In the rounding of one short bend, I was thrust out of the world of the casual day-hiker, and into that of the rugged, free-solo mountain climber. The northern face of the mountain was surfaced with far less forgiving textures and inclines than that of the eastern climes. While the trail which I had carved my way up certainly did possess its fair share of boulders and stone, centuries of the influence of Life had wiggled its way into the spaces in between, leaving soil and shrubs, and sticks and leaves – thus making for a far more natural terrain to hike. But as I wound my way up, following…