Major Baggage: Mid-Week Inspiration

This past Monday on Labor Day I got to put a check mark next to one of my "Bucket List" items. I hiked with a group of volunteers to the top of Mt. San Antonio (AKA Mt. Baldy) to help run the finish line for Mt. Baldy's 46th Annual race called "Run to the Top". I had this task on my list for 2 reasons: #1 - to cheer on one of my best friends as she actually participated in the 8 mile race and I wouldn't have missed her crossing the finish line for the world and #2 - I wanted to be able to stand in the exact spot my Dad stood years ago when he hiked the trecherous route coming in from the North. He trained for a year to make that hike... up and back in only one day. I didn't take his same route - I walked only a mere 8 miles round trip, but every step of the way I got more and more excited to reach that 10,000 foot level so I could describe to him what it was like for me and we could share in our experiences together.
The weather that morning was crazy in the mountains! I was a little worried about it being safe to make the climb. It was raining, thunder & lightning overhead, heavy winds and really cold. We set out at 5:30am and kept our heads down as we winded through the switchbacks while the rain hit our face like shards of glass. We reached the summit by 7:00am. The sun was up but not quite visible because of the cloud coverage. It was such a beautiful site from the top and amazingly a few of nature's wonders were there to greet us. I could hear it loud and clear - at that present moment I was exactly where I needed to be.