Rick Deutsch, author of One Best Hike: Yosemite’s Half Dome (Wilderness Press) and publisher of HikeHalfDome.com has lived the Carpe Diem attitude. His first book with Wilderness Press is also the first of their proposed series of "One Best Hike" guides. Having summited Yosemite's Half Dome 21 times, he is uniquely qualified to write the definitive guide for all levels of hiker. His casual style of writing provides candid conversational guidance while insisting that you have fun! It's a big hike. Be prepared and do it safely.
Carpe Diem is a state of mind. From the Latin, it means Seize the Day! Or to quote the great actor, James Dean: "Dream as if you'll live forever. Live as if you'll die today." The Carpe Diem philospophy surfaced in recent times thanks to the Robin Williams' 1989 movie "Dead Poets Society." He implored his students to strive to enjoy all the planet has to offer. We each have a finite number of heartbeats - a set number of clicks on our body's odometer. Smell the rose today, for it may be wilted tomorrow. Or put another way, you never know when that semi coming your direction will cross over the line!
Rick hails from the Virginia suburbs of Washington, DC, but settled in San Jose, California in 1975. He recently retired from a Marketing career in Information Technology in Silicon Valley. He is a captivating public speaker and often gives talks at outfitters, libraries, health clubs, museums, colleges and bookstores. His other passion is enjoying American Classic cars.
For more on hiking Half Dome, check out the story and video of Doug's journey to the top from a few years ago.
