The area of the Three Sisters is my favorite place to hike in Sitka. Climbing every one of them has been a challenge. The first time I went out there, I got lost at around 2000 feet elevation. It's easy to find a way up most of these mountains, but finding a way back down can be difficult. It was an overcast day, and I could only see about 50 feet in any direction. I decided to turn back, and headed down a ridge, but it narrowed down, squeezed between two ravines. I found myself at the top of a 50-foot cliff, so I headed back up. This happened several times before I finally admitted I was lost. I calmed myself and kept looking for the way I had come, and finally found it. The only real worry was not finding a way down before dark and having the Search and Rescue team start looking for me. That would have been doubly bad, considering I had skipped the SAR drill to hike on my own.

I went back on a clear day and found a way to the top. Since then I've been back many times. It is amazing country; you top the ridges and look down into a totally different world, some vegetation lower in the valley but mostly bare rock and snow. Baranof Island is a rugged place.

When I can't get out for a good hike, I enjoy looking out at the mountains and knowing what they are like in their intimate details. This photograph was taken near the Cross Trail. When I go running I often turn around right here, pausing to kneel down and catch the Sisters reflecting in the muskeg pond. It always reminds me that moving here was the right thing to do.