All of the planning, anticipation, and expense I put into this dream of hiking the Canol Trail had become jeopardized by a chance encounter with a dog.

Sometimes when you just let yourself go with the flow, things work out very well in the end.

After dinner, as I stood in front of my tent, nursing my evening mug of hot chocolate and looking out over the valley, six wolves silently materialized out of the bush not more than ten feet from me.

He’s the kind of guy you would go to the ends of the Earth with, so I did. Our adventures have included Iceland, New Zealand,

Being out there, you get in touch with the natural rhythms of nature and learn to adjust your pace accordingly.

Dying because of an accident or injury was a risk I accepted. Dying because of a dumb mistake was humiliating and much more difficult to accept. I managed to stay relatively calm and devised an admittedly meager plan.

In an environment like that, you have to make a mental and emotional adjustment to it. For me, that wasn’t a problem. After so many treks, I had learned to forget about my job, the bills, the car that needed servicing, how poorly the Yankees were playing, and the phone call I forgot to make. Instead, I focused on the present, on things I could

I find the process of detachment immensely invigorating. It is the cerebral side of backpacking and one of the most intriguing aspects of a long, remote hike.

Neither of us was complaining. In a situation like that, you try to enjoy what you can and block out what you can’t.