Viewfinder

Anyone who has known me more than five minutes knows I love to walk. That said, I am more of a sand piper and less of a mountain goat. Skittering atop a long flat surface is my preferred landscape. I'll leave the hills for my more disciplined peers. I am happy to stroll.

On occasion, I have deviated from type. I remember climbing the tight and winding staircase that was built inside the interior of the Statue of Liberty's raised arm, back before the NPS shut down such opportunities. Twice I hiked the steep steps of the Pyramid of the Sun, located outside Mexico City. The second time the weather was so hot my face looked like a giant tomato by the end of the ascent, bright red from both sun and exertion. Numerous times I have found myself clinging to nearby scrub pines in an attempt to conquer some granite-topped dome in my native New England, much to the chagrin of my aching knees.

Frequent mountaineers claim the expansive views make climbing worth the effort. Perhaps. But maybe, just maybe, meandering along the ocean's edge can suffice.

"You never climb a mountain by accident -- it has to be intentional." – Mark Udall