Perserverance and Determination

The primary focus of today was the climb to Loup Loup Pass...the third mountain pass in a series of 5. So far, the climbs have been 40 miles and 5 miles. Today's climb is 7-10 miles and I am looking forward to a 26 mile and 15 mile climb in the next two days. Being a Midwesterner, I am not a climber, would never claim to be a climber, and was really dreading the long climbs at the beginning of the journey. Prior to the trip, I thought of the Cascades and the Rockies as a mere passage to the plains and rolling hills of the Midwest. But as the reality of the situation unfolds, I am still not a climber and would never pretend to be, but I am rather enjoying the challenge and the rewards hiding in the Cascades and hopefully the Rockies.

I found myself laughing today at the life lessons that are best captured in children's storybooks. And twentysome years later, they are probably more relevant than they were when I was five. The two stories that I thought about today were "The Little Engine That Could" and "The Tortoise and The Hare." Both with the resounding themes of perserverance and determination.

Climbing has become an amazing test of my mental capabilities and a reassessment of my expectations. I get frustrated climbing because I expect to pedal and move quickly and efficiently on a bicycle. But in my first mountain climbs ever, I am learning to tone down the perfectionist in me. The first few attempts at anything aren't about perfection. There about taking each new opportunity as a chance to learn and to grow and hopefully to become better. It's about having the perserverance and the determination to finish what you started and ultimately proving to yourself that you can. I think I can, I think I can, I think I can. I thought I could!

Rock on the shoulder near the summit of Loup Loup Pass. Amen.

Loup Loup Pass...brrr