By Bethany Garretson
Day 14: Friday, August 19
Mountains: Lower Wolfjaw, Upper Wolfjaw, Armstrong, Gothics, Sawteeth, Saddleback, Basin, Miles: 20 miles
I cut large slabs of moleskin and applied them to the back of my cracked heels. I wrapped athletic tape around my ankles for extra support, pulled on a pair of socks and laced up my shoes. Andy grabbed the car keys and we loaded into our Mazda 3 hatchback. During the drive, I ate a lite breakfast and hydrated.
“Good luck, B,” Andy said at the drop off. I stepped out of the car and made my way towards the Ausable Club road. The humidity returned and I felt sluggish ascending Lower Wolf Jaw. “Ah, today, might be longer than I thought,” I mumbled and recalculated my finish time. Yesterday had been a high mileage day. Maybe the mountains were adding up and wearing me out. I glanced at my watch, calculated it against the miles and realized my pace was on point. It was my mind that was off. I wanted to get to the summit, so I could get to the next summit and then the next. I stopped, stretched, downed some water and Indian curry. While I sat, a thought came to me, “Bethany, this is it, this is the last day, enjoy it, enjoy every moment you can. Have fun.” My head nodded in agreement to my inner voice and I vowed to cherish my journey. I had the summit of Lower Wolfjaw to myself, shared Upper Wolfjaw with a pair of hikers, and I noticed the traffic on the range increased as I made my way to Armstrong. Between Armstrong and Gothic a hiker approached me and asked, “Do you know Bethany?”
“I am Bethany.” I smiled.
“Oh, oh, I thought so!” She squealed. “But I wasn’t sure if you were her sister. My husband and I are climbing it for climate!”
“Wonderful!” I said.
“Can I get a picture?” She asked.
“Of course!” I said. We stood side by side and her husband snapped a photo. It was the perfect late morning pick up. Her energy gave me energy—and that’s the true power of human energy. It’s transferable and renewable.
After I passed over the summit of Gothics, I spurred off to Sawteeth then double backed. When I returned to the Range, it was a buzz with Climb it 4 Climate.
“You must be Bethany,” a man said when I passed him and his hiking partner. “We’ve heard of you. You’re a legend, you’re like the wind.”
“Ha!” I smiled, fighting the second lull of the day. “I could use some wind right now.” We talked a bit about the heat and water availability on the range. Their company pushed me forward and I embraced the sharp descent of Gothics and technical moves on Saddleback. From the col, I looked up at Basin and took a deep breath.
“Alright, let’s do this.” I put my head down, scampered up the .8 miles of rocky terrain and the summit arrived sooner than I’d anticipated. I stood there, speechless and waited for a deep emotion to hit. I pulled out my video camera and panned the horizon line. Basin was my 46 summit and I was surprised at how calm I felt. Two men came up from the Haystack side with large packs wearing long pants and gaiters. One unclasped a folding chair and pulled out a cigar. The other took a step towards me and asked, “Want me to take your photo?”
“Sure,” I said. I gave him my camera and pointed at the button to push. The two men were best friends from college and 46ers. I told them about the past two weeks and how I’d just finished my trek on Basin.
“Congratulations!” They cheered and raised their cigars. Smoke plumed towards the sky and it reminded me of when my uncles celebrated the birth of a new baby in our family.
“Thanks,” I said. The men leaned back in their chairs. I packed my gear and wished them a happy summit and descent. I climbed back over Saddleback and descended to John’s Brook Lodge. The way down was enjoyable and I bopped along to songs in my head. Returning to the Great Range provided the closure I’d been searching for. The terrain reaffirmed my decision to stop on day five and silenced my second guessing. Once I hit flat ground, my ease on trail returned and I began to jog. While training, I’d been careful of each step and fretted over the damage a sprained ankle could do. I skipped over John’s Brook—jumping from rock to rock when a voice called out, “Bethany!” I paused and looked up. A woman sat on a large rock, a hand thrown up shielding her eyes from the sun.
“Well, hey!” I hopped over and gave Lee Ann Sporn—a fellow PSC colleague a hug.
