It was a long hike. I had veered off the gravel road that ribboned across the mountain valley and chose a trail created by the multitude of deer that grazed this land.

My breathing was a bit labored as I hoisted myself onto the rocky ledge overlooking the river below. I bent over with hands on my knees to catch my breath, only to lose it again once I raised up and took in the glorious sight below.

Sunshine glimmered across the river in the alcoves where the flow was serene. Ferns blanketed the banks in the shadows of hemlocks, pine, and oak. Hills rose and fell, sculpting the land all the way to the summit on which we stood.