The digital clock on the truck dash read 10:07am. The summer sun was nearing the peak of its steady ascent, but Forest Service Road #42 on the Gifford Pinchot National Forest was dark as twilight.
Peering through the towering trees, it was hard to see much beyond the edge of the gravel road, the understory thick with hanging limbs and brush. The truck wound through the darkness, when suddenly the sun seemed to burst onto the road. The trees drifted apart, wide gaps opening between trunks.
Beams of warm sunlight found their way to the forest floor and tangled vegetation gave way to wildflowers. Butterflies floated on the air. But the warm summer sun passed quickly, and in the span of just a few moments, the truck plunged back into shadow.
The views and opinions expressed are those of the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of C3.
