It was a weird feeling not to work with the pack from sunrise to sundown. Instead, I stood on the balcony that looked out over the countryside. My room was one of the few that had a balcony with a view of the sprawling mountain range.

Snow blanketed the peak, indicating that the entire mountain would soon be covered in the soft, icy grip of winter's mercy. Much like Saint, it was without sympathy, making roadways impassable, cutting the pack off from the outside world.

The ...