SLOW AND STEADY WINS THE DAY BY BISHOP NEAL JAMES BUCKON
O
n Saturday, 11 July 2020, the Feast Day of Saint Benedict, I climbed Mount Whitney. The mountain is 14,505 feet in elevation, and it is the tallest mountain in the lower 48 States. Mount Whitney is in east-central California and situated in the Sierra Nevada, the last wilderness found in the lower contiguous United States. I parked my car in the parking lot of the Mount Whitney Portal (8,374’) and began the ascent at 3 AM. I had the permit for a ‘Day Hiker’ and would return to the car at 10 PM, 19 hours later. The light of the moon lit most of the switchback trail, and the flashlight was rarely used before sunrise. The hike to the summit is 11 miles, and the round-trip journey is 22 miles. As you can imagine the 6,000 feet ascent through nature’s wilderness was a bit of a puff, especially since I was carrying enough water and food for the day. However, on this particular day the weather was perfect with blue skies and sunshine; the sunrise and sunset were spectacular; the panoramic views of the mountains, waterfalls, glaciers and glacial lakes were magnificent; and the spirit of fellow trekkers was always upbeat and convivial even when fatigued. As I hiked upwards, I noticed that the higher the elevation, the slower I walk; and the older I get the slower I go. As I approached the summit of Mount Whitney, a hiker who is half my age and had passed me earlier in the day and was now descending smiled and said to me as he passed by, “Slow and steady wins the day!” I returned the smile, nodded, and replied, “Right you are!” It is always a joy to meet a challenge and succeed. I certainly savored my time atop the pinnacle that glorious day in July. It is a great place to count one’s blessings with a spirit of gratitude. On the return trip
18
continued on page 20
