There’s Mt. Whitney dirt buried beneath the layer of dust on these boots. Nearly twenty years after the journey they remain under the nightstand, waiting for the next trek. I had planned to hike the trail again but the reality of that is improbable. Now I see the boots and bandana as trophies of past adventures – checks 
off the bucket list of goals.
I reflect on that elation I once felt at the top of this world. The photo proof of accomplishment feeds my mind with encouragement, staving off the inner critic as I work on my current goal to finish the memoir, one switchback at a time.
The process of writing the memoir is like climbing that mountain. We begin at the bottom, working on the arc of the story – the path to the top and then down again. I set the milestones.
- Permits – getting permission
- Training – learning the best way
- Advice – finding a coach who has been there
- Mirror Lake – reflecting on the memories
- Trailside Meadows – feeling the effects but pushing on
- Trail Camp – regenerating
- 97 Switchbacks – penning the points in the arc
- Trail Crest – seeing the other side
- Summit – the first draft
- 97 Switchbacks – editing, cutting back
- Return to the Portal – exhausted but exhilarated
- Buying the “I Climbed Mt Whitney T-Shirt” – the reward
I am at Trailside Meadows. Where are you in your journey?
WittBits 