It was on the final ascent that I realized what the lasting impact of that event was going to be for me.
And it all started with a drainpipe.
That year, across the trail, a massive drainpipe was strewn across. Every single lap, we had to pull ourselves up and over it, before continuing on towards the summit.
Every single time I came up on it, all I could think was how much I hated it. This f***** drainpipe is stupid.
But that 17th time, I stopped for a moment. It was a point of introspection. There was a lesson for me here - a lesson in patience.
If I can haul myself over this stupid drainpipe 17 times, nothing in my everyday life should piss me off again.
And it was true.
After my first year at 29029, I noticed a difference in myself. My family noticed it too. If a car cut me off in traffic, it was no big deal. Slow drivers in the fast lane didn’t bother me anymore. I had the focus to sit and read a book in bed at night. I was more patient with my kids, and more present with my wife.
I was an improved version of myself, all because of my time on that mountain in Vermont.