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My Gen X Playlist: The Mountain Wins Again – Blues Traveler

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Daily writing prompt
What’s a moment that made you realize you were stronger than you thought?
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Mount Whitney is the tallest peak in the continental US and stands 14,505 feet above sea level. It’s a two day hike and we were excited at the prospect of reaching the summit. We faced a few challenges, though. First, we were rookies and had no idea what was in store for us. Sometimes ignorance is bliss. Second, it was the first time carrying all our gear on our backs. We weighed ours packs and were shocked they were 65 pounds. And third, we had to battle the altitude. It was challenging enough to get to the top. Not being able to catch our breath made it even worse.

There are two camp grounds, separated by two miles. We reached the first one with plenty of daylight and kept going to the second. What’s another two miles? But then the trail became steeper and our packs felt ten times heavier. I barely dragged myself to the campsite and collapsed on the ground. Every muscle ached. I said in no uncertain terms, I’m done. Pick me up on the way back tomorrow. I quit. I crawled into my tent and instantly fell asleep.

The body is a funny thing. I slept soundly from exhaustion and awoke expecting to feel pain and misery. As I unzipped and climbed out of my tent, my body surprisingly felt fully recovered without any pain at all. It was a bit of a miracle and surprised us all.

In the end, I made it to the summit and back. It was a good lesson not to underestimate myself or throw in the towel too soon. Since then, I’ve fought the urge to declare myself out for the count. I always remember that Mount Whitney morning. You just never know what a new day will bring.

I was thinking about mountain songs. John Denver came to mind but I had this nagging feeling Blues Traveler had one, too. It’s been a long time since I’ve heard The Mountains Win Again. Man, it was a good listen and worth a second. I didn’t find much backstory on the song, but AI seemed to piece something together for me.

“The Mountains Win Again” by Blues Traveler is a bittersweet anthem about heartbreak, resignation, and emotional struggle. The lyrics, written by bassist Bobby Sheehan, depict a narrator overwhelmed by failed love and the inevitability of pain, using mountains as a metaphor for insurmountable obstacles and personal, recurring defeat.

AI

And I know this post is about not letting the mountain win, but let’s be honest. Sometimes it kicks our asses. And that’s OK. What matters more is getting up and dusting ourselves off. What I’ve learned is the insurmountable is always insurmountable until it isn’t.

I pick up my smile put it in my pocket
Hold it for a while try not to have to drop it
Men are not to cry so how am I to stop it
Keep it all inside don't show how much she rocked ya

Ooh can you feel the same
Ooh you gotta love the pain
Ooh it looks like rain again
Ooh I feel it comin' in
The mountains win again
The mountains win again

Dreams we dreamed at night were never meant to come to life
I can't understand the ease she pulled away her hand
This time in my life I was hurt enough to care
I guess from now on I'll be careful what I share

Ooh can you feel the same
Ooh ya gotta love the pain
Ooh it looks like rain again
Yeah feel it comin' in
The mountains win again

A pocket is no place for a smile anyway
Someday I will find love again will blow my mind
Maybe it will be that love that got away from me
Is there a line to write that could make you cry tonight
Can you feel the same
Yeah ya gotta love the pain
Ooh it looks like rain again
Ooh feel it comin' in
The mountains win again
Ooh the mountains win again

10 thoughts on “My Gen X Playlist: The Mountain Wins Again – Blues Traveler”

    1. It was great, especially because I thought I was DONE! I did bring up the rear and my buddies waited for me so we could all summit together. Great guys.

      I just watched a bunch oh YouTube videos on Mt Madison. Nice! That looks like a good one! Beautiful!

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      1. It sounds like you have really terrific buddies. I can imagine the feeling of euphoria and relief that must’ve brought!
        I hiked in the White Mountains very little, but at least I did it enough to understand the feelings involved: from utter despair (I will die up here) to the awe of the summit.

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  2. Many moons ago in 2002 when I was considerably younger than I am now I was persuaded by a colleague to sign up for a charity trek climbing The Inca Trail to Machu Pichu.
    About a month before departure after I had more than reached the monetary target set in order to take part she withdraw so off I went alone! This in itself was pretty scary.
    There were 26 of us in total all taking part in the challenge. Most people had come with someone so there were only a few of us who were alone. I was matched up with another lady of a similar age and we were suppose to become camp buddies.
    Having flown into Lima via Madrid with a quick overnight stay we transferred to Cusco. With three days acclimatisation, on the second day everyone started to fall sick with upset tummies etc. Having transferred to our hotel the day before the start I went down with the bug. Needless to say my camp buddy abandoned me and I was left alone.
    However cutting what could be an even longer story short I made it to the end of the walk and learnt so much about myself en route!
    Recalling that event in my life makes me realise I should probably formulate it into a post on my blog accompanied by some photos of the trip if for no other reason than to recall those moments of feeling alone but actually overcoming it and how the trip changed me

    1

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    1. I completed the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. It was life changing for me. Its impact stayed with me still, decades later. I’m glad you finished the trek. You learn so much on journeys like that. I hope you write about it someday.

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