The sun beat down on the dusty trail. The air was thick with the scent of pine and sagebrush. A lone rider, a man weathered by the harsh Nevada sun, trudged along, his horse picking its way carefully over the uneven terrain. The towering granite peaks of the Sierra Nevada loomed in the distance, their snow-capped summits piercing the azure sky. A hawk circled overhead, its piercing cry echoing through the stillness.