It’s February and the weather just recently turned as cold and wintery as it was at the 4th Annual Be Warrior Hike on August 25, 2024. It’s hard to believe but it was 33 degrees and snowing with lightning strikes, blizzard conditions, and at least five inches of powdery snow at the saddle. If you were there, you will never forget! If you were not, well… we understand and hope to see you next year. The exact date is still TBD.
2024 definitely brought out and tested the Warrior Spirit. Eighty-eight hikers showed up to brave the elements. While Warrior One (the waterfall) was a worthy goal for some, once there, the spirit of adventure and togetherness took over and others pressed onto Warrior Three (the saddle). A few actually summited (see the next paragraph) and everyone was rewarded with homemade Minestrone soup back at the trailhead.
A new “We Can Do Hard Things” bar was set! Prior to the weather forecast, our friends Rew and Atticus hatched a very warrior plan. At 8:00 am, they began the hike from our house (near Reno High School), hiked and scrambled through Alum Creek towards the backside of Galena, summited Mount Rose with Atticus’s mom Eithne who was waiting at the saddle, and descended back to the trailhead for Minestrone and big kudos! In ten hours, they hiked over 30 miles and gained 5800 feet of elevation while besieged by a once in a lifetime August blizzard!
Additionally, together we met our goal and raised $40,000 for the Van Haren Lab at Stanford where Dr. Van Haren and his team continue to work to create therapies and find a cure for Adrenoleukodystrophy. We continue to be hopeful that other little boys like Ben and families like our own will be saved from the saddest diagnosis. Thanks to everyone who came out and everyone who donated to the lab! We love and appreciate every single one of you!
Hoping everyone is well, enjoying your families and wintertime. Everyday is a gift! Stay tuned for updates on the 5th Annual Be Warrior Event! We hope to see you there.
All the best,
Matt, Katie, Luke, Lora, Lola and Spike
