There are some things you do because they seem like a good idea at the time.
And then there are things you do because you are young, ambitious, slightly crazy, and apparently have decided that sleep is optional.
This was one of those things.
This summer, Jessica and Nate decided to attempt the Triple Crown of Waterton with Jess’s best friend, Anya, and her friend Sadie. Their goal was ambitious: Crypt Lake, Akamina Ridge and Carthew-Alderson—all within 24 hours.
Three major hikes.
One very long day.
And a whole lot of elevation gain.
Their adventure began at 2:30 in the morning with Crypt Lake. But even getting to the trailhead required a little extra effort. Because the boat wasn't running at that hour, they had to kayak across Waterton Lake in the darkness to reach the start of the hike.
I joined the adventure at 9:00 a.m., just as they were making their way back across the lake and into the Waterton townsite. My job for the day was much less strenuous but still very important: transportation, encouragement and worrying mother. I was happy to help.
I picked them up after Crypt and got them to their next checkpoint—the Akamina trailhead. Then I waited. And waited. Several hours later, I picked them up again and transported them to the beginning of their final challenge: Carthew-Alderson. By the time I dropped them off, it was about 4:15 p.m.
They had already been hiking for hours. They were tired. Actually, exhausted might have been a better word. And yet they still had one mountain range left to conquer.
At that point, I was able to head home because they had arranged to have a vehicle waiting for them at the end of their final descent.
But going home didn't mean I stopped thinking about them.
I wondered how they were doing.
I worried about them.
I checked the time.
I imagined how tired their legs must have been.
And I kept thinking about that last stretch of trail.
Four young people who had already pushed themselves through two huge hikes were now facing their third.
As a mom, there is a strange feeling that comes with watching your kids take on something difficult. You want them to experience the challenge. You want them to push themselves and discover what they are capable of. But you also want to be able to swoop in and rescue them when they are tired. Unfortunately, there wasn't much rescuing I could do from home. 😂
So I waited. Finally, at about 10:00 p.m., my phone rang. It was Jess. They were off the mountains.
They had done it. All three hikes. In one very long day.
I was SO happy to hear her voice.
They were tired. They were sore. They had absolutely nothing left in their legs.
But they were also so proud. And they should have been.
I love that they decided to do something hard together.
I love that they encouraged each other when they were tired.
I love that they kept putting one foot in front of the other, even when their bodies were telling them they were done. And I love that when it was finally over, they didn't just feel relieved. They felt proud.
There is something powerful about discovering that you are capable of more than you thought you were.
The Triple Crown wasn't easy. It wasn't comfortable. And I'm pretty sure there were moments when all four of them questioned their life choices. 😂
But they finished. Three mountains. One day.
What an accomplishment! ❤️⛰️
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