For 47 years, Michael Palmer was a finance professor at the University of Colorado in Boulder. During that time his only writing and publications consisted of his academic research. After retiring from his home campus in 2013, Michael continued to teach as a visiting professor in Japan, Germany, and Italy. However, in 2020, the COVID pandemic abruptly eliminated those opportunities. That's when he took up writing. A Hike in the Mountains is Michael's fifth book of short stories. This collection includes many stories which are based upon his real-life experiences. The reader will have no difficulty in identifying those stories.