I can still vividly recall the moment that Abraham Maslow was discussed with a deeper meaning in one of my nursing classes several years ago. During lecture, my advisor touched upon his discovery of peak experiences, and in an instant I was smitten.  Later that day I rushed home to read more and from that day forward, carried with me a new found inspiration.

There is an old cliché that it’s all about the journey and not the destination, and I’d like to think that humankind in large part knows this to be mostly true.  That often, the fruits of our labor are essentially not as rewarding as the labor itself.  However a peak experience, as described by 20^th century psychologist Maslow, is a moment so powerful and meaningful, it allows an individual to realize their potential.   Peak experiences are thought to be quite rare, with one study revealing that only 2% of the population enjoys such a wonder.  Therefore I recognized that  this would have to be an organic process, that I would have to sit and wait until such an experience came to me, if at all.

Remarkably, it was in 2015 when I first learned of a local Adaptive Sports event called the Sunrise Ascent on Mt. Washington.  I had no real knowledge of what an adaptive sports organization was or what they could offer, so I called the Director of our local outfit to find out more. After being introduced to this idea by a friend, I started to wonder if outdoor recreation would greatly benefit Sasha as we live somewhere so beautiful.  Through an extensive conversation I learned of so many sports that Sasha could engage in through a myriad of specialized equipment.  I was truly amazed!  And then…in the later part of our conversation, she happened to mention the organization’s biggest fundraiser: The Sunrise Ascent on Mt. Washington.

For so many New Englanders, Mt. Washington holds a special place in our hearts.  As the highest peak in the northeast at 6,288 feet, the severe winter conditions and extreme winds (recorded at 231 MPH in 1934) make for stories that, as a child, I thought were merely legends.  This mountain is no easy climb, at any time of year, and yet to have the opportunity to hike this epic peak….with Sasha….at sunrise….was an idea overwhelmingly beautiful to me.

It was after that initial phone conversation that I signed Sasha up for some outdoor adventures; we started with hiking sessions, graduated to a triathlon and even eyed alpine skiing opportunities as winter approached.  Yet the Sunrise Ascent was strong on my radar.  I eagerly signed up for the event and followed the Director, Sandy’s, lead on how to build a team, how to train and what to prepare for. A full spring and summer ensued with weekly hikes with and without Sasha, tracking the weather daily and eating like Rocky Balboa.   In early August of 2015 the event finally approached as we retired early at an Inn near the infamous mountain.  I’ll never know if the change in schedule and/or location is what doomed Sasha or other stressors, but regardless, she fell ill the morning of the climb.  I was truly devastated but knew there would be next year.

Sadly extreme weather in 2016 forced the event to cancel.  I was now 0 -2.  I decided to sleep on it for a few months and decide later on in the year weather to give it a third try.

As 2017 approached, we were coming off a particularly rough winter for Sasha.  She got scary sick and suddenly lost her ability to walk as well as briefly, what appeared to be her loss of vision.  As much as I am an optimist, deep down I did not think that Sasha would return to baseline.  Miraculously, when she did, I instantly had my answer.  I knew I had to give Mt. Washington another go.

Training once again ensued, fundraising efforts were fully engaged and slowly the enthusiasm built.  This had to be our year.  I was really starting to feel the excitement in my veins until one very sudden day when I was out walking hills with my dog.  I started to feel defeated and physically tired, wondering why I kept trying for this elusive….thing!  It was then that a flashing thought came sweeping through my mind and landed on me like a solid block of concrete: “you are not going to have the opportunity to do this event with Sasha forever.  Someday, she is going to die”.

Not since the painful days immediately after Sasha’s diagnosis had I experienced such a direct, honest thought about her prognosis.  My dog, Stoli, perched high up on a hill overlooking the mountains below, turned her head sharply and wondered why I was suddenly crying.  I knew on that day that I could never give up on Sasha seeing a Mount Washington Sunrise.

But this is not yet a happy ending.  2017 was a near repeat of 2016 and the winds, while not 231 MPH, were gusting near 80 MPH the morning of the event.  It was understandably deemed unsafe to climb.  I was heartbroken again yet steadfast in my desire to persist.

In an effort to keep you with me, dear reader, I will fast forward to August 5^th, 2018.  I am so amazed to say that just 12 days ago, under brilliant skies and the calmest of trees, Sasha and I summited Mt. Washington just before 9 AM.  This was experienced with a team of 30 incredible “mules” (humans who pushed and pulled Sasha in her hiking chair up the 7.6 mile auto road) to look out at the sunrise from 6,288 feet.

Every, single thing about this day was meaningful and poignant.  Starting out just before 5 AM, one special mule provided purple glow sticks to light the way, while another designed the most beautiful purple and yellow team flag, which he proudly carried the entire climb until bestowing it to myself and others as the last mile approached.  Together we all made multiple stops to quietly watch the sunrise with sweet, smiling Sasha, whose beaming light was plentiful the entire day.  Everyone took photos.  The purples, reds and oranges extending above the blue mountain ranges for miles was indescribable.  30 people sitting quietly together, all knowing how long this moment had taken to experience.  We laughed hard, smiled even more, and I am surprised to say I didn’t cry.  I just kept pinching myself.

We gladly raised funds of over $11,000 for an organization that has given us so much, far more than any price tag can identify.  And all along the way we celebrated human kind, the spirit of so many gathered together in a common goal; old friends, coworkers, new found strangers, new connections made.

I now understand what a journey can do.  It can shape us as beings into a community of givers, achievers, listeners and receivers.  I am so overwhelmed by the notion that Sasha has now seen a Mt. Washington Sunrise.  My only wish is for her to have the opportunity to see many more.