Quandary

I was in a true quandary on Mount Quandary. The summer my dad passed, my friends were MIA, and my “adventure pup” hadn’t yet joined my life. My only big summits before were the Decalibron Loop, and I had to choose between adventuring alone or staying in bed with my grief and pie. Near the final mile to the summit, I froze—locking eyes with a father goat guarding his newborn. Keeping my distance, I weighed turning back or pressing on in my first close encounter with Colorado wildlife.