To breakfast at sea level then to sup
Eight thousand feet above where you began
And see a cloudy peak when you look up,
Such boundless beauty fills one with elan.

And yet, each step you take further uphill
Convinces you your boots are made of lead.
You persevere, of course, by force of will
Ignoring racing heart and lightened head.

Succumbing to that first fatigue results
In curative, rejuvenating rest.
The following day, awake, arise, exult,
If you are not in cardiac arrest.

So take advantage– go outside and play.
A blizzard may blow in on any day.