Born during in 1957, the year that Jarrett and Peterson made their legendary travels, I have been intentionally retracing their path on and off for 35 years. I grew up in the same town as photographer Tom Jarrett and took up the same profession as a photographer.

My mother had author Edwin Peterson as a professor at Pitt.

As an environmental science student at Penn State, I became familiar with places like Kettle Creek and Spruce Creek and the Amish mountain country where Tom's wife grew up. I interviewed him in his later years for an article in the 1980 Pittsburgh Press Sunday Roto Magazine.

With various friends, including Tom's grandsons, I walked the Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail, bicycled through Allegheny Forest, and kayaked the Clarion.

With my parents, who are life-long supporters of the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, I came to know many natural areas, such as the Allegheny Reservoir, Ohiopyle and Moraine even before they became parks.