Seems as though he and his always find a way to do the same with less, by choice....sort of.
Starts early and really just carries over. Passed on from another generation, and generations before them, all who wished the same, to climb the mountain, sail the sea, survive, and get the girl.
“Always keep the goal in mind and worry about the obstacles later” the old man would state, short of advice or even encouragement, as it was more of some personal attribute of the DNA leaked out. He was thrifty and cheap yet found a way to have it all, nonetheless.
The snow started just as forecasted, with the freeze line at about 4000 feet. He was attempting to reach 6288' from Franconia Notch, a seemingly trivial pursuit considering the higher elevations of the West. After all, this is Mount Washington in New Hampshire, not known for difficult or technical climbs, or so he thought.
That January Sunday morning was cold and overcast, with limited visibility. The view at the top, the only reason to attempt this, was bound to be a disappointment. So with little reason for motivation, and as he reached the sticking snow, he considered retreat.
Then he came across groups of hearty New Englanders, dressed out in all the best gear, and clothing. They had stopped for a bite to eat, hot chocolate, and a chat. They were happy with the environs and happy about themselves. He looked down at his old tread starved boots, worn leather work gloves, and the wet frozen jeans accumulating ice below the knees, and motored right past the climbers without even a pause.
He remembered a story his brother had shared years past about reaching the summit of Mt Rainier. Looking about he saw climbers in similar attire, yet with ropes, picks, and cleats. He looked down at his gym shoes and laughed. The view was the same.
He was now determined not to slow and be overcome by the North Face catalog crew, a few lengths back. When he reached the top he felt what everyone feels regardless of how high or of how you got there……….
Elation!
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