Everything went “wrong.” And it was perfect.


Years ago, Reader, when I co-led my first backpacking pilgrimage, everything that could go wrong… did. We had to change destinations midway through marketing and convince a few disappointed folks to come along anyway. Then we got our wires crossed about overnight parking and had to improvise a plan B. My dog, Blue—then a puppy—refused to be left behind in the kennel, so he became our little brown-and-white (and mud-covered) mascot. Because of all that, we got a late start, stopped short of...