That night the clouds parted, the chilled wind ceased, and total silence engulfed me. Furthermore, even with only the aid of starlight, I could see more clearly than I have ever before. Is was as if someone placed their hands behind my tired eyes and washed the haze away from my view.
I was high atop a rock formation in the northern New Mexico wilderness. The “Tooth of Time”, easily the most recognizable landmark in the area, was nestled between the southern cusp of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains and the expansive desert plains.
After a relatively short yet strenuous hike earlier that evening, I met up with some friends to spend a night hunkered between the large boulders that covered the summit. As it is for most nights at that elevation, the cold swept in hard and fast and we soon found ourselves staring at the night sky while lying in our sleeping bags.
