In 2016, I had the opportunity to ride my bicycle along the Hiawatha Trail with my nine year old granddaughter, Haidyn. The route of the Hiawatha mountain biking and hiking trail winds its way for 15 miles through the Bitterroot Mountains of North Idaho and Western Montana while traversing 10 tunnels and negotiating 7 trestles. Still called the Milwaukee Road, when it was completed over a century ago, it became...

In 2016, I had the opportunity to ride my bicycle along the Hiawatha Trail with my nine year old granddaughter, Haidyn. The route of the Hiawatha mountain biking and hiking trail winds its way for 15 miles through the Bitterroot Mountains of North Idaho and Western Montana while traversing 10 tunnels and negotiating 7 trestles. Still called the Milwaukee Road, when it was completed over a century ago, it became one of the most scenic and iconic stretches of railroad in the United States. My reminiscences became the basis for this book, which is itself an allegory of our times. In this allegory, Haidyn Hudson serves as a role model for those who would embrace adversity as a God-given opportunity for personal growth and achievement.