I have a fear of heights. The more time I spend climbing up the side of mountains, hiking up fire towers, and working in a high rise buildings, the fear diminishes, but still is very much a real fear.

When I was young, I used to be afraid of escalators, and even walking out by a window of a high rise building. None of those things evoke much fear any more. After climbing mountains, I quickly hike up fire towers — even at night, with little fear. I like to look down, and look at the scenery around.

Yet, I still have a fear of heights, particularly of slipping and falling on the edge of a mountain trail or down a rock face. While this fear is rational, to a degree, it does bother me at times, and keep me from getting pictures or enjoying certain sections of a hike as much as I should be.

I guess it’s rational to realize that when a trail follows a potentially deadly 50 feet drop off one foot away, to be a little bit scared. I just wish I felt less concerned about looking off the trail and enjoying the vast scenery that can be seen rather then keeping an eye on the trail.

You can notice the general lack of photographs I have trails that run along the edge of mountains. It’s because I’m just too darn scared to take out the camera.