Hey, Mountaineers!
Making your way up the challenge of a majestic mountain has been described as a life-changing experience which would explain why we have a day designated completely to these awesome natural formations. And while other countries have their own dates for celebration, today is America’s Mountain Climbing Day. Happy Mountain Climbing Day to all you thrill seekers, adventurers, and hiking aficionados. Today is a day just for us!
The history of this country’s Mountain Climbing Day goes back at least as early
as 1838. It started all those years ago as a student celebration at Mount Holyoke when a group of students from Mount Holyoke College journeyed off into the foothills to make their way up and reach the peak. They declared the day Mountain Climbing Day which inspired other colleges.
Eventually Smith College, Juniata College, Colby-Sawyer College, and others took part in the tradition and made themselves a part of the club. Students from Williams College had been climbing Mount Greylock—Massachusetts’ highest peak—maybe even earlier than the first recorded mountain-climbing party from Mount Holyoke! With so much interest across the nation, Mountain Climbing Day was finally declared a National Holiday.
Conquering a mountain is no easy feat. Breathing gets harder at higher altitudes and each step is work to lift yourself that much higher. But the feeling of accomplishment paired with a view that can’t be beat urges folks onward and upward to do what many others might say is impossible.
Vice President of Everything Summer Camp recently climbed a mountain in Colorado. Keep your eyes peeled to see his story posted here on the Blog. And you can catch the story from Reannon, a representative from our Customer Service team, about the peak she reached from her adventure in the Blackhills of South Dakota. Check that out by clicking right here and, as always, thanks for reading!
- John