“But at times I wondered if I had not come a long way only to find that what I really sought was something I had left behind.”
– Jon Krakauer, Into Thin Air
The desire to help others fuels my passions. This event was memorable and dear to my heart. It started as an idea. Maybe I will donate the $125 and just hike along with the other people hiking the event (Nov. 12) on Veteran’s Day weekend. After my buddy Malik and I completed the Big Bear Spartan Trifecta Weekend (we chose Sprint, since we finished the Super in 21), Malik mentioned that he would be starting the SoCal Six-Pack of Peaks, and Mt. Baldy would be one of the six.
Thus began my journey over the next six months to complete my goal of fundraising $1,000 and hike with the heroes who put their lives on the line for others.
As I planned and figured out ways to raise money, I started to speak it into existence by telling others so that they would keep me accountable. By August, I am volunteering with You Matter Not Alone at the 2nd annual “A Sound Mind,” a mental health resource fair for military personnel, first responders, and their families by Working Dogs For Warriors. As I finished setting up, I introduced myself (Hi, my name is Caleb, what is this!?) to our neighboring booth, Victorious Mindset by Elizabeth Barajas, aka Mrs. Liz. She gladly explained what the booth was about. Towards the end of the event, I met many inspiring people, and hearing their stories fueled my excitement to raise money.
October is when I started to see my vision of raising $1,000 might be possible!
With the help of my dear friend Michelina owner of the local yoga studio, I attend My Yoga Canyon Country. I mentioned what I was attempting to do, and she offered to join my team to hike and even said we could raise money through the studio!
Towards the end of October into early November, I arrive back in town the weekend before the hike. By now, I have completed my goal of $1,000; Any extra is just icing on the cake! I call my neighbor Kenji to see if he has any plans for the weekend. “Hey brother, want to hike Mt Baldy with a group and me? You can bring Yuki; there will be other dogs. Hell yeah dude, sounds like fun!”
November 12th: 3:30 AM rolls around; I am up packing the rest of my gear; it’s cold. I look at my phone to check the temperature outside at 38 degrees. I send a quick text to Kenji, grab a bite to eat, and get out the door. Yuki is the only one excited this early in the morning, bouncing up and down, trying to lick my face. We throw the gear in the trunk and head towards Mt. Baldy, which is roughly an hour and a half away.
As we’re climbing our way through the winding mountain roads, we start to see the mountains turn from forest green to peppered white, and the temperature drops yet again. 6 AM, We finally make it to base camp (6,478 FT) and check in with Tim, JJ, and Stephanie to see if they need help setting up. Not long after all the participants start to show up we meet up with Michelina and Brandon. We hear the wicked speech that Tim/military heroes give, and then the whistle blows to start climbing. The first 350ft of the incline was brutal; not only was it freezing and slippery the vast majority of people in front of us felt different. I was not used to hiking with so many individuals.
As my group and I trekked past people, we saw kickass motivational signs along the trail. “It is not the mountain we conquer but ourselves” is one of the signs that stood out to me the most. We make it to camp one (7,378ft), and the volunteers hand us a CFH poker chip and mentions that there are five camps and each camp/chip represents a reward. By camp three (8,643ft), we made it to the ski lodge, the perfect place to rest briefly and enjoy the scenic view of glistening snowy mountains. Just as we begin to hike, my buddy Mailk catches up to us and mentions he’s the only one from his group that showed up, he asks to hike with us as we make our journey up the mountain.
A wee bit past camp four (9,348ft) the group and I come across a “Warning BigFoot Area” Hmm that’s interesting; as we approach, there is Bigfoot. We snapped a couple of quick photos with Bigfoot and continued the rest of the climb. Summit-ish, aka camp five (9,654ft) we made it…almost, hell yeah!
We take an extended break at the camp, enjoying the company of others and seeing the dogs play in the snow before heading back down the mountain.
Halfway down the mountain near camp three, it’s high noon and right on time for the “flyover” It’s spectacular seeing the aircraft tightly together; they circle back two more times, and then off they go. Once we return to the ski lodge, it’s time to turn the poker chips in for our prizes.
We get a rad t-shirt, first aid kit, outdoor survivor bracelet, wilderness bag, and an Eddie Bauer beanie.
After grabbing the awards, we take a “beer/fries” break inside the lodge and listen to the live band play. In line waiting to order, I hear “Caleb!” I look over at the end of the bar and see my Jiu-Jitsu buddy Joe. He introduces me to his friend “Joe.” We talked briefly, and I thanked him for coming out to support us.
2:15 PM: The group and I finally make it back to base camp (7,378ft). What a day it has been, The mission is almost complete.
There is one more thing I’d like to do: get a photo with Tim (founder of THP). I spot him, and he thanks me for all I have done and hopes to see me soon. After a quick photo, I make it back to the group and thank them all for their support none of this would be possible without them.
As always, do what you love doing, and do it often! Till the next adventure…
About
Caleb Young graduated from California State University, Northridge, with a BA in Psychology, envisioning becoming a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) working with active duty military/families/veterans. Caleb has volunteered with various mental health nonprofits, including You Matter Not Alone, Working Dogs For Warriors, and Heroes Project. He enjoys reading/writing, Jiu-Jitsu, and exploring the great outdoors. Follow Caleb on Instagram, and Facebook.