Finding Community
It’s early Sunday morning as we open the door to our friends car. We have one backpack, about a gallon of water to split between us and some trail mix we made last night. We are on our way to hike the summit of Mt. Baldy, a decision we made just days earlier.
Living in Los Angeles there are a few things that pop up on every aspiring adventurer’s bucket list. One of those being an attempt of nabbing the highest nearby peak — Mt. Baldy.
We had talked about this challenge nearly the moment we arrived in Los Angeles three years ago. We could see the peak in the distance from our apartment and we’d look at each other, nod confidently, and boldly state that at the next opportunity we’d hike the peak.
Well, it’s three years later and I guess the opportunity kept passing us by. That is, until, our friend Kyle uttered the words over text — Would you and Becci want to hike Baldy this weekend?
Get Spencer Braddock’s stories in your inbox
Join Medium for free to get updates from this writer.
Needless to say we weren’t going to let this time pass us by even if it was late November and reports of cold weather and heavy snow were in the forecast.
With barely any time to prep we only brought the essentials with us; water and trail mix (I think trail mix counts, right?!). With our bags packed, good hiking shoes on our feet and some decent clothes to keep us warm, we confidently went forth into the great unknown.
I don’t think I need to get into the details of the hike as it was just a lot of walking uphill, but it should be noted that we did have a few slips, some near falls — where falling was actually safe — and more importantly a lot of great conversation — those in the moment conversations that don’t mean anything to anyone outside of that space and time.
When we finally reached the peak, our hours of pushing ahead one foot at a time, had finally paid off. We were surprised to see and join nearly 30 other people enjoying a welcome break at the 10,064 foot summit. There was a woman there celebrating a birthday, other’s who had started much earlier than us, people who had traveled near and far, a real mix of adventurers who all decided on that day that they too would push themselves to the summit, overcome whatever doubts they may have had to reach a new peak in their own life, and in that moment on the peak we all shared in this sense of camaraderie and belonging. Our shared struggle to reach the summit had brought us all together and we were one community, a band of misfits from all walks of life and background.
On our way down, I thought about this more and it became the answer to a question I’ve asked myself many times — Why do we travel? Why do we seek out new and difficult experiences?
My answer to this is the community we find along the way — one that is strengthened through the struggle — and in that sense can never be taken away. They are ours to hold, carry forward, and share so that other’s may find it, as well.
