Climbing Mt Elden

For some reason I woke up this morning thinking about my Mt. Elden climb a few weeks ago.


Mt. Elden is part of the San Francisco Peaks, and considered a strong way to try out a hard climb before one tackles Mt. Humphreys, the tallest Peak.


Before I go farther, I must share this one fact:  The hike sucked.  Sucked Raw Eggs. Sucked Hard.  This isn't a "wander in the forest and see all the pretty trees" sort of hike.  It is rocky and sandy and my eyes were glued on the trail the entire time just to avoid death.  And it takes forever -took us 3 hours up and 3 hours down... the fact I have asthma played into the "suck" factor, but now you are fully informed.  I climbed Mt. Elden so you don't have to!


Why did I do it?  I felt it was something I ought to check off my "things to do before moving from Flagstaff" list.  The kindest man I know, Stephen Riggs, volunteered to go with me, as he had never climbed it either.  I rounded up a few other friends. It boded well for a lovely morning.


How did I finish it?  I finished only with the help of my friends.  My slowness going up AND down kept them from going as fast as they could have.  But they stuck with me.  Without them I would have quit 2 hours in.  Stephen walked behind me going down, making me feel safe, even though had I actually taken a tumble off the trail, the only thing he could have realistically done would be call 911 for a mountain rescue.  Gail occasionally burst into song which made me crack up -her specialty is rap.  I think. Sometimes it was hard to tell.


But we all got up and down the mountain safely.


Just. Like. Life.


SO MANY THINGS IN LIFE SUCK RAW EGGS.  But there our friends are, bursting into song, lending support, doing stuff like helping us pack when we get food poisoning and are projectile vomiting every time we move, or letting us couch surf while we figure out life, or reminding us that the race isn't about winning, but finishing strong.


That's what gets us safely over the mountain.