I’ve been doing a little early spring cleaning around my house lately. So much of the stuff I keep is of no real use to me anymore, but I’m attached to it out of either nostalgia or the fear that I may suddenly find a purpose for it after it’s gone. So I shuffle things around and try to make it all fit into the available space.

Finding space takes on another meaning when I’m hiking in a place as popular as Granite Bay on Folsom Lake. In some areas, it’s easy to escape the crowds — especially this time of year. But of course, if I find a beautiful locale the chances are that other people will also be drawn to it, whether they’re hoping to mountain bike, to hike, or just to enjoy the spring sunshine.