Lessons from the buck I missed

5:30 a.m.

Crawling out of bed, especially before sunrise, has always felt like a chore. But not this morning. My anticipation of the day ahead had already repeatedly awoken me well before the alarm sounded. And as that familiar foe called out, the burden of waking up melted away.

By 8 o’clock, we’d already eaten breakfast, climbed to the top of a ridge in a rainstorm and were glassing the surrounding mountain sides for any sign of movement. Despite visiting this property for more than two decades, this was my first time seeking out this view.