The Mountains Where the Moon Hides Autumn is an inspirational memoir about fresh beginnings, the thrill of being alive, and the beauty of nature—despite life’s darkness moments—in my case desperate mountain rescues, brain tumors, parents with dementia, and the death of two children. Wounds like that never heal but we can all make peace with grief and anger, as a means to living a richer life, rekindling the sense of wonder we all enjoyed as children.

Think of this book as an invitation to share the spirit of high places and remote lands, of being on the continental divide among the clouds in the cool of the morning mist with the sun shining as a hazy opal, an exhilarating solitude and a feeling of living in the sky. Or exploring the desolate Mojave in the lemon light of evening as the solid world disintegrates and the stars fill the sky in a shining blanket of light.

We never truly graduate from the school of hard knocks. Like a tree's growth rings, the years pile on in lessons learned, battles won and lost. Live long enough and we all have joys and successes, but we are also scarred by our losses and frustrated by fear we are missing out. Without the right perspective, each day becomes a vague threat we rely on the anodyne of routine, the same routes, the same safe foods, huddling within the safety of groups, spinning a cocoon we can crawl into when the sky darkens or the drumbeat of conflict makes us edgy.

If we don't wring joy out of every moment, our memories will be regrets. For example, my parents’ dementia was a challenge to find new ways to communicate and share love with them, and the ways we connected were invaluable. And the first time my son Matt led me to the top of a mountain, I felt a spiritual connection, a strong sense of well-being.

I hope this memoir helps you feel a connection, too. Life has a way of robbing us of spirit and spontaneity. We observe without experiencing, we run from feelings. We note the sun is shining but no longer feel the warmth soaking into our skin. The beauty of a blue sky is lost in a thicket of nagging worries and items on a to-do list.

I noticed something vital had gone missing from my life, and set out to re-discover what made life exciting and fulfilling when I was young. This is a journey of taking risks, being open to new ideas and fresh adventures, reconnecting with wild nature, and cultivating an abiding appreciation of beauty. Along the way, I found peace and serenity—life’s greatest gifts—and I want to share those gifts with you.