Where does your head go when the fatigue sets in? What do you think about? The only answer, picturing the goal: the final burn on the ascent board, the red bib, the red hat, the view from the summit one final time. That’s what awaits. 

The changing of the seasons - Spring to Summer - is an apt metaphor for the change that each participant is feeling. Change comes. Winter breaks down the flowers and trees. In Spring, they pick up the metaphorical pieces, blooming, budding, and growing. And after that, it’s Summer and they thrive. 

This isn’t Utah. This isn’t Vermont. This is Idaho. Spring wildflowers are in bloom. A season’s worth of snowfall, gone. This is a new mountain, but it’s still the same 29,029 feet.

There is no easy mountain - no easy way to climb 29,029 feet. But nothing worth striving for is easy. The red bib isn’t easy. The red hat isn’t either. But it’s worth it. It’s all worth it.

Look to your left and right. Look up the slope towards the top, and back down towards the bottom. You aren’t the only one on the mountain. 

These are your compatriots. New friends. Each with a unique story, yet each with the same goal. Conquering the mountain. Friendships are forged under shared hardship. These friendships are mountain-tested. 

When you break yourself down - and you will break yourself down while climbing a mountain 15 times - you get to look at all the pieces. And from there, when you start to build yourself back up, you get to pick which pieces serve you. 

This is life-changing. This is your chance. Take the experience from the mountain and use it to build yourself up, stronger and better than before. Take those strengths for the rest of your life. You’ve grown. You’ve improved. You can do anything. 

Those on the final ascent put on a red bib, signifying the near-end of an amazing journey. They say the red bib gives you superpowers – that the final push to the summit is free. This is the power of the red bib. You’ve climbed so far, nothing can stop you now. 

Compatriots cheer you on, willing you forward to get to the top, where the prize awaits: a sense of achievement like no other, symbolized by the coveted red hat. Getting there wasn’t easy. If it was easy, it wouldn’t be worth it. Nothing beats the feeling of conquering 29029. The mountain is conquered. You’ve done it. Wear the red hat with pride.