To sit on a slab of Pennsylvania rock on the AT and watch a hawk rise dozens of feet above me with a simple tilt of a wing, then circle high above for hours on end was one of the greatest thrills I could imagine. And while it was romantic to believe that I was witnessing this majestic spectacle for free, it really came about because someone before me was willing to make it possible.

If we head in the direction of our dreams and accept the winds and rains that will test our resolve, we can experience the deep satisfaction of looking back upon the path of a life well lived.

Going down 6% grades using only a hand brake and low gears wasn’t for sissies and, in retrospect, might have been for idiots.