As I set out on the West Ridge Trail with Janie and my dog Beano in the beautiful mountains of Shotgun, Colorado, I couldn’t have been more excited. After the stress of the previous week, I needed a break. The sun’s rays peaked between the branches of aspen trees, and the birds sang as we made our way up the trail, their voices competing like the instruments of an orchestra during a warm-up. The path began with a charming wooden bridge, barely wide enough for two people walking side by side. The water of the stream below slipped through the rock paths and meandered haphazardly down the mountain. The fresh air filled my lungs, and I felt the warmth of the sun on my skin.
Beano trotted beside me, his tail wagging in rhythm with his wiggling body.
I climbed a nature-made stairway of terra-c
