What do father’s day, a crying girl, Satan and Yosemite all have in common?

I finally understand what it means. “When I was your age. I had to walk to
school in 10 feet of snow uphill both ways.” I will tell my kids one day that I walked up hill both ways in the heat and the snow! You don’t believe me? Well, climb Mt Baldy in June.
The morning began with a gradual incline up a service road, where along the way, ski lift chairs taunted us; “I can get you there in less time. Take me to the top!” But we were able to turn down Satan’s persuasion of an easy way out. When we finally made it to the ski lift hut, we were about ¼ of the way to the top of the elusive Mt. San Antonio. We were hot and tired already, but persevered, and continued along. When we hit the actual trailhead, we had already hiked over 3.5 miles. It was then that I suddenly thought my name was Johnny and I was playing the fiddle in Georgia, because the devil made a bet that he could get to the top of Mt. Baldy before I could, and was willing to bet his shiny hike boots made of gold. But I took his bet, and I know he regrets it, because “I’m the best there’s ever been!” (ok, maybe not, but I couldn’t stray too far from the song) So, the devil lay down on his stomach so I could walk along his backbone, because he was sure I wouldn’t make it (the trail really is called Devil’s Backbone). And that’s when the real work began. Although Satan’ s ski lifts were no longer in sight (we were up too high for them), he continued to taunt us, showing us how close we were to hell by adding more and more heat to the snow-covered trail.
Along the way, my teammates and I relied on each other a great deal. And I kept telling myself “I think I can. I think I can.” I couldn’t help feeling like the little blue engine that helped the toys get over the mountain. The little blue engine hooked herself up to the train full of toys and pulled and tugged slowly as they started up the mountain. This little blue engine had never climbed a mountain before, but she wanted to help the toys out. “I think I can – I think I can – I think I can.” “Up, up, up. Faster and faster and faster…the little engine climbed, until at last they reached the top of the mountain.” As the little blue engine pulled into the city where the children were, the toys exclaimed, “the good little boys and girls in the city will be happy because you helped us, kind, Little Blue Engine.” Obviously the toys in my story are the $7500 we raised for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. In the story, many other trains came by and were asked by the toys for help, but they all had their reasons why they could not help the toys over the mountain, some declaring that they were too good for the toys, that they were more important than the toys and it’s not my job, and another saying “I am so tired. I must rest…I can not. I can not.” But that little blue engine, although unsure of herself, decided to help those in need and attempt to get over the top of that mountain to save the day. And slowly, but surely, she made it! When I finally arrived back at the parking lot beneath the ski lifts and the ominous trail that is the Devil’s Backbone, I recited the final line from The Little Engine that Could, “I thought I could. I thought I could.”
At last, I had comfort in looking at the devil because
“The devil bowed his head because he knew that he'd been beat. He laid that golden fiddle on the ground at Johnny's feet. Johnny said: "Devil just come on back if you ever want to try again."I told you once, you son of a gun, I'm the best that's ever been."
And with that, we are off the Half Dome to save Tissayack from her tears. Don’t know the story of Tissayack? She’s the girl who was turned to stone (and became Half Dome) and cried because she’d regretted being turned into stone over an argument with her husband over returning to Mono Lake. She cried and formed Mirror Lake, but you can still see the remnants of her tears streaking down her face if you look at the face of the Dome. Her tears are from sadness and regret.
In honor of Father’s Day, and the age old saying, “When I was your age. I had to walk to school in 10 feet of snow uphill both ways,” on June 20th (Father’s Day 2010) we will join Tissayack in her tears, but our tears will be of joy and pride! And to all the Dads out there, I finally know what it means…uphill both ways in snow” and heat with the devil breathing down my neck, and with people counting on you! I get it! Happy Father’s Day, Dad! Sorry I’ll miss you! I love you!