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The Price of Power


“It is the ultimate wisdom of the mountains that a man is never more a man than when he is striving for what is beyond his grasp.” – James Ullman. Mountains provide us with all sorts of things: entertainment, natural resources, and, most importantly, a challenge. Climbing the mountain is the challenge it offers us, and the reward you get in the end is well worth the physically demanding climb. A typical person sits at the base of the mountain looking up, never stepping foot onto it. Only if you are bold and daring can you accept the challenge of a mountain, and only then will you be able to look down instead of up.
At the beginning of the climb, it’s just like any other hike you have ever been on, with simple paths zigzagging up a gradual incline. You start to think that maybe climbing a mountain isn’t so tough. The wildlife you see while climbing a mountain is unlike what you normally see at your house. You see everything as it’s supposed to be, in its natural habitat. You notice the scent of pine trees in the fresh mountain air relaxing you with every breath, and how much easier it is to breathe without humidity in the air. Only once you finally reach those pine trees, does your mindset begin to change.
Instantly, the path becomes steeper, and the switchbacks become more gradient and repetitive. Your view off the mountain is obscured by the thick tree cover surrounding you, so you have no idea of what you’ve achieved. The air slowly becomes thinner the higher you climb, making your body languid and weak. You stop for short breaks off and on, drinking water to keep yourself hydrated. Only once you reach a small clearing in the trees, does the faith you had in the beginning come rushing back.
The view is simply breathtaking; you almost don’t believe what you’re seeing. You’ve climbed almost 7000 feet, yet your body and mind feel rejuvenated as your gaze sweeps across the miles of,...