Mt. Timpanogos Hike

On Labor Day (last Monday) I finally actually got to hike Mt. Timp! I've been trying to plan it with a bunch of friends for a while and it finally happened, whereas before it always fell through because not enough people could go. The whole hike was fantastic, not just getting to the top. After going up, standing at the top, and coming down, it made me wonder, "Why do people do this? Not just this physical mountain, but other mountains in life?"


Why do people ascend mountains? Not just the hills and bumps that our path of life inevitably leads us over, but the mountains which truly take effort aside from that which is normally required of us? What causes the desire to push oneself through something hard towards something more rewarding? Isn't it easier to stay on the ground? One reason people go through the effort is a sense of exploration and a yearning for knowledge. When English explorers found Mt. Everest in Nepal, there soon followed a desire to ascend it. But why? Why would someone risk their life to stand on a big rock, even if it was the tallest rock on the face of the earth? We are here in this life to make the most of what we have to work with, to become what we wish to become. As we travel along our own road in life, we all have difficult ground we have to cover. At our young age and station as teenagers, we are walking in a valley with many mountains of opportunity surrounding us. Some are ominous and foreboding, some beautiful and tranquil. The normal, laid-back lifestyle would encourage one to remain in the valley, admiring the beauty therein while walking in the shadows of the mountains. After all, it certainly is easier, and the rewards are immediate. There is no fear of falling, there are no difficult tasks, and the road is generally smooth. However, even these bottom-dwellers are forced to step up onto the sides of the mountain to continue along their trail. Events such as school assignments and responsibilities that involve effort lead them up the mountain. As they continue, they are able to see a bigger picture of the valley and a more spectacular view. But this does not matter, they are going uphill and expending energy, and wish to descend to their previous comfortable state as quickly as possible. Even though they are back on easy street, they still remember what it looked like when their eyes were beginning to open to a broader paradigm. Their desire to ascend and to see is suppressed by the required effort.

The true mountain climbers are those who foster the desire and curiosity to ascend the mountain until it grows into determination enough to do it. They are not the people that suppress the desire for rewards of work because of the difficulty involved. We all have choices in our lives to make, and these choices determine how far we stray from the low valley and ascend the wall of mountains on our sides. Given a mountain, we have a few choices. We can ignore it completely, half-heartedly try, or we can realize that the rewards will be great and give it everything we have. The the last choice is to expend all necessary energy to make it the best it can possibly be. While on the mountain (going up, standing on top, or coming back down), if we look around, enjoy the view, and learn from it we see the deeper meaning because of their extra effort and true learning occurs. These people ascend mountains because it is important to them and because they know that there is something good and rewarding in store and they are willing to work for it.

After having made the choice to go above and beyond the call of duty, what makes us follow through with it? "Character is the ability to carry out a worthy decision after the emotion of making that decision has passed," someone once said. Sure, it's fun to want to hike up a mountain, see the view, and have the sense of accomplishment that you have done something commendable, but anyone can want to do it. It is those that actually endeavor and work for it that get the true reward.

We all have a desire for self-mastery that we constantly work towards. Some have higher personal expectations than others, but it is in all of us. Climbing up mountains in life is one way that we assure and further our self-mastery, showing that we have determination and will to fulfill a goal. As we further learn and grow, ascending more and more mountains instead of walking the low and easy road, we become more in control of our lives, choosing to be great instead of choosing to be satisfied with mediocrity.

When climbing a mountain, there is always a sense of accomplishment when you reach the top. I get a thrill when I finish writing a song, learn a new piece, finish a huge school assignment, or do something extra to help someone out. It feels good do things, and no one can deny that. Accomplishment is far more rewarding than laziness can be, for when one is lazy, they are compromising immense joy and satisfaction for small bits of happiness and ease now. Without endeavoring to accomplishing anything in life, there are no stories, no trips, falls, or battle wounds, that makes life interesting. It’s the hardships along the way that make the feeling around completing the journey all the more worthwhile.

Even while it seems like people set out towards mountains to gain the attention of others, it is hard to deny that the personal rewards are greater than the public ones. There are numerous stories of people with handicaps or physical limitations that accomplish feats that are mind-boggling to say the least. They certainly get a lot of attention from the public, but the public recognition and the awards given to them mean very little in comparison to the personal reward of, "I really can do that!"

Another reason why people climb the mountains of life is to test their ability. They have been trudging through life and want to see what they are really capable of, to the upper extreme and would not be at ease if they didn’t know what it would be like if they were able to make it. They gather all their determination, energy, willpower, motivation, and everything else they need to get to the top, and set off. Another quote says, "There is no chance, no destiny, no fate that can circumvent or hinder or control the firm resolve of a determined soul." Success comes to those who are not satisfied with anything but their best effort. They have acquired the ability to hold nothing back that could propel them onward.

People don’t climb mountains just because they are there, or just because they want to rise above other people. If there were no mountains, no way to excel in life, and no way for someone to accomplish more than another, there would be no way to satisfy the fruits of hard labor. It is the mountains, the work, and the hardship that bring out the greatness in each and every one of us. We climb those mountains because we can! We climb those mountains because without them, we have nothing to overcome, nothing to learn from, nothing to pick ourselves up from, nothing to bring us higher every step we take, and nothing to give us the full view of what life is really all about. It’s not about walking the low road, it’s about the view. It’s not about the here and now, it’s about the there and then. Nothing we do here and now has meaning unless it leads us to something better in the future. It’s like driving; without your eyes fixed on a spot a long distance down the road, your pathway will be wobbly, veering from one side to another. Mountains exist to lift us higher than we could be by ourselves and to give us something to overcome. We climb them because it is our destiny to be great.