Matthew

A monumental memory was a 90 mile hike in New Mexico when I was 14 at Philmont Scout Ranch. We were on the last day of the hike, starting the final push at 3am under the light of the moon and stars. We were trekking to see the sun crest over the Tooth of Time. As we summited a smaller vantage point with a view of the Tooth of Time the morning mist drifted over a nearby meadow where an elk grazed. The moon, full in washed oranges and purples set above, slowly falling from the night sky. Turning to view the pointy peaks of the Tooth, the sun peeked over the horizon, a jubilant crimson, growing in its expanse every moment. The sun and moon greeted each other for a moment as one rose and the other set. The shadows skittered across the rocks and crevaces below us, cascading like river rapids until finally the world around us was awash in a warm glow of morning light raising the birds and wildlife around us to a new day. This is one of many memories I have as a child, but it has stuck with me so vividly for so many years. The beauty in our activity, the world around us, and that moment shared with others has left such a large imprint on my life as to the awe that Nature affords. I wish and hope that my kids find a similar connection of their own that offers a call to be outside, to pause, to repsect, and share the wonders of the outdoors.