“If children, and then as adults, know a little bit about nature or get out into it, then they really like it. And then they’ll really develop a love for it. And if they love it, they will take care of it. Mother Earth needs a little taking care of…If they enjoy the outdoors then they’ll pass that love on to their children and on to their children’s children.”

I sure do love this list. St. Elias is one of my favorite mountains ever. And number 11 needs to happen soon, too.

So many emotions ran through me as I viewed these stunning photos of one woman’s brave fight against breast cancer, as captured by her loving husband. Click the link to check it out for yourself.

Texas 4000 for Cancer 2012 rider, Georgene Hergenroeder, encapsulates exactly what the T4K experience feels like once the 4,500 mile journey is finished: “Now that the ride is over, I get the same question over and over again; people ask me, “What was your favorite part?” It’s somewhat unfortunate that this is the most common question that I get because it is an incredibly difficult question to answer. Every day was both the best day of my life and the hardest day of my life. For example, when I look back on the ride from Cheyenne to Laramie and consider how physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausted I felt, I would still go back and do it again…While I can’t tell you what my favorite part is, I can tell you one of the greatest lessons that I learned, and one that I plan to remember for the rest of my life. I can narrow it down to one simple word: perspective…I learned that there are truly difficult problems in the world, and all we can do is try our best every day to love the people around us and put these problems to an end.” Click the link to read more. As a 2009 rider, I’m feeling so proud of everyone in the Texas 4000 organization for what we’ve all done, and what the successive teams will continue to do to help others in the years to come.