On June 12, 2003, I stood on the summit of Mount McKinley with seven other members of an expedition guided by the American Alpine Institute.  After a decade of preparation on smaller peaks, more than a year of training and 19 days on the mountain, I had reached the top of North America.  Two days later the team and I disembarked from a ski plane in Talkeetna, Alaska, tired but safe and happy after a 15 hour descent from our high camp.  My dream of climbing Mount McKinley had become real through hard work, planning and patience.