My good friend Desiree died of ovarian cancer in 2002 at the age of 28. Her wish was to have her ashes scattered at the top of the Angel's Landing trail in Zion National Park in southern Utah. Her actual resting place is short of the top because the hike really is quite intimidating, but I try to get out to Zion every year to pay a visit.

So far this has meant I make it out there every second year (I've been twice so far). The first time I visited her spot, but didn't get to the end of the hike. It was windy, and I was alone, and it didn't seem like such a great idea to venture out alongside a 1500 foot sheer drop on a "trail" consisting of hand-hewn steps and a steel chain bolted straight onto the rock.

This past weekend I did make it out to the end. I went with my friends Jared and Amie. I carried with me a small vial of my father's ashes, and scattered them at the memorial spot on top of the cliff.