Step by Step

"I've noticed all the outdoor activities you enjoy, like cycling, skiing, and mountain climbing," my son's coworker told him. "You must be really glad that you had a dad who would take you out and teach you all those things."

My son laughed. "It wasn't my dad. It was my mom!"

Judy Schafer's love for the outdoors bloomed during her Montana childhood-those early trips into the mountains with her parents kindled a lifelong craving for the wilderness, culminating in more than a dozen attempts to summit Washington state's Mount Rainier, seven of them successful. On each climb, as Judy faced down the dangers of this massive peak, her awe and respect for the mountain grew.

Determined to provide her two sons, Tim and Kris, with the same childhood experience in the outdoors, she started them young, hitting the trail with them as soon as they could carry a pack. Together, they've spent many years adventuring through forests and peaks. Amid the natural beauty of their trips-sometimes overcoming physical challenges, personal obstacles, and injury-their bond deepened as the boys grew up and they pursued their goal of summiting Mount Rainier together.

This collection of tales shares the outdoor journeys of Judy and her sons, exploring the thrilling ups and downs, the fascinating details, and the risks and rewards of a life lived on the trails and above the clouds. From rocky starts to incredible heights, they do it together-at the guidance, of course, of one tough woman.