Sunrise hikes are my life reset button. When I have a lot of heavy things on my mind, I am amazed what an early morning hike will do for my soul. One of my favorite sunrise hikes is trail #6 in Howard Buford Recreational area, between the Coast Fork of the Willamette River and Mount Pisgah near Pleasant Hill, Oregon. I arrive at the trail head at dark and began the trek up the hill. It is quiet. Absent of noise and people. The parking lot is refreshingly empty. About a mile up the trail…the day begins. The songs of the birds can be heard and the warm blanket of the sun rays begin to glisten across the the tall blades of grass. The air is cool and filled with all smells of nature. All of my senses are on overdrive which completely resets my mood. I dismiss my self loathing for having to set an alarm for 3:45 A.M. I can’t help but be happy! I feel so alive! About 3/4 of the way to the summit I arrive at section of the trail where the poem from Robert Frost appears in real life. I recite my favorite part. “Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, and sorry I could not travel both. And be one traveler, long I stood and looked down…”Two roads diverged in a wood, and I, I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.”

I reflect on my life and the crossroads I have faced. I have no regrets. I took the road less traveled and it has made all the difference in my life.