you got a friend

10Aug08

You can do this, she said.

I can do this, I repeated.

I said it, but only half believed it. I was exhausted and the altitude made my lungs burn as I looked ahead and realized the miles of steep incline that still lay ahead.

I needed to take a break – I couldn’t keep up with the boys, who were quickly becoming mere dots on the path ahead.

But she wouldn’t leave. I told her to. I felt bad holding her back. Though she claimed to need the break as well, I knew she stayed for me. So I wouldn’t be alone.

Finally, we came to a small summit – crowded with the 15 or so others that had gone up before us. I look ahead and realized the trail had not ended at all, and there was still a small stretch to go. My husband called this the “fake” summit and we were directed to make our way past.

The real summit was just a few hundreds yards away. Ahead we were promised a stunning plateau, at a final elevation of 10,566 ft. with 360-degree vistas of the entire Yellowstone and northern Absaroka region.

Our final leg of the journey, however, would be over a knife-edged ridge with 800-ft. drop-offs on either side. It was a course that would give anyone pause. And she’s scared of heights.

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Tags: friendship, peggy mulqueen, yoga