Kirk Nelson- destinations: unknown

By breaking through our own personal barriers we hope to inspire others to achieve what they never dared to dream.

The sky is the limit…

Posted on 26 Jul 2011 - by malcivar In: Kirk Nelson

destination unknown: Summiting Mount Katahdin – 5,268 feet
date: July 27^th-July 30^th, 2011
cause: First Descents (cancer)

Why did you choose this cause?
This year I’ve chosen a cancer-related cause to support under the “DU” banner because of two family members in my life who have battled and persevered against cancer, my aunt Chris Shookus and my grandmother Dolores “Dee” Nelson. Both are individuals who represent the strength and courage that I seek to emulate throughout my life.

First Descents (firstdescents.org) is committed to curing young adults of the emotional effects of cancer and empowering them to regain control of their lives by experiencing whitewater kayaking and other challenging adventure sports in a safe, fun and supportive environment. This charity is consistent with the spirit of destinations unknown, whose mission is to help us empower ourselves by stretching the boundaries created by our own fears, in order to effect change on a larger scale.

Why did you choose this goal?
After summiting Mount Lafayette in New Hampshire last year (my first destination and first mountain climb), which was an incredible experience and achievement for me, I felt that this year I would like to push the limit a bit further. Instead of sleeping and eating in a hut each night of my venture, I will be carrying all of my gear in with me including food, water and sleeping equipment. My two companions and I will be hiking for three and a half days and camping three nights. Considering I haven’t ever truly camped in my life, this will be a completely new experience.

What do you expect to be the greatest challenge in your destination?
Carrying fifty plus pounds of food, equipment and gear for three days straight, while trying to maintain a steady hiking pace

What is your biggest fear?
Rain, wind and difficult weather conditions.

Words to live by…
The longer we dwell on our misfortunes, the greater is their power to harm us.~Voltaire

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Ain’t No Mountain High Enough!

Posted on 31 Aug 2010 - by malcivar In: Kirk Nelson

Mt. Lafayette Summit

The adventure began on Friday, August 13^th at 10:30AM after driving two hours north from our hotel in Manchester, NH. Chip Seidle, my trusty guide, and I decided to take the “Old Bridle Path” up to the Greenleaf Hut (our lodging for 2 evenings). The Old Bridle Path is one of the more challenging paths to the peak of Mount Lafayette, but we felt confident that we could tough it out. The first two hours climbing along the Bridle Path (2.9 miles) turned out to be the most difficult of the trip for me. As you can see below, the climb was often nothing but rock while climbing at 30-45 degree inclines and we maintained a very quick pace.

Upon reaching the Greenleaf Hut and unloading some of our gear for the next two nights, we decided to climb another 1.1 miles of rocky inclines above the tree line to reach the summit of Mount Lafayette. Fortunately for us, the weather throughout the weekend was beautiful and we didn’t have to worry about winds, rain, lightning or cold. Even though the weather was sunny and warm, it amazed me how quickly the weather could change above the treeline with a brisk breeze and temperatures in the evening reached the mid forties. This range of mountains is not to be taken lightly and we had packed accordingly with the assistance of my close friend Chip who has been climbing the White Mountains for 50 years.

Although the first day ended up being the most difficult challenge, our second day climb would be the longest and most rewarding as we planned to reach three of the four thousand foot peaks. After waking up at 6:30AM for breakfast at the Greenleaf Hut on Saturday, we began our second ascent to the summit of Mount Lafayette. Fortunately the weather was clearer on day two and we were able to capture incredible views of the mountain ranges, including a shot of us with Mount Washington’s peak in the background. The initial ascent to Mount Lafayette was the first part of our six mile day two climb that included reaching the peaks of Mount Lincoln and Little Haystack. The six mile climb on day two took us over 6 hours with several inclines and declines, but fortunately we had done a great deal of training so we didn’t feel overly exhausted that evening.

The third day of our climb began at 8AM as we began descending the Old Bridle Path. The trip down took approximately two hours like the first day, but fortunately was a little bit easier than the first day ascent.

Above Tree Line

Franconia Range

End of the Climb

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Kirk Nelson

Posted on 6 Jul 2010 - by malcivar In: Kirk Nelson, destinations: team bios

Ole, Ole, Ole!

destination unknown: Climb Mount Lafayette and the Franconia Range
date: August 12-15, 2010
cause: Midtown Mission – “Ross Family Fund” (leukemia)
age: 31
current residency: Delray Beach, FL
employer: CB Richard Ellis (commercial real estate)

What’s an interesting fact about you?
Chess was my favorite game growing up.

What do you expect the greatest challenge to be in your destination?
Not getting really hungry along the way.

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