believe that climate change has played a part. I suspect having acres of dead standing timber from…

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I’ve been wondering lately what happens when a goal I’ve had for over forty years is finally reached, especially when that goal became my lifeline, the rope I held onto to keep afloat. What happens when I take that last step and reach the end of the rope? It is common for people to feel…

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