(Photo by NPS)
A story in the news this week caught my attention. Twenty five years ago, Cindy Moyneur England and an 11 year old boy became separated from their hiking party while trekking to the top of Mt. Baldy (10,064’). The pair reached the top alone and celebrated their success. Then they made a mistake.
Confused at the summit, they descended a trail leading down the opposite side of the mountain from their trailhead. This seems to be a common mistake hikers make. By the time they realized their error, the young boy was too exhausted to climb back up the trail.
They settled in to spend the night with almost no supplies or equipment. Then the snowstorm came…
It’s not the tale of survival that caught my eye. It’s what Mrs. England did after she was rescued. She was so inspired by her rescuers that she became a search and rescue (SAR) volunteer. She devoted the rest of her days to saving others lost in the wilderness.
Read about the story here:
Mt Baldy rescue: 25 years later, she’ll retrace the climb that nearly killed her
It’s just after Thanksgiving as I write this. And during this holiday we are reminded to be thankful for what we have and to help others less fortunate than ourselves. Cindy Moyneur England is a perfect example. Grateful for her rescue, she decided to apply her outdoor skills to help others in peril.
So take a moment this holiday season to think about how you can use your outdoor skills to help others. There are a million things you can do! You can lead public hikes, help with trail maintenance, staff interpretive centers at local parks, assist researchers doing citizen science, make trail maps for local organizations, pick up litter, donate funds, and much, much more.
Do you have more examples of how we can use our outdoor skills to give back? Tell me about them in the comments below.
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