Snakes on the Trail
One of my passions is running. Well, with the Olympics approaching it is hard to actually call what I do running, but the definition seems sufficiently broad to include it. This past Saturday I finally ran a local trail at the urging of a friend. Normally I run around on the streets of River Heights, so trail running was a new experience. It was a gorgeous Cache Valley morning and the trail, part of the Bonneville Shoreline trail system, runs along the benches above our Valley from Logan Dry Canyon to Providence Canyon. The views were spectacular and I was really enjoying my run.However, a mile or so in I met up with a lady hiking in the opposite direction. She flagged me down and began to ask about my knowledge of snakes. I said that while I did grow up in the deserts of Arizona it was fairly limited. She then proceeded to warn me about a snake curled up in the middle of the trail about a hundred or so yards ahead. She said she believed it was a rattlesnake and from her description I thought she was right.More cautiously than before, I began again my run. I was now firmly focused on the trail. Soon enough I saw what was definitely a rattlesnake curled up in the middle of the trail. Cautiously I made my way around the snake and proceeded with my run, though now with a greater appreciation of the risks associated with trail running.As I continued on, it struck me how important it is to receive warnings about life's dangers that lay ahead. Whether it is from our parents, clergy, a doctor, or even an estate planning lawyer, we all need assistance along life's trail. Without the kindness of this lady - willing to take the time to warn me of danger ahead - I may have had a very different encounter with the snake. I felt gratitude to be blessed with a career that allows me to help others navigate the snakes on the trail.