“Your guide, Kierre, is a gem.
1. Kierre was sensitive to my mother’s back injury. I lost track of how often she helped my mother through iffy footing. She broke up the long drive to the trailhead with short walks to vistas. She cautioned against an unnecessary river crossing. She kept us well away from boggy soil. I was so, so touched by her kindness.
2. She was thoroughly prepared. We were all a little wary of true wilderness going into the day, but we felt completely safe around an ex-ranger. She knew virtually every plant we came across. She knew which berries could be eaten. She taught us about the geology. She took pains to explain things about scat and old bones that we’d never have thought to ask.
3. She gave us a feeling of ownership over the day. I felt like we were all working together to figure out where to go next. We were in total isolation. We ended up in a section of the mountains new even to Kierre. She gave us a chance to experience complete silence, then. It was magical.
My parents told me afterward that they had never been on such a hike. Thank you.”
