This tribute is several months overdue, but I was saddened to learn that Colin Fletcher, one of my heroes, passed away in June. Fletcher was the greatest and most eloquent author ever to write on the subject of camping and hiking, and although I've never backpacked in my life, Fletcher occupied a prominent place in my pantheon of writers on literary merits alone. (As one measure of my respect, several years ago, I wrote the original version of Fletcher's wholly inadequate entry on Wikipedia.)

If I were forced to reduce my library to only ten books, the third edition of The Complete Walker, which has been one of my favorite books since childhood, would have to be one of them. It's been a constant companion for more than fifteen years, a source of wisdom and entertainment, a book that nourished my dreams. I'm grateful to Fletcher in ways that I can barely express, and I can only hope that his spirit lives on.