I sometimes feel as though we all are looking for the shortcut; the fastest route, the flattest road, the easiest climb. But life isn't about taking the easy way out, its about challenging ourselves, looking adversity in the eye and laughing, then turning around to look up at the mountaintop and saying "I am going to get there."
18 miles up a steep mountain road is the summit of Hurricane Ridge, a place a few of my friends and I were going to bike to. Topping out at 5,282 feet, the climb to the top is not one to be taken lightly. However, through thick layers of clouds and along winding mountain passes we persisted upwards, no matter blistering winds nor downpours of rain. Each successive mile felt longer than the last as the air grew thinner and the temperature colder. Very soon, the trees were exclusively pines, sparsely located along the rocky mountainside. Our legs felt ablaze from the constant peddling, and my eyes stung with sweat dripping down my face. But when we reached the summit, all of the pain and suffering we endured on the accent ceased to matter. We were overwhelmed with joy and pride as we took our first good look at the surrounding landscape. The view was amazing!
Written by Trekker Peter
