Lost River Range 5/23/20
Attempting my first ever snow-capped 12,000’ Summit in the Lost River Range was the Memorial Day weekend objective. Steel butterflies moved loosely from within my stomach as we approached, and finally got our first look at Mount Donaldson-a massive rock amphitheater, with a summit block that loomed over us from far below the snow-covered cirque we sat below. The level of uncertainty and nervousness built from within as we trudged forward through the day. The uncertainty of pushing through my limits scared me, yet simultaneously propelled me forward throughout the climb, pushing myself to my absolute boundaries of what I thought possible. Upon reaching the summit my mind raced, my boundaries had been pushed to their limits, I had achieved the unachievable, taking what I thought was possible for myself and crushing the uncertainty that started up the mountain with me earlier that day.
This is why I fell in love with the mountains, they stand as a gatekeeper between dreams and reality, a roadblock that with persistence, unknown outcomes far from what we thought possible can be achieved.
Not everyone has the access or capability to summit 8,000-meter peaks or run ultra marathons yet everyone truly can climb their own mountains and immerse themselves into a world of the unknown, a world where we can achieve what we thought to be impossible. No matter how small or your insignificant personal goals may seem to others-it’s a known fact we all have our own levels of doubt and fear that we can push through to become stronger individuals. This is how you can find yourself, this is how I found myself, thankful to be awestruck by the power and sheer beauty of the mountains.
-Seth Anderson
