Summit

While traversing the mountainside, a flash of movement above me on the slope catches my eye. My head jerks to better focus on what becomes a man in a t-shirt coming down a trail. A leash angles down and periodic glimpses through the brush shows it's attached to what appears to be a yellow lab. The duo moves in slow motion and they drop out of sight behind a small ridge. Minutes later, I come to where our trails intersect with them now on "my" trail as I cut up onto "their" singletrack. He waves, I wave back, and he rotates to focus on his dog. A tidal wave of emotion rips through me, streaming tears from my eyes.