This exceptional collection of poetry vividly portrays Michael J. O'Loughlin's experiences while hiking and climbing in wilderness areas in North and Central America. It describes not only the incredible beauty of these sanctuaries, but it also tries to examine our human reactions to the wonder, awe, and apprehension we feel when encountering nature on her terms. About the Author Michael J. O'Loughlin's twenty-year career as a classroom teacher allowed him to use his skills to wander wilderness trails, glaciers, and high country in the United States and Canada. At first his camera and notepad were simply tools to record a diary of his impressions and adventures. However, the occasional dabbling with haiku form in the 1970s and 1980s began to evolve into sonnets and more serious poetic experimentation in the 1990s. it was during that latter period that he began using his library of thousands of pictures to illustrate his poetic musings about beauty, fear, fatigue, and triumph in outdoor settings. He and his wife, Isobel, now reside in Sarasota, Florida.