During my fifth week at Tuskegee, I thought back to some of my memories of Alaska. I
have had many experiences in my life, but one of the most influential moments
of my eighteen years occurred on an Alaskan mountain, simply known as Flattop.
The entire Alaskan experience is centered around the wonders of nature. From
the ceremonious return of the salmon to the resplendent Aurora Borealis, Alaska
has something to offer to everyone. A common theme seen in wildlife and
throughout nature is the determination and the powerful instinct to succeed and
survive. While climbing Flattop, I realized that you need to be determined and
have a strong fortitude in your efforts for success.
I
was ten years old when I began the fateful ascent. It was in the middle of the
summer and boredom was starting to get a foothold in the Willis household. I
was not the most active youth. Even with the splendor of the natural world
around me, I logged hours upon hours playing Pokémon, and staring at the Television.
One morning, after weeks of inactivity, my mother recommended that we go on a
hike. I knew this was an attempt to get me out of the house and exercise, so I
resisted the idea. She responded, “It will be fun. You’ll thank me later.” She
went on to tell me that one of her friends at work recommended Flattop Mountain,
and that we would leave the next morning. I knew that it was now set in stone,
so I immediately began my intense preparations by sitting on the couch and watching
Cartoon Network.
Flattop
The
next morning, I discovered that Victoria, my 4 year old sister, would be
accompanying us. We left the house oblivious to the struggles that were ahead
of us. Before we left the highway, I could see my mountainous adversary. Its
characteristically flat top was a stark difference from the ragged peaks of the
surrounding mountains. We eventually
made it to the parking lot and walked to the beginning of the trail. The first
ten minutes of the inclined trail was surrounded on both sides, by dense
forest. I was not used to being in the wilderness. Images of bears and wolves
running out and attacking were flooding my mind. When I immerged from the
forest, I looked back and saw Anchorage. My fears of the unseen beasts soon
subsided. The city looked majestic and it fueled my curiosity. “I wonder what
it looks like from the top”, I thought.
We
continued to walk until we made it to the stairs. These stairs were made of
wood and were embedded into the mountain. The stairs looked like they went on
forever, but I was determined to make to the top. My mother, sister and I began
the monotonous walk up the stairs. Each step filled me with more willpower.
Before I knew it, we were at the end of the steps. I could hardly believe how
many I climbed. Before we made the final ascent, we rested at the top of the
stairs for a while. We brought sandwiches with us, so we had lunch at the foot
of the summit. My mother said that she would hike as far she could with me, but
if I wanted to go to the top, I had to go alone. She said my sister could not
make the climb, so she would have to stay with her. My sister said to me in her
innocent preschool dialect “Are you going to top?” and I told her, “Yes…Yes,
I am.”
When
I first started climbing up the steeply inclined trail, my determination
waivered. My mom could sense my intrepidation, and encouraged me to keep going.
Inevitably, I got to a point where I had to say farewell to my mother in order
to achieve my goal. She told me it was ok to turn back, if I was scared. I was
terrified, but I told her I would be fine. For the last leg of my journey, I
had to literally climb up the mountain. I kept climbing until I got stuck on a
ledge. I could not go back the way I came, and it seemed impossible to go
forward. I was so scared and alone that I began crying. I realized that my
tears were not helping. I wiped them away and found a foothold and used all my
strength to pull myself up. A couple minutes later, I had made it to top. My
young eyes could hardly believe the view. The wind buffeted my face. Except for
the whistling of the gusts flowing over the rocks, it was utterly silent. Off
in the distance, the ocean glimmered with the sun, and my home town never
looked better. I had finally made it.
Spectacular Views
I
would have never have made it to the summit of flattop without my
determination. We all have mountains in our lives. They are goals that seem
lofty and far away. In order to achieve these objectives, we have to climb up
one step at time. You have to stay unwavering in your pursuit for success.
Eventually, we all have to do it alone and you might be scared. But trust me, it
will be worth it in the end. You will stand at the apex of your challenge and
look down at how far you came. Just like a ten year old boy did, on an Alaskan
mountain that had a flat top.
The Summit!
Before I left for college this summer, I climbed the mountain again. It had been 8 years since I first climbed the mountain. I went all the way to the top again, but this time my sister made it as well. She was eleven which was almost the same age as I was on my first ascent. Now it is kinda like a right of passage in the Willis household.
Got to the top with Willis Power
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