I said I would do it and I did. I climbed to the summit of Mount Shasta at 14,179 feet. I almost didn’t make it because of altitude sickness, but with the encourgement of my friends I made it. Some people might think Mount Shasta is an easy climb, which it might be if you climb at most seasons in which it has a nice crunchy, firm path of snow to effortlessly walk up, but if you go when there is no snow at all, the entire path will be nothing but sheer and loose skree. Every step could be 6 inches to 4 feet of backsliding as you go through the loose volcanic gravel at steep inclines. The chorus to Paul Simon’s song ‘Slip Sliding Away’ seems to fit so perfectly to a dry Shasta ascent. “Slip sliding away, slip sliding away. You know the nearer your destination, the more you slip sliding away” The climb was long and slow maybe even painful at times, but with my friends to encourage me, it was a journey worth taking. As I think about it, I wonder how much is this a reflection of life, and how often do we take for granted the importance of our friends and the supprt they offer as well as the support we offer to them. Life is a journey best taken with friends.