Choosing My Own Adventure

I scared myself silly climbing a mountain (and I’d do it again).

My companions climbing the mountain. (Photo courtesy of the author.)

We bumped along a rutted dirt road in a rented SUV, parking a quarter mile from the trailhead leading to the summit of Mount Democrat. The four of us hoisted backpacks stuffed with water, food, dry socks, and extra clothes onto our backs. The thin, 38-degree air nipped at exposed hands and faces. Winded by the…