On Christmas Day, 2014, Kirsten White, Erina White, Zach Thompson and Todd Perkins climbed Borestone Mountain in Piscataquis County, Maine as part of The Summit Project. They honored the memories of LT Jerry Smith, SPC Deon Taylor, SGT Lawrence A. Roukey and MSG Robert Horrigan (Go to those heroes’ pages for individual reflection essays).
Thank you to the White family and thank you for ensuring that MHANF.
“My sisters and I have a tradition of hiking Borestone Mountain on Christmas day. We never know what the weather or the terrain will be like, but we head out looking for adventure no matter what we may find. It was raining and foggy all morning, but we hoped for the best as we left the house. By the time we reached the trail head, the clouds had parted and the sun warmed us as we bundled up and started our ascent. We each hiked at our own pace, which gave me some time to think about the weight in my backpack and the life of the fallen Maine heroes we were honoring.
We paused at waterfalls and overlooks during our ascent to take in the view. I have never seen a view quite like the one that greeted us at the summit. The sky was a breathtaking purple and peeked around the clouds casting magnificent shadows on the valley of trees and lakes below.
I will always cherish this Christmas, most of all because of my few hours hiking to the Borestone summit with the memory of our fallen heroes. Thank you for sharing his memory with all of us and giving me the opportunity to enjoy the view from the summit in his honor. kw
