I don’t remember when the hike actually would begin. It was always sort of this disordered commotion, and all of a sudden we were off on the trail, pacing forward, left foot and then right foot ahead of us. We trusted that the cairns, the piles of rocks that were set up by hikers that had passed through this territory before, would guide us along the way.

Philosophical Engineering

I always appreciated the efforts of those fellow hikers who took the time to build these cairns, as they represented key locations on the hike up a mountain back in New Hampshire. They were points where we could admire the surroundings or that kept us on the right trail. Each cairn was not some prefabricated injection-molded piece from a factory; it was artfully crafted with only the local stones in the surrounding area. Every one was unique in its own way.

These cairns broke up the hike into smaller sections, or legs. They eased the high expectations and intimidating awareness that the distance was long and challenging ahead. Every time I passed one, I would give it a subtle glance, appreciating the cheerleader encouraging me to keep moving forward.

And in order to get to each of these cairns, I had to place my legs so they would maintain my balance and an upright posture, regard- less of the terrain underneath me. There were many steps that needed to be taken, but often I would remember the steps that stood out the most, like the balanced steps necessary to cross over a stream on a log, or the delicate footwork necessary to climb the rock wall at Huntington Ravine on Mount Washington.

Hiking a mountain was a great way for me to reduce the sound volume of the world around me, as there were no neon signs or annoying salespeople trying to sell me something. No one was rushing me, and I was the only one setting the pace. I could turn down the volume of the rest of the world, and turn up the volume of my inner world.

So what are the cairns to follow in life? What are the piles of rocks that keep me moving forward where others can help show me the way? I've realized that they are the values (the standards) for which I want to live my life.