This summer I started hiking alone for the first time in my life. I’ve been hiking for a while, and I'm very familiar with the mountains around where I live so I don't think there is any harm in hiking solo. With my family’s busy schedule and my boyfriend working non-stop, there’s hardly ever anyone around to join me besides my dog. I have a longing for mountaintops, so I can't always wait for the weekend to hike alongside others. I love being on top of a mountain, knowing that one hike has ended and another is about to start, and I completely control when it will start.

I think there is something so special about being alone on the top of a mountain. I feel accomplished that I got there by myself without any help. I feel grateful that my body was strong enough to finish the climb. And I feel hopeful that the hike down will be easy.

There is a mountain pretty close to where I live that I regularly hike with my family, but just last week I decided to do it alone. Well, just with my dog. I have always loved that mountain and that hike. It’s a short hike, just under 2,000 feet, it goes up steep and the view from the top is amazing. You can see all the other mountains in the area, bigger and smaller, and you can see Boston.

I have always felt a sense of peace on top of this mountain. There’s rarely ever anyone on the mountain and the top has two peaks with plenty of space to grab a seat, enjoy the view and just think. I love knowing that this mountain is always there, always peaceful and always a short drive away.

On my solo hike up last week, I got to the top and hiked over to my favorite peak where I would finally be able to relax and admire this special place. When I was about to sit down I noticed white ribbons in some of the trees scattered around the top of the mountain. I went over to the trees and looked at the ribbons. Written on the white ribbons were notes to a woman named Wendy, who had recently passed away. There were ribbons with messages on them from her daughters, sons, and husband. There was one ribbon signed with all their names that said, “We miss you and love you.”

These little white ribbons were on two different trees and were tied on with flimsy blue ribbon and pipe cleaners. Some of the ribbons looked like they would fall off with the next gust of wind, so I tied the pipe cleaners and blue ribbons back on.

On top of this mountain that meant so much to me, I realized that this mountain also meant so much to someone else who I had never met before.

This was an interesting experience because to me, Wendy, and her family, this mountain was important and meant something special. But we have never met, and we probably love this mountain for different reasons. I think it’s pretty amazing that shared space between strangers can also have deep meaning and feel like home to the individuals that visit it.

On my solo hike up my favorite mountain, I realized that one of my favorite places is a favorite to many more than just me. Because this place serves as a special place to many others, I feel a duty to make sure it stays clean, free of any trash and peaceful, so that we all can fully enjoy it. All too often I see trash left on trails or parks around my neighborhood littered with trash. Who are you to litter in a space that could be so special to someone?

It's so important to keep our shared spaces clean because you never know how special that place may be to another person.