Defiance is beautiful. The defiance of power, especially great or overwhelming power, exalts and glorifies the rebel.

Though I've lived in the rural West most of my life, I never once fell in love with a horse. Not once. Neither end.

A journey into the wilderness is the freest, cheapest, most nonprivileged of pleasures. Anyone with two legs and the price of a pair of army surplus combat boots may enter.

I suppose each of us has his own fantasy of how he wants to die. I would like to go out in a blaze of glory, myself, or maybe simply disappear someday, far out in the heart of the wilderness I love, all by myself, alone with the Universe and whatever God may happen to be looking on. Disappear - and never return. That's my fantasy.

Better a cruel truth than a comfortable delusion.

To the intelligent man or woman, life appears infinitely mysterious. But the stupid have an answer for every question.

A man is not aware of his virtues (if any). Nevertheless, one hopes that they exist.