StillSoaring

02/09/2026

The best bicycle saddle made for you.

28/08/2026

Since a lot of people have started following recently I thought it would be a good idea to reshare this post about the origins of ZIVA Network.

24/08/2026

14,440 feet. The summit of Mt. Elbert.
The most beautiful place in the world that I know of.

For weeks, this mountain was always out there in front of me.

There were training hikes and bike rides, sore days, doubts, encouragement, unexpected changes, and eventually a wildfire that forced us to abandon the route we had planned and take a longer, more difficult way up.

And then, one step at a time, I was standing on the highest point in Colorado.

I've had some time now to think about what that moment meant.

I'm proud that I made it to the summit. But when I look back, I don't think the summit is the most important part of this story.

It was deciding to try.

It was taking the first training hike when I didn't know if I could actually prepare for something like this.

It was continuing when things became difficult.

It was adapting when the plan changed.

And it was discovering that I was capable of something I wasn't completely sure I could do.

Throughout the climb, I also kept thinking about why this journey started in the first place — to support ZIVA Network and the survivors they serve.

Climbing a mountain doesn't compare to what many survivors have endured. But they gave this climb a purpose much bigger than reaching a summit.

To everyone who donated, encouraged me, trained with me, followed these posts, watched the videos, or simply told me, “You've got this” — **thank you.**

You were part of this journey.

I started 14,440 for Hope wondering whether I could climb Mt. Elbert.

I came home with a different question:

What else might we be capable of that we haven't tried yet?

Maybe that's one of the things hope does.

It gets us to take the first step.

And sometimes that first step takes us somewhere we never expected to go.

***************************

The climb may be over, but the reason for it isn't.

If you've followed this journey and haven't had a chance to give, there's still an opportunity to support ZIVA Network and the work they are doing for survivors of human trafficking.

Every donation — whatever the amount — helps turn this climb into something that reaches far beyond the summit of Mt. Elbert.

If this journey meant something to you, I hope you'll consider making a donation.

Here is the link:
givebutter.com/climbingforfreedom.

17/08/2026

** Smiles to Slog **

The hike started with energy and laughter, with singing and trying out new camera tricks along the way. But as the miles and elevation added up, it slowly turned into a slog. The excitement wore off, and we became tired, sore, and mentally drained—but we kept moving, one step at a time.

As we climbed higher, the views became more spectacular. One of the most breathtaking was Mount Massive, the second-highest peak in Colorado, rising across the landscape just before we began our final climb to the summit.

I kept reminding myself why I was there. This climb was about more than reaching 14,440 feet. It was about ZIVA Network, the survivors they serve, and carrying a message of hope all the way to the top.

Now, only one thing stood between us and the summit—the final climb.

*****

You can help give a survivor of human trafficking a fresh start by donating to ZIVA Network. Here is the link:

givebutter.com/climbingforfreedom.

Every dollar donated goes to helping survivors of human trafficking.

14/08/2026

On August 9, 2026, at 5:00 am Miles Boone and I started the hike to the summit of Mount Elbert on the Southeast Ridge Trail at an elevation of about 10,100 feet in total darkness. All the conditions were perfect for a successful climb to the summit of Mount Elbert.

Still full of energy and excitement, we watched the sunrise over the Mosquito Range. As our elevation increased, the views kept getting more and more magnificent. We had time and energy to take plenty of photos and befriend a jackrabbit and a marmot.

But as the elevation rose, oxygen became thinner, and our energy was running lower. At about 12,600 feet, the trail seemed to get very steep and rocky. Even though we kept hiking, the summit never seemed to get any closer. At 13,400 feet, we thought we had the summit in view and estimated about an hour to the top.

At 14,100 feet, we were completely exhausted when we turned a bend and saw the summit, but realized we still had a lot of very difficult climbing to do.

It was at this time that we saw storm clouds coming from the west and knew we were going to have to really push hard to reach the summit and allow enough time to make it back down to the treeline before the storms came

We finally reached the summit at about noon, 7 hours after we started. The views were incredible. All of the people who passed us on the trail were there. Many of them were already starting to leave to beat the storms.

It's hard to describe the feeling. It is a combination of elation on top of total exhaustion.

Everything I had been working for the past 8 weeks was for this moment. I felt like I could finally exhale, and with it came a blend of emotions I couldn't control.

I stood on top of the highest peak in the Rocky Mountains next to my best friend of 40+ years, and my eyes filled with tears of joy.

I couldn't help but feel close to God on top of that mountain. It seemed like God could reach down with a big hand, pick me up, and carry me up to heaven.

I thought about my Mom and Dad, my brother Mark, and my other lifelong best friend Paul. How fortunate I was to have them in my life for so long. They would be proud of me for helping survivors with this challenge.

They would want me to stop being sad because they are gone. They would want me to keep helping people until the day when God picks me up and carries me up there with them.

*****************************************

You can help give a survivor of human trafficking a fresh start by donating to ZIVA Network. Here is the link:

givebutter.com/climbingforfreedom.

Every dollar donated goes to helping survivors of human trafficking.

13/08/2026

***** Let's try this again *****
Guess the bass player of the band on the T-shirts we are wearing. Message me with answers or leave a memorable story about him without using his name.

**** Don't use his name in the comments because that will give away the answer ****

I will donate $25 for correct answers to those of you who knew the person and $50 to those who guess correctly if you did not know him.

I will post the names of those who guess correctly.

If you have been following along, you should be able to figure this out.

While taking a VERY casual stroll around the south shore of one of the Twin Lakes today and came upon a beautiful shot of the south face Mt Elbert. We were able retracing most of the hike we took yesterday to the summit.

I have a challenge for those following:

Guess the bass player of the band on the T-shirts we are wearing. (Message me with answers.

**** Don't comment on the post because that will give away the answer) ****

I will donate $25 for correct answers to those of you who knew the person and $50 to those who guess correctly if you did not know him.

I will post names of those who guess correctly.
If you have been following along you should be able to figure this out.

10/08/2026

While taking a VERY casual stroll around the south shore of one of the Twin Lakes today and came upon a beautiful shot of the south face Mt Elbert. We were able retracing most of the hike we took yesterday to the summit.

I have a challenge for those following:

Guess the bass player of the band on the T-shirts we are wearing. (Message me with answers.

**** Don't comment on the post because that will give away the answer) ****

I will donate $25 for correct answers to those of you who knew the person and $50 to those who guess correctly if you did not know him.

I will post names of those who guess correctly.
If you have been following along you should be able to figure this out.

10/08/2026

We made it!

This was the hardest thing I have ever done. We were on the trail for a total of 11.5 hours.

The trail was so difficult, and we were so slow and tired that we arrived at the summit 1 hour later than originally planned. There were many times it felt like my own legs could carry me no longer, and I would think of the survivors I am doing this for, and I felt as if I was being carried by hope, and my resolve and perseverance were strengthened

Coincidentally, the storms that were supposed to arrive later in the afternoon arrived earlier. We were planning to spend an hour or so at the summit taking photos and having fun. Instead, we spent about 10 minutes at the summit, took a few photos, and headed down the mountain to beat the storm to the tree line a few hours away.

I have many more photos and videos that I will post over the next few days. I just wanted to let everyone know we made it and we are safe.

Now I'm going to go take a nap.

09/08/2026

At 14,100. We can see the summit but we are about an hour behind schedule because we are so exhausted and moving so slow. Plus the storm are rolling in a little ahead of schedule. Not sure we're going to make it.