Time is winding down and Denali is right around the corner. Its kinda crazy how six months ago we had made plans to do this and before you know it, its almost here!
So many thoughts aloft right now and a big one being.... how will I ever afford being away from home for a month. This means I will not only have to pay rent for the month I am gone but as soon as I return as well, I have come to the conclusion that the five of us and so many others in the climbing community are nuts!
I guess however, its these very things that make Denali and places like it so far out of reach for so many people.
I have always admired those who could just get up and leave in search of something so epic but I never really had the courage to go through with it, I would always get to the edge look over and before I had the chance to jump I would then find myself in the security of the things I knew. Its trips like these that can truly define someone, allow them to break out of their shell, cut the ties that hold them back and experience freedom.
So I put to bed all the worries and and trust in the things we know, we have worked hard, we have saved, we have planned, we have researched, we have given all to this and in the end as long as we gave it everything we got, we should have no regrets.
So as we frantically race through the next month with the weight of the world we decided to put on our own shoulders and in the proverbial sled we already have in tow, remember if you have some gutters that need to be cleaned, a fence painted or a lawn mowed I am sure we could make a trade for some Denali funds. And if not, just remember that The Snowmelt is not just five guys climbing Denali but a group of people hoping that while satisfying their own selfish desires we can also do something good along the way. So with that we encourage everyone to think of the places that gave you your first taste of adventure and protect it, protect it with all your might for someday it will inspire someone else in their own quest NORTH.
Also a few things to check out...
The Snowmelt Mill Creek Clean Up Day
San Gorgonio Charity Fund Raiser
2 day Leave No Trace Trainer course/ San Gorgonio Wilderness
