April 24, 2018

January 26, 2018

One of the greatest outdoor features of New York State is the Adirondack Mountains. And one of most difficult accomplishments for anyone who loves those mountains is to become an Adirondack 46er, or someone who has climbed all 46 high peaks in the Adirondack Mountains. Here at Middleburgh Central Schools, we have four employees who are members of that club: Joshua Bornt, Shannon Hughes, Jason Dannible, and the newest member, Ray Kimball.

For some of our employees, the urge to climb started when they were younger. “I’ve always loved the outdoors but became interested in the High Peaks when I started working at Pok-O-MacCready camps in the Adirondacks when I was in college,” said Mr. Bornt, a Special Education Teacher in the Jr./Sr. High School. “I still spend summers there as the head of the boys camp.”

But for others, the Adirondacks called to them much later. Sometimes, it was purely by chance. “I became interested in climbing the High Peaks via a cancelled trip to Cape Cod,” said Mr. Kimball, a Custodian in the Jr./Sr. High School. “I asked my wife and daughter if they wanted to go to Lake Placid. Once we got off of Exit 30 of the Northway, and I saw all the mountains on the way to Lake Placid, I fell in love with them. While we were there, I saw a brochure on hiking the 46 High Peaks.”

As for their favorite High Peak, that’s all a matter of opinion. Mr. Bornt enjoys Gothics, Mr. Dannible, a Social Studies Teacher in the Jr./Sr. High School, likes Mt. Marcy, while Ms. Hughes likes Algonquin, and Mr. Kimball likes Skylight the best. However, their reasons for their particular favorite was each the same: the view from the summit.

But just because some mountains have great views, it doesn’t mean those views come easy. For Ms. Hughes and Mr. Dannible, their most difficult climb was Mt. Allen, which they described as a long and treacherous climb with little payoff in terms of a view. For Mr. Bornt, it was Mt. Marcy, though he admits he made the climb with a dozen 6-8 year olds. For Mr. Kimball, his most difficult climb was a combination of five mountains in a single day: Lower Wolf Jaw, Upper Wolf Jaw, Armstrong, Gothics, and Sawteeth.

And those mountainous experiences have led to lessons in the classroom as well. Ms. Hughes, who is a Health/Physical Education Teacher at the Jr./Sr. High School, started her 46er journey as part of her recovery from a traumatic brain injury. She says the lessons she has learned that she passes on to her students include being prepared, having a plan B, and rising up to challenges. Ms. Hughes says she tells students not to be afraid to take risks as they work toward a dream, and to know your strengths and weaknesses and use them to your advantage.

Other staff members talked about the importance of being prepared. And, of course, drinking lots of water.

One of the biggest things they all preach if students are looking to become 46ers themselves is patience. It can take many years to climb all the High Peaks due to weather or injury. They say staying safe, having the proper equipment, and the proper wilderness skills are all more important than getting the mountains done in a quick manner.