Tue Jun 26, 2018 @ 03:10

I turned 28 on the trail last week, just after we left Twin Lakes. It was a pretty uneventful day, but a good one nonetheless. Th climb (although not high) really aggravated my Achilles tendon, which has been extra grumpy since our monster day on the west Collegiate route. I also missed home a bit, as we all do sometimes.

It's funny, but it was good that it was an average day in some ways. The views were spectacular, the climb a little hard. It made me remind myself that you climb every mountain just one step at a time and that at any given moment, all you need is the willpower to take just one more step. I've been finding myself getting overwhelmed at the thought of getting to Canada lately (we definitely aren't winning any speed records) but really all I need to remember is that on any given day I need the willpower to get on the trail for just one more day. I love it out here, but it's hard. For every climb you get done, there is another one looming just over the ridgeline (this is especially true in Colorado!). For every meal you cook, there is another one coming that needs to be done. For every cathole you dig, there will be another one tomorrow, and the next day, and maybe tomorrow afternoon. It's easy to get bogged down in the hard stuff and forget that every step is moving us North towards Canada.

We are getting there. One step at a time.