Early Hiking - with Creamsicles and Piggyback Rides

 

For Betty, the outdoors was not a pastime she “picked up” later in life. It was foundational. Fortunately, she was born and raised in California, a place rich with beautiful landscapes, biodiversity, and outdoor activities. Her earliest memories of hiking include family trips to Yosemite and Sequoia, motivated by the promise of “half-and-half” orange and vanilla bars and the chance to get piggyback rides from her father. 

 

“I don’t think I viewed it as a hobby or anything,” she says. “I just viewed it as something we all did. My grandma, my mom and dad… everybody did.”

 

Betty’s Slow Hiking Philosophy 

 

Betty divulges that she isn’t the fastest hiker on the trail. "It’s really pretty slow… you won't ever find me panting,” she noted. She goes on to explain that her hiking style is different, “I just keep going… I don’t rest. I don’t stop and rest. I just keep going at a slow pace.”

 

She references a piece of advice she received from a friend: “Let those other guys pass you. But when you get to the top, you won’t be tired out.” 

 

This advice has shown to be true time and time again when she finally reaches the destination and finds the same people who passed her earlier "sitting on the rock with their heads down” going on about how tired and out of breath they are. Meanwhile, when Betty gets there, she is ready to enjoy the view. 

 

The Botanical Hiker

 

While the physical challenge may be part of the appeal, Betty’s primary motivation is visual. She has hiked Wheeler Peak, New Mexico’s highest mountain, more than 18 times, specifically timing her trips around the flora. 

 

“That’s my favorite part… the Alpine flowers up there,” she says. She describes “Alpine Forget-Me-Nots” as a “carpet of pretty blue.” She also looks for Alpine Sunflowers - which “turn their heads with the sun” - and a succulent called King’s Crown. 

 

The Hardest Hikes - Unspoken Bonds

 

Humboldt

Not every hike has been peaceful. On Humboldt Peak, a 14,000-foot climb, Betty found herself caught in a storm while not feeling well. She felt a pressure to finish, admitting “I don’t think I’d probably ever get there again, so I might as well give it my best shot.” 

 

As thunder and lightning rolled in, a kind stranger refused to leave her behind. “He said. ‘No, I’m not going to leave you till we get down to the bottom of the ridge line.’” 

 

Whitney

Perhaps her most memorable trek occurred when she was just 16 years old. She and her mother accompanied a family friend, George, up 14,505 on Mount Whitney, the highest peak in the contiguous United States. George had lost a leg in a motorcycle accident. When he received a new prosthetic, the specialist told him he could “go anyplace with it.” George took that literally. 

 

George, Betty, and her mother backpacked to the base and began the ascent. Near the summit, George began to suffer from blisters due to his prosthetic. Her mother doctored him as they went along, but eventually he told them to continue on without him.

 

Betty and her mother reached the summit, but as they were about to turn around and leave, they saw a familiar face. "Here comes George,” she recalls her mother saying. “He made it.”

 

Years later, at George’s memorial service, attendees spoke of what seemed to be understood as his solo conquer of the mountain. Betty and her mother stood up to offer a final tribute to their friend and correct the record: “We are the ones who accompanied George to the top.” 

 

The Takeaway

 

Now, dealing with foot trouble, Betty acknowledges her hiking days might look different moving forward. But her love for the trail remains. “I’d miss it all,” she says. “The smell of the pines… the sound of the waterfalls.” And mostly experiences like the feelings of Wheeler Peak, where “it really feels like you’re on top of the world.” 

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If you would like to take a look at some of Betty's hiking photos, click HERE.