There I was, standing in sneakers and jean shorts, staring at Angels Landing: a steep, steep hike/climb of about 1500 feet up the side of a mountain in Zion National Park. I say “hike/climb” because you hike up to a point, and then climb to the summit using chains on posts that have been drilled into the mountain. And did I mention that it’s VERY steep?
I’m thinking, “Let’s do this!” Luckily, my friend Ron talked me out of it. This was, after all, my first time knowingly hiking in a national park (hence the jean shorts and sneakers). I was NOT prepared for this type of hike, but I was enjoying myself so much in the park that I figured I could do it.
This happened many years ago, and wanting to take on Angels Landing was a mix of being naïve and having an incredible amount of enthusiasm, which is the perfect recipe for thinking you can do ANYTHING!
I wasn’t always enthusiastic about hiking, but I was naïve. Back in my twenties, a friend organized a group of us to hike a very challenging mountain, Old Rag, in Shenandoah National Park. I had no idea we were in a national park or that this was a challenging hike. Most of us had zero hiking experience and didn’t know what to bring. Not to mention that Tom, our friend who organized the hike, gave us zero instructions. He was ex-military, so I’m guessing that, for him, this was a literal walk in the park. It was not. It was a killer march. If I’d worn hiking shoes that day, I would have thrown them away.
Young and Naive! Considering hiking Angel’s Landing in Zion!
There are lots of leadership stories and tips, along with hilarious humor in Jan’s keynotes!
Jan McInnis’s keynote was engaging and insightful, offering the perfect balance of humor and education. Her natural ability to weave comedy into her presentation kept the audience laughing while also delivering valuable lessons on easily incorporating humor into everyday situations. I loved how she made it accessible for everyone, emphasizing that anyone can bring in humor with a few simple strategies. Her relatable anecdotes and practical tips made the session entertaining and empowering, leaving us with tools to lighten the mood in our personal and professional lives. It was truly a fantastic and memorable experience! (recent client)
We all showed up wearing jeans and sneakers, after having stopped at the drug store, where each of us picked up ONE 12 ounce bottle of water each. It was the heat of summer, and this hike was listed as VERY challenging. Many of us were out of water about an hour into the five-hour “experience.” It was steep, there was rock scrambling involved, and many switchbacks. The heat was also a killer, and I was thirsty for 90% of the hike. At the top of the mountain, someone pulled out a water gun and started a water fight. If I could’ve, I would’ve tackled that person for their water. Upon getting back to my car that night, I unconsciously swore off hiking. . . until Ron’s invitation.
Fast forward 15 years later when I moved to the West Coast and Ron convinced me to join him on a hiking trip to Zion. That trip didn’t start off great, as we spent the night before the hike in Las Vegas at the casino New York, New York, and my car was broken into. (Kinda ironic that I was robbed at a hotel named New York, New York.) They stole a bag full of cans of motor oil (funny) and my electronic Rolodex (not funny). My sister had given that to me as a going away gift when I moved across the country, and it contained ALL of my saved contacts. Without it, starting over in a new state was really gonna be starting over completely.
I decided to ignore the theft for the moment and focus on the park. As we drove through the park entrance, my phone rang. The casino security guard had found my bag, including my Rolodex, in the garage stairwell. I’m sure the thief was furious that they risked jail time for motor oil, and some weird-looking electronic thing.
We spent the day hitting some really fun trails and my enthusiasm grew, and grew, and grew. . . until we were looking up at Angels Landing. I was gung-ho and ready for that climb! Ron, not so much. Luckily, I listened to him and we headed back down.
Now, after hiking at least 25 national parks around the country, with actual hiking shoes, hiking pants, poles and other gear (read: plenty of water!), I STILL have not hiked Angels Landing, and can’t believe I ever considered it! But the recipe is clear: enthusiasm mixed with a little naïveté, will make you WANT to tackle some big goals.
My latest national park – Big Bend, in Southwest Texas!
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