Adirondack Peeks Winter 2024

I have the skills needed and I know I could do a good job, so I became a leader. It’s the right thing to do. I coached youth soccer and wrestling also. . . . I decided to coach because I knew I could do it and I saw value in it.

PC: I like to write about things I feel strongly about that I can get into. I enjoyed writing my last article in PEEKS , "The Foolishness of Youth," because I had photo

* * Phil’s 46er journey started when he took his first step onto the train at Harmon Station and headed north to the Ad irondacks at 10 years old. Each new trail he followed, new friend he made, new song he sang, new summit he con quered, were steps toward his destiny. Phil’s personal jour ney also recognizes organizations like Camp Pok-O-Mac Cready—the places where young people are empowered to achieve independence, create lifelong friendships, and honor and revere the natural world. Phil’s phone must have rung three times during our interview: 46er business, friends calling. I love sitting next to him at club dinners; inevitably his friends stop by the table indulging in past hiking stories and filling me in on what I’ve missed: who skied all the 46, who carried the cables up Gothic, who butt slid down Santanoni, how Phil and Mary skied down Whiteface Mountain Road in record speed. If not for the 46ers and the legacies of its mem bers, the mountains would not be in the shape they are today. Phil is the epitome of what a 46er is, what a friend is, what a role model is. He is the person you want on your team because when you’re climbing the final pinnacle and the going is rough, he’ll get you singing a tune and shaking off any self-doubt you have. He’ll be the first person to give you a hand and help, answer a question, or show you the way. I know this firsthand, as he has been a huge resource to me in my new role as coeditor. Phil talked about his heroes, the role models that inspired him: Colonel Swan, Beetle Bailey, Peter Welles, the 15- and 16-year-old hikers he hiked the Super Marcy with. He told me he tried to emulate them. I couldn’t help but think about the number of sixth graders, Boy Scouts, wrestlers, soccer players, hikers, college students, editors, friends, and family members he has inspired and motivat ed, and those who are trying to emulate him. *

graphs of the Colden trap dike from the past: me clutch ing on a rock, looking down at Avalanche Lake, tiptoeing around the corner, and inching my way up. I felt strong about the message, too, knowing that an individual I knew had lost his life while leading a group. I’ve written a series of historical articles about my experiences while at Camp Pok-O-Moonshine. In one I wrote about the history of the Super Marcy hikes, which the camp shared for the 60th, 75th, 80th, and 100th anniversaries. I've written about my years in the Intermediate Section, Senior Section, and Ad vanced Section. I’ve got so many stories of what camp was like sixty years ago. I haven't published them but I'm think ing of putting them all together and doing something with them. SR: You’ve volunteered so much of your time over the years. What motivates you to step up and lend a hand? PC: Well, when I went to sign my son up for Boy Scouts, they needed a leader. It’s a good organization and I wanted my sons to be Boy Scouts. I have the skills needed and I know I could do a good job, so I became a leader. It’s the right thing to do. I coached youth soccer and wrestling also. I never played soccer in my life, but I decided to coach be cause I knew I could do it and I saw value in it. SR: In 2001, Ditt Dittmar retired after 53 years as the club’s executive secretary/treasurer, and you took the reins as treasurer. What have been your biggest challenges as trea surer? What changes do you foresee the club having to contend with in the future? PC: As the organization continues to steadily grow, our fo cus has been to digitalize the membership process. We’ve had some growing pains with our website, and we continue to invest in it to make it better. We’ve reluctantly increased our dues recently to help with this expense and it’s pos sible we will need to increase them again down the road. Being able to maintain the 46ers as an all-volunteer orga nization allows us to channel all our resources toward pres ervation and education within the high peaks. SR: What are your hopes for the future of the 46ers? PC: I hope the organization continues to grow and that af ter a hiker completes their 46er journey, they feel a sense of responsibility to give back to the mountains that they’ve enjoyed climbing. We need people to step up and support the organization’s long-term efforts in being a major con tributor in preserving the high peaks. It’s what we are all about. Volunteer. There’s plenty to do.

A Place to Reflect

WINTER 2024 | 15