My Story

I belong in the mountains.

I learned this about myself in my early 30’s when I inexplicably started hiking in the White Mountains of NH. I am not exactly sure why one day I wasn't a "hiker' and the next day I was. It just sort of happened. Once I started, I knew instinctively that I wasn't going to stop. Why I didn't figure this out at a younger age is a source of much frustration for me. I think the simple answer was that life just got in the way. Trying to figure out who I was and what I wanted to do with my life was hard enough on its own, but when you throw in health concerns (which unfortunately plagued my 20's) life becomes more about getting through each day and less about seeking out your passions and following your dreams. I often ask myself whether I found the mountains or the mountains found me. It's a worthy debate topic and one I would wrestle with often. But why mountains? How did they get their claws, or should I say, peaks, into me? How did they become my spiritual high ground (pun intended)?

While I loved the White Mountains of NH, I started to look for bigger and better options. That’s when I stumbled upon an article about a multi-day hut to hut trek in Italy called the Alta Via #1. Alta Via translates to “The high route.” That sounded enticing. The more I read about it, the more I had to do it. I hiked the first half of the 80-mile Alta Via #1 with my wife in 2016. I fell in love with the entire experience. The huts, the food, the people, the ever-changing landscapes, the mountain villages, the culture, the navigation, the challenge. Most of all, I loved the planning.

That experience shaped me in ways I can't explain. I become obsessed with the desire to go back to the Dolomites and the European Alps. I had taste of the drug I call “alpine” and I was hooked. My wife, not so much. My obsession continued to grow, but I had one big obstacle: time. There was never enough time. I was at the point in my career where I needed to be hyper focused on work. Even more important than my work was my young daughter. Between work and my family, time was hard to come by.

By late 2018 my urge to get back to the Dolomites had not waned. In some ways, my desire to hike the entire Alta Via #1 and finish what I had started in 2016 was stronger than ever. It wasn’t a stretch to call it an obsession. But how was I supposed to find the time to accomplish this goal? Well, if my barrier was time, then I needed to find a way to complete this hike in significantly less time than what is typical. Most people take their time and hike the 80-mile route in 10-13 days. I didn't have that much time, so I started doing some math. I researched. I plotted. I planned. I had done the first half of it so I had some familiarity with what it would take to conquer this hike in much less time. I settled on what was, in retrospect, a ridiculously aggressive itinerary that would allow me to hike the entire trek in 4.5 days. I would do it solo, and I would have to do it fast.

In late August of 2019 I completed my goal. It was the most challenging thing I have ever done. The experience changed me. It taught me that perseverance and mental toughness were just as important as fitness level and physical strength.

The experience only served to fuel the burning fire inside me. I wanted more. Over the next decade I would seek out new hut to hut long distance hikes to tackle. I did my research. I planned. I accomplished the plan. Repeat. It wasn't always pretty, but I learned as I went. With each completion of a goal, a new one formed. This passion of mine turned into an annual or bi-annual event. Each adventure fulfilling in its own way. My path was set.

John Muir's famous saying "The mountains are calling and I must go" has become my mantra. Don’t let the simplicity of the quote mislead you. There’s power in its simplicity. There’s no ambiguity in the words “I must go.” Three powerful words that epitomize a feeling that is difficult to articulate but are nonetheless a reality that I deal with more frequently than I care to admit. The quote strikes a chord in those of us who feel the pull of the mountains, but I can see why others simply can’t comprehend it. It’s not tangible. It’s not logical. Perhaps its enigmatic nature is its allure. Maybe it’s divine. Who am I to say? I’m a practical person by nature, but there’s no practical explanation that is satisfying. John Muir didn’t fuss over the “why”, he just followed his heart. What better reason do you need than that?

-MikeHikesTheAlps