“Determine the thing that can and shall be done, and then we shall find the way.” ~Abraham Lincoln
Early last summer, our son came for an extended visit, after college graduation, and before he began his new life in New Mexico. We decided one day to take a hike up Emerald Mountain, which is in our town of Steamboat Springs, CO. As we set out, I knew that our pace up the mountain would be brisk. I was in the company of my husband and my son, two people who have been fulfilling their life-long passion for physical endurance, strength and adventure through sport. I am a regular walker, but that is all.
Our goal was to reach the top of the mountain to an outcropping of rocks where we could take in the majestic view. Up and up we climbed. The pace was indeed brisk, and in fact, a lot faster than what I had bargained for. Several times, I wanted to turn back. My son remarked “Push yourself, Mom! You can do it!” So push myself, I did – all the way to the top. The view was more than worth the effort in end.
As we descended from the top, I began to think what I would have missed had I not hung in there and made it to the top. My son remarked on the way down the mountain that I had proven myself “to be much stronger than he thought I was.” I had earned points in his assessment of my physical and endurance abilities!
The moral of the story is that it feels good to stretch ourselves beyond what we think we are capable of. It makes us emotionally fit. We feel a sense of accomplishment, confidence and it gives us a can do attitude for the next challenge in our lives. We often miss the best opportunities, if we don’t take the risk.
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Which will it be?
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Sue, I can relate to your experience. Dan and I hiked up Emerald Mountain for the first time a few weeks ago. We didn’t know how far it was to the top and we almost turned back a couple of times but decided to push on a little longer. We made it to the radio towers and it was definitely worth the trek to enjoy the view (and the benefit of a good workout)!
We hope to hike up again sometime and explore different paths.
Yes, Emerald Mountain is a good asset to our town for several reasons – mountain biking, we (and many others) can take our dogs there (leashed), and the views from the various different spots are great. What an incredible spot for a Nordic Center if they get that up and going.