Early wake up calls and carb heavy meals. A crepuscular routine to catch the light on the Earth as the sun rises and falls. Tired legs but an emancipated soul. These are the hallmarks of hiking life. I may behave like a city boy and even resemble one, but do I enjoy forays into desert forests and rocky outcrops. Physical perspective literally yields mental and emotional perspective. We climb the mountain to relish in the journey upwards, but also to connect with the planet as it lays out before us from the top. It is the character of our species. We are a part of the Earth, and must remember that before we return to it.