Facing Fear

 "2.5 miles, humph! How is that strenuous?!", we scoffed as my friend, Shane and I read the sign at the base of Mt. Scott in Crater Lake National Park. Both of us were from the east coast of the US. (Shane from Connecticut and myself from Long Island). Both of us were in for quite a surprise. As we started up, we soon realized the difficulty of the climb. The trail gradually became steeper with no sign of flattening out. In full direct sun, with just a few shady trees, we were tiring from the heat and the steep ascent. We each had some water, but in hindsight it wasn't enough. Around 2/3rds of the way up, I was really becoming nervous. My one water bottle was running low, the trail got significantly more steep and narrow, and we still had no clear idea how far we had. I mentioned turning back, but Shane encouraged me to push to the summit. Both of us are Christian and we both prayed before our trip, but my faith was being tested. Once I saw the outlook post at the summit, mixed emotions set in. I was happy we made it, but nervous with each step, as there was really no room for error. I wouldn't have done it on my own, and I wouldn't advise anyone to do it on their own, but I am glad we pushed on to complete the climb. I was still nervous about going back because by then our water ran out and it was still quite hot. Fortunately as the saying goes, it was all downhill from there. Moral of the story, be prepared for anything and face your fear to find glory.