Chapter 13I awoke just before sunrise. I got up and quietly got dressed. I left the room without waking Denis, and headed down the stairs and out the back of the Hostel. I could barely see the trail in the early morning light and had to be careful not to twist an ankle. As the sun began to rise above the Alps, I had gone about a mile down the trail. I sat on a large rock and took out of my backpack an apple and some cheese. I sat there resting and enjoying the fresh morning air and my breakfast. Then I saw it – a large male Ibex about 100 meters up the slope. He was standing there staring at me. He gave his head a slight nod as if he was saying good morning and then headed up the mountain side.
I thought of Cindy and what she must be up to. I checked my watch; the time was 7:00 a.m. That
