LOCALadk Magazine

Summer 2019 LOCALadk Magazine 27 LOCALadk The latest woman to complete the Grid is Nancy LaBaff from Parishville. For Nancy, hiking is about freedom— doing what makes her feel alive and happy. This is an important part of her personal stor y; she has fought cancer twice and won! In 2003, after beating thyroid cancer, she was looking for a change and didn't want to waste her second chance on life. She was introduced to hiking by a friend and climbed Debar Mountain. She never looked back. By September 2006 she had finished her first round of the 46, and by 2008 had the winter round, followed then by a four season round. Fast-for ward to 2015 when Nancy, after not feeling well, received bad news for the second time. On December 17, 2015 she was told that she had uterine cancer. Nancy had surger y and took time to heal, and thankfully, learned it had been caught early. What helped her get through recover y this time was the support she received from her amazing group of hiking friends. Getting back into the mountains and hiking was the carrot on the stick for Nancy. She worked hard, and was standing on top of Phelps two months after her surger y. For many people, Nancy included, the Adirondacks have the power to heal. She went on to complete her Grid quest on December 17th, 2017, atop Santanoni Peak. For Nancy, get- ting to that summit, surrounded by friends, meant more than words could ever describe. Each person has their own unique stor y but Joe shared some thoughts on what it takes to complete the Grid, and how it's important no matter who you are. It takes planning, a lot of planning. Watching the weather and making smart decisions about when to go for the summit and when to turn back. The weather plays such an important role, and having to do each peak each month means you are probably going to be hiking in bad weather often, being safe about it is the key. One of Joe's hardest hikes was during the winter when he spent 11 hours hiking in temperatures below zero. He and his hiking partner hiked for 11 hours without stopping to eat or drink, they got two of the five peaks they were going for. He was with someone who he trusted and knew had the en- durance and fitness for such a hike. It was a long day, but a hike he still felt good about, having done it safely. Efficien- cy also plays a major role in the success of completion. It is important to map out a route and summit multiple peaks so you do not have to retrace your steps for another peak. Joe's favorite peaks are Haystack and Dix, and his least favorite (which he answered quickly) is Blake. Local Amanda Riggs is currently pursuing her Grid attempt. She hiked her first High Peak in 2009, and at the time didn't really know anything about the 46 Peaks—she was simply going for a hike that day. She loved it, and six years later she became a 46er. At times she tackled the mountains alone, others with her dog, Ryley, who is also a 46er. Today, most importantly, she hikes with some amazing people who have become not just hiking partners but great friends. Her best friend and frequent hiking partner is Dylan, who hopes to also complete his Grid with Amanda in October of 2021. Amanda had a busy hiking year in 2018—she did 164 differ- ent hikes, which included 232 mountains, for a total of 1285 miles hiked. She is careful to log her hikes, but admitted she does not get specific with the details. Keeping track of which peaks you summit and when is of course, as we have men- tioned, ver y important when planning to attempt the goal of becoming a Grid hiker. She is a list person, and gets satis- faction from checking off each mountain summit (generally 3– 4 a week).

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