“I told myself I was going to see you today!” She said. Lee Ann had just come off Big Slide and was enjoying some river time. We talked about the forces around us and how they bring us together. Call it God, call it the Great Spirit, call it the mountains, call it magic—it surrounds us and is tremendously brilliant. When properly harnessed—it’s stronger than any force that can tear us apart. I glanced at my watch and pushed myself to my feet.
“Three more miles,” I said with a wave. Alone again, I thought about the moment (13 days ago) I stepped on trail with a full pack and fresh legs. A climactic montage of events swirled around me and my lips pursed into a smile. The emotion arrived. It presented as a warm sensation in my chest and fingertips. A white light of sublime peace, as if I could sit down, the world crashing around me and my bubble would protect me—not only protect me, but push the world back up again. Every single one of us has the potential to feel this amount of energy pulse through their veins. Tap into your source—whether it’s art, music, writing, teaching, dance, or sports and whether your terrain be city or mountains. Once you are jolted by inspiration, it’s your human responsibility to do something with it. The last mile, I ran out of those woods flooded with ideas and fueled by my sixteenth mountain meal.
Reflection:
The leaves have fallen and my feet have shed callouses. On Election Day, the yurts at Osgood Pond were taken down by my afternoon Politics of the Environment class. Instead of talking about what divides us, we worked towards a common goal. Potatoes and onions are in the root cellar waiting to go to a local food bank for Thanksgiving meals. A lite dusting of snow covers the landscape and I read it as a blank slate. Looking towards the future, I’m hopeful. Every day I’m reminded of my journey—whether it’s glancing at my pack or a picture on the refrigerator. In the end, over 130 hikers participated in Climb it 4 Climate we raised $33,000 for sustainability programming at Osgood Pond and PSC student scholarships.
One can say we live in a tough day and age. The 2016 Election cycle was hateful and contentious, the media is a business that goes by the motto, “If it bleeds it leads,” and the pace of social media gives us an opportunity to voice our anger without processing it. Oh, and our world is warming and population growing. So yes, we can say this a tough day and age. Or, we can take a step back and see it through another lens: A great time of opportunity. Today, we have platforms to reach millions, we have an abundance of awareness and we have history to guide us. The greatest and most successful movements come from the people.
When I was a college student, I associated a doom and gloom story with global climate change. I harbored anger towards the government, industry and people who seemed corrupt and indifferent. The system seemed unbreakable. Today, that anger has been replaced with an understanding. And don’t get me wrong, sometimes I still get very angry. But now, I turn my anger and frustration into something that’s workable. My shift came once I understood social change moves at a generational pace. It will take time and we’ll get there.
I’ll end my journey on a few tidbits of advice from the mountains:
*Build a campaign that brings people together.
*Build from a common foundation and a common love.
*It’s easy to justify our actions and transfer blame. It’s easy to find fault in the system and respond to our greatest challenges with a negative outlook. Instead, take accountability for your role in the system. No one is perfect and we will not make the progress we need to make by shaming people to change. Educate. Have face to face conversations. No one has all the answers—not even you.
*We are stronger together.
*It’s alright if plan A doesn’t work, take a deep breath and switch to plan B. Or C or D or Z. Don’t give up.
*We are capable of great things. Believe in yourself. Believe in others.
*You won’t know if you don’t try. It goes back to the idea of, “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.”
This is the same with social change. Don’t throw up your hands and say it won’t change, without trying. Avoid the thinking error of, “Well, it’s not going to change, so I’m not even going to try.” It’s true, you might not win every battle, but you could change the course of the war. So try, try your hardest and give it your best effort.
*Be the change you wish for the world. Live by positive example and realize your life has a ripple effect on others. Acknowledge your power and tap into it.
I’d like to take a moment to thank everyone who helped with and supported Climb it 4 Climate. It was an amazing experience and I was truly inspired by watching people come together and get out in the mountains. Stay tuned for Climb it 4 Climate 2017! If you’d like to be involved, please contact me at bgarretson@paulsmiths.edu.
Bethany Garretson
Name: Bethany Garretson
Hometown: Cherry Valley, New York
Currently resides: Paul Smiths, New York
Role at PSC: Instructor of Environmental Studies and Osgood Farm Manager
Years at PSC: 2
Interests: Mountain climbing, writing, farming, exploring wild places, and advocating for all things great and small.
Quote: “Farming is the cultivation of better human beings.” -Masanobu Fukuoka
