Just outside of Tucson you can find the Catalina Mountain Range. The highest point is about 8,000 feet. A group of 4 MRH staff members (including myself) and two students awakened at 4:45 AM to attempt to hike up the mountain as far as we could. We were unaware that the Sierra Club rated this an "A Trail." This is the rating they hold for the most difficult hiking trails. We trudged up this rocky trail for 2 hours going up to about 5,500 feet. We had a great view of the Tucson Valley below. Dripping with sweat, tired, and picking thorns from the thousands of cactus along the way out of our clothes, we drank in the view and headed down.
All of us found the trek down much more challenging. What a great lesson to learn. Going up, we all had our mind focused on the summit and it motivated us. Going down, we had no focal point. This lack of a goal seemed to make our downward climb less invigorating. We also got sloppy and had more slight falls, slips, and bumps.
I guess that's what happens when we take our eyes off the goal.
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