The highest point of a hill or mountain, a meeting between heads of government, or the highest level or degree that can be attained. I spent a few days in Sun Valley this week at a Board retreat for Delta Dental of Idaho. Our mission is to improve the oral health of Idaho. That is a very lofty goal and one that will ultimately require many partnerships to achieve. My nephew, Dr. Carson Mooney and his partners picked Summit as the name of their dental practice and I know the level of professionalism is world class. So many people and companies want to reach the Summit! Who has made it to the peak of their profession and how can you tell? I can’t help but think that those who are close would never feel they had made it or that they could not take one more step forward.
The picture is taken from the Trail Creek Visitors Center just above the Hemingway Memorial in Sun Valley. Trail Creek Summit is in the far distance. It is 7896 feet in elevation and is the mountain pass that divides the Pioneer Mountains to the southeast and the Boulder Mountains to the Northwest. According to Rick Baugher of Climbing Idaho, in 1884 the Ketchum and Challis Toll Road Company built the original wagon road here to connect mining and grazing lands with the Union Pacific Railroad at Ketchum. Imagine paying to use a wagon trail in the middle of the high country and the entrepreneurial spirit to create such a business model. When you get to the Summit the views are worth the trip as you look back towards the Big Lost River drainage and to Idaho’s tallest Summit- Mount Borah. Today the Blaine County Road and Bridge crew is charged with the “Herculean” task of plowing the road open in the spring. No tolls today but I recommend four wheel drive and patience.
Pat Summitt is a shining example of a life well lived. Coach Pat become the coach of Tennessee in 1974. Title IX was new and women’s athletics faced a daily funding struggle. She sold doughnuts to buy uniforms, she did the team’s laundry and drove the van at Tennessee. Not one player who completed her eligibility failed to graduate. Bill Plaschke of the LA Times compares her to John Wooden – without the same level of notoriety. Plaschke writes, “I never covered one of her 1098 wins, a record for men and women. Not one of her eight national titles and not one of her 18 Final Four appearances.” ” Summitt was empowering women to be themselves, educating women to follow their dreams, and inspiring women to outstretch their society restricted reach. Pat lived sports at its best.” Pat defines the Summit and it seems fitting she really was one T above the rest.
Summitt left many legacies, but I found her many quotes worth reading and offer these as we all set off to make a difference in our own world. “You can’t always be the most talented person in the room. But you can be the most competitive.” “It is what it is, but it will be what you make it.” And finally, “The willingness to experiment with change may be the most essential ingredient to success at anything.” One thing we can count on is change – think Brexit and your daily challenges may seem less overwhelming
Enjoy the week end. Mike