a young hiker saw I needed water and gave me a bottle. I wish I had asked his name. We eventually reached the waterfall and refilled. I was now feeling much better and much closer to base, so I told the guys to move on, and I would make my way down on my own time. I ran into two young nurses hiking down the mountain as well, and the three of us hiked back to the parking lot together; I was only about 10-15 minutes behind my much-younger friends. However, now that I pushed through to the top of Algonquin, I was mad at myself for failing to climb Iroquois while I was already there — the moment I realized that I wanted to become a 46er. Many officers and civilians from various police departments had participated in climbing a peak for Officer Pierson that day; Chris Pica of the Rochester Police Department completed his 46er on this date. Everyone that had climbed a peak in Officer Pierson’s memory that day met at Lake Placid Brewery to celebrate both Officer Pierson’s life and our successful hikes. We held a moment of silence at 9:24 p.m., the exact time that Officer Pierson was shot; a second moment of silence followed at 10:45 p.m. From there, our group continued climbing every May and September 3rd, sometimes with an added October hike. The September hikes often involved our family members, including my wife, who climbed a total of 11 peaks. I learned much over the years hiking and camping in the Adirondacks, including how to pack lighter and more efficiently, how to prepare for the changes in the weather, maintaining hydration, use of the compass/map, and dealing with injuries. On Sept. 3, 2020, Mike Houlihan, Jason Leckinger, and I set out to climb our 46th peak. I hiked most of the other peaks with Mike and Jason, and we planned on finishing together. We decided to finish on Whiteface Mountain, knowing that, as this area was a popular tourist attraction, anyone not hiking could meet us MOUNTAIN VIGNETTES at the top. Our plans were changed due to COVID-19 restrictions barring the stairs to the top. We decided anyone not hiking would park in an area where the trail could be seen from the road prior to our final accent. Our hiking group consisted of 13 people, many of them aspiring 46ers, including Jason’s children. We started off early in the morning with clear skies and headed to Esther Mountain, our 45th. The top was all tree line with no large area for views, so we did not stay long. We were now one peak away from being 46ers. We hiked for a while before approaching the area where our families were waiting. We had a quick break and some hugs and continued the hike. We could see the stone castle at the top and knew we were soon to be 46ers. As we approached the summit, Mike, Jason, and I stopped as the others continued to the top. We took a few minutes to reflect on our journey; I honestly did not want to leave knowing that this chapter in my life was concluding. Once we reached the open summit, Jason wanted us all to walk to the summit marker together. The three of us walked together and became 46ers. Mike, Jason, and I have continued hiking, but now we move much slower and take the time to enjoy the peaks, often spending hours on a peak while the others are grabbing several peaks a trip. We like this new chapter. Since that day, several other police officers in our hiking group have become 46ers: Brian Cassidy (Tom’s son), James Gaushlin, and Adam Alliot, with more on the way. The friends I have made, the things I have learned, and the experiences will always be dear to me, but on Sept. 3 when we are all together, we acknowledged the new friendships and experiences we all have had, and how none of this would have happened if Officer Pierson had not been murdered that night. Every one of us would gladly exchange our experiences to bring Officer Pierson back, but we will always honor Officer Pierson, keep his memory alive, and continue climbing mountains. The crew stops for a quick leanto selfie along the way. 56 | ADIRONDACK PEEKS
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