“Remember when you were young and anything was possible? The secret is it still is.” — Enzo Simone
My husband Marc loves hiking, and has been trying to get me into it for years. I went with him and the kids a few times, but I didn’t love it the way he did.
That was until we hiked Mount Washington last weekend to celebrate the life of wonderful friend, Enzo Simone.
Enzo’s mission was to fight Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease one mountain at a time, so he started an Army of Change. We became a part of this army on New Hampshire’s Mount Washington.
Nervous was an understatement. At 6,288 feet, it’s the highest peak in the Northeast. And it has incredibly erratic weather. Mount Washington still holds the record for highest measured wind speed not associated with a tornado or tropical cyclone.
We packed for hiking the tallest and at times deadliest mountain in the Northeast. Winds were predicted to be up to 60 mph.
We woke up early Saturday. Fifty or so other friends, old and new joined us as we set out at 8:06 am.
We started walking, a painted rock in hand to leave in memory of our friend who loved this mountain so. His energy and encouragement was with us all day.
We were blessed to be hiking with our old friend Gerry McGuire, his wonderful family, as well as all of our old and new friends who joined us throughout the hike.
We bonded, laughed, and encouraged each other. An amazing hike. It was tough, especially when we turned the corner and the bouldering began, but we pushed on. We thought of our friend Enzo and how encouraging he would be if he was there.
The hike inspired me as I hoped it would. It positively impacted my mental health in a way that I want to continue. That sense of accomplishment and a euphoric feeling is still with me.
Challenges like this ensure that you push yourself to your limits — and beyond.
We are already planning our next hike, this time with our kids. We enjoy camping and now we can add hiking to our family adventures.
Thank you Enzo for guiding us to this new passion. We are eternally grateful. World Up!
P.S. Check out Enzo’s documentary, 10 mountains 10 years. https://youtu.be/veagq7nhNBQ
Start hiking!