The climb

I was sitting on the top of Mount Diablo’s Eagle Peak on Saturday looking across the canyon to my next destination.  Off in the distance Diablo’s North Peak and Summit waited under the morning clouds. I had been waiting for this hike for months as I was set to try and hike three of the mountain’s toughest peaks all in a row in one hike. I wanted something to test me, a challenge I guess you would say.

Looking across the canyon in front of me I realized I had come to the hardest part of the hike. It wasn’t a narrow trail or a rocky ledge I would have to climb across. My hardest part of the day’s hike lay before me as wide and foreboding as that canyon. Self doubt.

I’ve always thought hiking is a lot like life. Things like choices-which path you want to take, your journey often reaches a crossroads and there is always a great deal of effort required to reach your destination, just like in life.

At the edge of the canyon looking across all I could think of was it was it was too far away and too high. I doubted if I could make it to all three peaks this trip. I have had lots of self doubt in my life lately; is the goal I have set to far away, is it going to be too hard? And just like on Saturday’s hike all I can do is just keep moving forward and try to reach my goal.

I had my doubts I could really make it to all three but after five hours of climbing I stood on the steps to the summit building. Three peaks in one hike. It may not see like a lot to most people but it meant the word to me. I set a destination, faced my challenges and reached my goal. It’s just like in life when you have to face everyday challenges. I set goals and strive to reach them. Some are personal some are family. Sure there are setbacks, obstacles on the road and at times and sometimes my goals seem out of reach in the distance.

But just like Saturday as long as I move ahead those insurmountable distances fade and the goal will eventually be within reach. It may be a hard journey and just like the on the trail it might be filled with ups and downs and twists and turns in the road ahead. But the journey is always worth the effort and just like my hike all it takes is putting one foot in front of the other to carry on.