Can you train for a 6,000m peak in the Midwest? Following advice from my coach, Steve House, I headed to Munising to find out. I went for the crampons, but I stayed for the community.

I obsess over training data, but a hike up Brushy Mountain reminded me that confidence can’t always be quantified. The mountain measures progress differently.

Everyone asks me, “When are you climbing Everest?” The truth? It’s going to take years, and that’s on purpose. I could pay a company to send me tomorrow, but rushing would be unsafe for me and the people around me. Instead, I’m taking the long road. It’s a journey to become the climber who’s ready when the time is right.