The Road to the Summit

There are 93 mountain peaks in the United States that sit over 14,000 feet above sea level. Mount Whitney, in the California High Sierras stands 14, 497 feet above sea level and ranks 17th tallest in the United States, tallest in the contiguous states. Although not the highest overall, nor the most technical mountain, it was on the trails leading to Mount Whitney that I learned about "The Road to the Summit".

In 2004 myself and thirteen others took a six day trip to backpack through the back country of Mount Whitney, reach the top, and then return. During this trip we carrying all our gear and food on our backs. On the third day of the hike we reached Lower Crab Tree, a beautiful spot on the trail. As I sat on the banks of a small stream eating my lunch the trees parted, the mountain passes pulled back, and the Whitney summit was finally revealed. From my record of the trip I wrote,

"All in all, we saw Mount Whitney only twice during the hike, once at Lone Pine, outside the Ranger Station and once at Lower Crabtree. For days we hiked miles and miles on a trail wide enough for only one, toward a goal that we could not see. Each day we kept going and each mile moved us closer, but aside from our lunch break in Lower Crabtree - we could not see the reason for our quest. We just had to believe it there and believe we were moving in the right direction."

As I stood on the top of Mount Whitney just one day later, I realized a goal I had long wanted to accomplish. But for days, weeks, and even months prior to reaching my goal I could not see physically see the summit, nor could I even completely comprehend the path that would take me there.

When you finally find your answer to the question, "What will you do in the next 100 days?" often the path to the goal may not be clear even though you can articulate the end result (i.e. write my book, learn Italian, finish my album). No matter what you will do in the next 100 days, you must not be discouraged simply because you do not know the path, or even can not see the summit. It is there and you can make it. Like Lower Crabtree, there will be times when the barriers will part to reveal a glimpse of your goal, but if you stay where you can see, you may never get any closer to your summit. On the road to the summit, the summit itself, will often fade in and out of view. Don't let this discourage you, slow your pace, or make you question your ability or the viability of standing, triumphant, and victorious.