Living the High Life

We stop at red lights and stay inside the lane lines on the road. We turn on our blinkers at intersections. We have to obey speed limits and do what the signs say. Wouldn't it be nice to live the high life?

What is the high life you say? The high life is away from all of this. It's where the sun shines and the trails go on for miles. Stop lights never bother you. The only lane lines are the cliffs and rocks. The grass waves in the wind. The leaves shake in the aspens. Your company is your own breath and the sound of your pounding steps.

I went running the other day and the dog to human ratio was almost 1 to 1. I didn't hit a stop light one. Traffic consisted of a few mountain bikers a handful of hikers and a just about that many dogs. I had a little bit of a mix up at a split in the trail and a bit of foot and paw traffic, but they weren't near like the stops I sometimes have to make waiting to cross the road. The dirt helped so my knees didn't ache after I ran. Six miles came and went beneath my feet. Then I had to get back in my car and return to the world of Provo, Utah.

I know we need all the traffic regulations to keep us safe and that if the only roadways were trails my life would be much harder. That doesn't mean I have to like it.

"The mountains are calling and I must go."

-John Muir