Why hike up a mountain when you could be somewhere flat? Why carry a heavy backpack for miles? Why get up early, get cold, get wet, get tired, and keep going?
For Ana, the answer is: because it’s fun.
This summer, Ana joined Y.E.T.I. for an expedition up Mt. Baker. And it wasn’t exactly an easy trip.
Just 30 minutes into the hike toward the group’s first campsite, Ana developed painful blisters on her heels. Every step in her mountaineering boots became more uncomfortable as the group climbed higher.
With help from Program Director Sean, Ana bandaged her foot and kept moving. When blisters developed on her other foot, she added extra socks for cushioning.
Then came the fog.
Humid conditions and thick mist left Ana and the rest of the group soaked as they climbed higher. When they reached camp, they still had to set up their tents and figure out how to dry their wet jackets, socks, and gear in the damp air.
By most measures, it was a pretty rough day.
But Ana calls it a “wildly fun memory.”
And maybe that’s the thing about doing hard things outside. The challenge is part of what makes the experience worth remembering.
Ana loved being pushed outside her comfort zone. She loved working alongside her partner and the rest of the team, figuring things out together and relying on each other along the way. There was something exciting about taking on a challenge that none of them could simply coast through.
She made it halfway up Mt. Baker. And she came away with more than a story about how high she climbed.
She came away knowing what it feels like to be challenged, to ask for help, to work as part of a team, and to keep going when things don’t go exactly as planned.
Maybe that’s why we do hard things.
Not because they’re always comfortable. Not because reaching the top is the only thing that matters.
But because hard things can show us something about ourselves. They can bring us closer to the people around us. They can give us stories we’ll remember long after our wet socks have dried.
Ana got that experience on Mt. Baker.
And that’s the kind of opportunity we want more young people to have through Y.E.T.I.: the chance to try something they aren’t sure they can do, with a team beside them and a whole lot of adventure, lessons learned, and FUN along the way.
