It was a cool brisk morning as Cindy and Ron boarded the “Lady of the Lake” ferry. It was late June, but the overnight temps dipped into the upper 50’s. This was going to be the first overnight backpack trip for both of them. The plan was to take a short ferry ride to Lucerne and catch a ‘taxi’ to Holden Village. From the trailhead to Upper Lyman Lake is about a 10 mile hike. The Lyman Glacier is accessible by foot. The North Cascades is one of the most beautiful areas in the world. From the numerous waterfalls to the vast forests, there are many hidden gems scattered about the countryside. Ron and Cindy were about to embark on one of its magnificent beauties.

The sweet fragrance of coffee filled the air. Normally they would have their $5/cup designer coffee, but this trip was far from being normal. Actually, that is a misnomer. It is everything about being normal. At least what normal used to be like. It was about two people connecting with nature, connecting with each other, and connecting with how life used to be. No electronic devices to distract from the objectives. No contact with the outside world. Oh that did not sit well with Cindy’s best friend or her business associates. The same went with Ron’s family and his partners. They all knew deep down that Cindy and Ron both needed this, but it did put pressure their associates. As Cindy put it, you guys will do just fine. If not, you’re fired. Sounded like she was joking, but if you knew Cindy, you knew there was a half-truth in the statement. There is something about fresh brewed coffee blending with the sweet fragrance of pine. As the ferry pulled away from the dock, Ron put his arm around Cindy pulled her close to him and said what a beautiful day this is.