Sometime past noon, I twist the key on my four-wheeler and the engine roars to life. Mom follows suit, and eventually my brother hops on. 

I didn’t know where we were, nobody did. “Somewhere near the Wisconsin-Michigan border!” I responded to my brother, unable to give a straight answer. My brother nor our Mom had fear in their voices, even without a phone reception. Riding along freshly blazed trails filled our agenda for the afternoon. 

No bumps, cracks, or crevices hindered our journey. We were the first to experience this unique taste of wonder. Branches of trees shagged over the tight trail. Leaves and sticks clattered against my helmet and cleared the path for my family. 

The whiz of the engines voided all possible communication between any of us. Our eyes were set only on what’s ahead and heads on when we might arrive at our destination. Thick, green vegetation filled the sides of the trails. Sunlight evidently failed make any contact with the riders below. Any direction and turn the trail took us brought nothing new. 

The occasional hare or squirrel scurried perpendicular to our path. Perhaps indicating our destination drew closer. The constant uphill battle and rocks the size of boulders along the trail intimidated me. 

The dense trees opened up to our left. Rays of sun poured onto the surrounding area. Peering over and coming to a stop, we made it clear to ourselves we’ve climbed a bit of altitude.

Mile after mile of spruce trees filled the canvas of uninhabited Northern Michigan. Each tree blew westardly whilst the faint sound of breeze against my windbreaker. Flat rocks, basking in the sun, marked the boundary between myself and the steep descent into the forestry below.

Both my mom and brother approached my side. Even with a cliff mere inches away from us. The tranquil essence of the superb scenery took us all by the hand and into a peaceful state of mind.

Pebbles began to break free from the only thing that was negating our certain death. Immediately, my brother hopped off along with me. Mom stayed fiddling with her camera whilst we begged her to fall back to safety.