Perseverance is half the Work
Few people travel to great heights. In fact most people will never see the world from 14,000 ft. in their entire lifetime. This past summer I had that opportunity. It was an experience that I would not trade for anything.
I know that climbing a mountain only seems like hiking with elevation, but there are some important facts that play into climbing a mountain. One of the biggest challenges is that as you get higher and higher from sea level the air supply regresses on an exponential level. That means that at 15,000 ft. the oxygen supply is half of what it is at 200 ft. Not only so, but Handies Peak, the mountain I was striving to reach the top of, was a 4 mile hike with a starting elevation at 9500 ft. and a final destination at 14,049 ft. For every mile we walked, we would be climbing 1,138 ft. It was going to be a challenge
The morning of the hike came and we were all packed up and ready to go. We started our hike at 6:30 am in order to avoid any afternoon thunderstorms. It was early June; there was still snow on the ground. This made from some exciting surprises when every fifth step you took you would fall into a snowdrift up to your waist. As we kept hiking the views got more and more beautiful. Excitement inside me was starting to build up and at times I would catch myself walking off pace.
The initial parts of the hike were difficult due to the snow and the cold, but none of that compared to what was to come. As we reached the ascend on the summit we could feel the air starting to get thinner.
The final half mile was a climb at around a 30 to 40 degree angle uphill. As I continued my walk I was noticing myself getting worn out. I eventually made it to the point to where I could not consistently walk without losing my breath. That is when I had to start counting how many times I stepped to how often I was breathing. I sat down for a moment; about 500 ft. from the summit, and thought to myself that there was no way I was going to make it to the top. However, I decided that I had to persevere, I had to meet the challenge I had placed before me or else I would be disappointed with my own efforts.
I was able to pick myself back up and start walking, and as I did I counted my steps. 1-2-3-breathe-1-2-3-breathe. I eventually reached the top, and I sat on a rock and gazed at the beauty that was surrounding me. I thought to myself for awhile, as the rest of my group was making their way up, that "I needed to remember that in those times when you are tired and cannot move any more, when you begin to count your steps. Those are the moments that you must persevere through in order to receive the most beautiful rewards." That lesson has played into my career. I know that times will be challenging, and often at the end of the busy seasons I will feel like I am counting my steps. However in order to reach my goals, I will need to persevere and push through the moments when the air gets thin.
I know that climbing a mountain only seems like hiking with elevation, but there are some important facts that play into climbing a mountain. One of the biggest challenges is that as you get higher and higher from sea level the air supply regresses on an exponential level. That means that at 15,000 ft. the oxygen supply is half of what it is at 200 ft. Not only so, but Handies Peak, the mountain I was striving to reach the top of, was a 4 mile hike with a starting elevation at 9500 ft. and a final destination at 14,049 ft. For every mile we walked, we would be climbing 1,138 ft. It was going to be a challenge
The morning of the hike came and we were all packed up and ready to go. We started our hike at 6:30 am in order to avoid any afternoon thunderstorms. It was early June; there was still snow on the ground. This made from some exciting surprises when every fifth step you took you would fall into a snowdrift up to your waist. As we kept hiking the views got more and more beautiful. Excitement inside me was starting to build up and at times I would catch myself walking off pace.
The initial parts of the hike were difficult due to the snow and the cold, but none of that compared to what was to come. As we reached the ascend on the summit we could feel the air starting to get thinner.
The final half mile was a climb at around a 30 to 40 degree angle uphill. As I continued my walk I was noticing myself getting worn out. I eventually made it to the point to where I could not consistently walk without losing my breath. That is when I had to start counting how many times I stepped to how often I was breathing. I sat down for a moment; about 500 ft. from the summit, and thought to myself that there was no way I was going to make it to the top. However, I decided that I had to persevere, I had to meet the challenge I had placed before me or else I would be disappointed with my own efforts.
I was able to pick myself back up and start walking, and as I did I counted my steps. 1-2-3-breathe-1-2-3-breathe. I eventually reached the top, and I sat on a rock and gazed at the beauty that was surrounding me. I thought to myself for awhile, as the rest of my group was making their way up, that "I needed to remember that in those times when you are tired and cannot move any more, when you begin to count your steps. Those are the moments that you must persevere through in order to receive the most beautiful rewards." That lesson has played into my career. I know that times will be challenging, and often at the end of the busy seasons I will feel like I am counting my steps. However in order to reach my goals, I will need to persevere and push through the moments when the air gets thin.