The Fire and Sky circle forms in the South San Juan Wilderness of Colorado. We backpack for four days over territory where waterfalls, wildflowers and clear lakes create the American wilderness of our dreams. Heading southwest to Utah's Manti-La Sal National Forest, we hike for three days in the Dark Canyon Primitive Area, where rocks born of fire seem to launch straight for the heavens. All color must originate here, in this rainbow of swirling geology from before the dawn of time. Our trail descends 1,400 feet through walls and ridges, past waterfalls and Anasazi ruins to reach the canyon floor. We travel through streambeds flowing down sandstone steps into canyons with names like "Lean-to" and "Lost," which harbor clear, flowing plunge pools. Guided by moonlight and headlamps, we ascend out of the canyon towards daylight.

Our journey brings us to the Navajo reservation where we experience the traditions, rituals, and way of life of this Native American people. Our day with the Navajo finds us exploring Swinging Bridge, viewing ancient petroglyphs and sharing a traditional meal. We end the evening around the fire, enjoying the dances, music and legends of an extraordinary, unforgettable culture.

Then it's on to the Green River, where we whitewater raft and master kayaking skills in both hard-shell and inflatable kayaks. The instruction is intense, but so is the ride. It takes five spine-tingling days in our rafts and kayaks to roll through 90-odd miles of whitewater rapids. We scream and laugh through places like Desolation Canyon, the very spot where Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid did their best to escape justice.

Once our clothes dry out, we head up to Montana's Beaverhead National Forest for a six-day hike in Big Sky Country. The Pioneer Mountains link more than the plains and the mountains; they also unite earth and sky. The drama is unforgettable. More than 160 high mountain lakes, over a thousand miles of fishable streams, mile upon mile of amazingly wild, remote, undiscovered trails - life up here is paradise. By the time we leave, we are able to navigate off trail by map and compass, efficiently pressure breath at altitude and find the perfect campsite.

Next we visit the Hutterites of Montana, friends of the Steins for over 30 years. Dozens of children and a few men gather to greet us, wearing their distinctive black pants, suspenders and colorful shirts. (Here the good guys all wear black hats!) Moments later, women in below-the-knee dresses and black or polka-dotted head coverings appear from behind row-house buildings. Immediately, we feel as if we have traveled back in time. Friendly, curious and open, the Hutterites have little use for most of this century's "advances."

After that, it's off to the Grand Tetons of Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Serious rock climbing is the agenda for the next two days, and there's no better place to learn. The Tetons explode abruptly from the valley floor to a height of almost 14,000 feet. We start at Jenny Lake, one of a dozen lakes shimmering at the foot of the peaks. After a day of Exum climbing school, our experience is all joyously uphill. Our rallying cry from start to finish? "Learn a lot, laugh a lot and live as large as you can."