It was July 4 when the Ross family gathered together for a reunion.Dave Ross, an avid hiker and now recently retired, was nudged by his three daughters to finish what he started — to climb the rest of the 46 Adirondack high peaks before turning 65 in December. “They kind of called me out and said ‘Hey! How about 46 when you’re 64, Dad?” shared Ross. “I’m thinking, ‘Boy that is like 20 more mountain peaks. That’s a big commitment.'” He said, “Alright I can do it. I’m up to the challenge.”Hiking has always “been his passion” and the mountain tops have served as his “happy spots,” he said.”It felt like a moment of serendipity. The numbers aligned. The stars aligned,” explained his daughter, Shylah. “He had been working on this for a little over a year at this point. And 46 at 64 just felt right.”His three daughters — Shylah, Katrina, and Miranda — have fond memories of spending time outdoors with him. “We were always outside doing things,” shared Katrina Canallatos. “We were always in the woods with him doing those sorts of activities. All of those outside things were a core memory of my childhood.”Dave said he’s walked or hiked almost every day for the last “couple hundred days.”However, this challenge has pushed his body to new limits — for the better.”I was 175 pounds when I started this journey and I’m at 148 right now,” shared Ross. “I’m probably in the best shape of my life right now.”His family also recognized how doing this challenge could positively impact his well-being. “It’s not just this physical transformation of being able to do all of these really challenging peaks, but just the emotional and mental wellness that comes with it,” said Shylah. “He’s just a happy guy and you can tell he is living his best life.”Dave’s last hurdle was to take on Colvin Mountain — a steep, almost 14-mile trail, near Keene Valley, New York.He was able to finally complete his goal and tackle the challenge on Nov. 3, posting a picture from the top while holding a t-shirt that said “46er.”
It was July 4 when the Ross family gathered together for a reunion.
Dave Ross, an avid hiker and now recently retired, was nudged by his three daughters to finish what he started — to climb the rest of the 46 Adirondack high peaks before turning 65 in December.
“They kind of called me out and said ‘Hey! How about 46 when you’re 64, Dad?” shared Ross. “I’m thinking, ‘Boy that is like 20 more mountain peaks. That’s a big commitment.'” He said, “Alright I can do it. I’m up to the challenge.”
Hiking has always “been his passion” and the mountain tops have served as his “happy spots,” he said.
“It felt like a moment of serendipity. The numbers aligned. The stars aligned,” explained his daughter, Shylah. “He had been working on this for a little over a year at this point. And 46 at 64 just felt right.”
His three daughters — Shylah, Katrina, and Miranda — have fond memories of spending time outdoors with him.
“We were always outside doing things,” shared Katrina Canallatos. “We were always in the woods with him doing those sorts of activities. All of those outside things were a core memory of my childhood.”
Dave said he’s walked or hiked almost every day for the last “couple hundred days.”
However, this challenge has pushed his body to new limits — for the better.
“I was 175 pounds when I started this journey and I’m at 148 right now,” shared Ross. “I’m probably in the best shape of my life right now.”
His family also recognized how doing this challenge could positively impact his well-being.
“It’s not just this physical transformation of being able to do all of these really challenging peaks, but just the emotional and mental wellness that comes with it,” said Shylah. “He’s just a happy guy and you can tell he is living his best life.”
Dave’s last hurdle was to take on Colvin Mountain — a steep, almost 14-mile trail, near Keene Valley, New York.
He was able to finally complete his goal and tackle the challenge on Nov. 3, posting a picture from the top while holding a t-shirt that said “46er.”
