from the legacies of mountaineers

Last week, I attended a book signing by Ty Gagne, a local author who captures the true stories of survival and death, of hope and darkness, from the legacy of mountaineers that braved the Presidential Range in New Hampshire’s White Mountains.

He also happens to be the CEO of a risk management firm, Certified Wildnerness First Responder, and down right humble guy.

Ty shared with us his passion and curiosity for the dangers and feats of the alpine ridges with notable excerpts, research and anecdotes from his three works:

Where You’ll Find Me

The Last Traverse

The Lions of Winter

What stood out to me wasn’t just the unfolding peril and drama of these journeys but how the greatest examples of resilience and community and can be found in spite of uncertainty, storm and loss.

And how so many small decisions add up to big consequences.

In our health journeys, we often use mountains as a metaphor, a tough climb we must face. A terrain that is rugged and unpredictable and can bring fear, pain and exhaustion. And yet we also find hope, often in humanity itself, from kindness, care, support, and protection from those we know and love…or total strangers.

What these stories remind me is that even in the harshest terrain, we are rarely meant to go it alone. Whether on an alpine ridge or a health journey, hope often arrives as another human (or team of humans!) willing to show up, offer safety, and help us find our way. In the end, both mountaineering and health are shaped less by dramatic moments and more by the quiet choices made and the people that show up along the way.