Mountain Trail

home

wanderings
(places)

wonders
(perspectives)

wonderings
(thoughts)

wanderer
(about me)

companions
(family & friends)

mountain trail

The journey itself is the goal - Philip Yancey

Mountain Trail is the personal web site of Joel Justiss. It contains some photographs, some philosophy and some other things. It's arranged in five sections:

wanderings

I love hiking, especially on mountain trails that lead to panoramic views. I've traveled and hiked in many parts of the United States and a few other countries, and I take pictures wherever I go. These pages tell about some of those places and show some pictures. My more recent pictures are in my photo gallery on Picasa.

wonders

There's a variety of other stuff that I've paused to appreciate along the way. I'm fascinated with the oddities of life and the weirdness of the world. I enjoy having my mind boggled by the perspectives presented by astronomy and other sciences. This page gives some of my thoughts and includes links to some intriguing web sites.

wonderings

My life has been as much of an adventure as any hike I've ever taken. I've found that life itself is as fascinating to explore as a range of mountains. These pages summarize my religious and philosophical journey so far. I now have a blog, Forest Trail, in which I publish some additional thoughts on related subjects.

wanderer

This page tells more about me and my other interests. I read a lot, I like to play games, I enjoy listening to music, and I'm a software developer by trade, so I'll (eventually) share some of my favorite books, games, music, and programming prejudices. Publishing has been a long-term interest, and this web site is a satisfying way to scratch that itch.

companions

I've enjoyed the company of many companions on my wanderings. My parents, who started me out on the road, have written about their own lives. My wife Jeanne, who has accompanied me since 1970, is a Christian counselor, and we're very proud of our three sons. This page tells a little about my family and includes links to their web sites.

Come on along and let's swap stories as we walk. If we've already met somewhere along the trail, I'd especially like to hear from you.

what's new

December 3, 2011 I have added my eulogy for my father, Howard Justiss.

September 3, 2007 I have started a blog, Forest Trail, to publish some of my observations that I haven't yet organized to include in this site, and a photo gallery on Picasa.

June 16, 2007 I have greatly explanded my Recommended Reading page to include most of the books I've read in the last few years, and my notes on them.

August 30, 2005 I have added a page for my father, Howard Justiss, in celebration of his 94th birthday!

April 30, 2005 I have created a web site "Virtual Caddo" for the Justiss clan.

December 6, 2004 My wonderings section now has eight pages telling the story of my religious life and how I went free of religion, and a page of recommended books.

September 2, 2004 My wanderings section now has five photo pages containing 45 photographs. If you're interested in how these pages were done, see my technical note.

August 1, 2004 The web version of my mother's memoir is now complete!