“It was May before myattention cameto spring andmy word I saidto the southern slopesI'vemissed it, itcame and went beforeI got right to see:don't worry, said the mountain,try the later northern slopesor ifyou can climb, climbinto spring: butsaid the mountainit's not that waywith all things, somethat go are gone”

“Ray, what you got to do is go climb a mountain...”

“It was spring, the part of spring where the bursting is done, the held-in pressures of desiccated sap-veins and gum-sealed buds are gone, and all the world’s in a rush to be beautiful.”

“Can words describe the fragrance of the very breath of spring?”

“I've decided that if I had my life to live over again, I would not only climb more mountains, swim more rivers, and watch more sunsets; I wouldn't only jettison my hot water bottle, raincoat, umbrella, parachute, and raft; I would not only go barefoot earlier in the spring and stay out later in the fall; but I would devote not one more minute to monitoring my spiritual growth. No, not one.”

“How can we ever lose interest in life? Spring has come again And cherry trees bloom in the mountains.”