Do hikers ever stop to admire the process?
Or do they only remember the summit?
The rough and rocky incline
Leading to the pinnacle of their journey
Mountains are measured by height
Not by the trail blazed to the peak
Snow caps these jagged creatures
While grayness shadows below
From the top, they see the world
Pixels dot the vast landscape
But the route holds beauty too
With trees, rocks and challenges
Testing the body and mind
Without, would the top be so sweet?
Is an accomplishment an accomplishment
If there is no process?
Do climbers desire just to climax?
Even though it is not the conquest
No obstacles, only pleasure
Nothing to lose, nothing to gain
The hike examines them
The man-making march to victory
Defeating the earth step by step
Triumph by way of the journey
Climbers don’t land at the top
Determination pulls them up
Over dirt and debris
Until they are finally free
