This weekend (Saturday, August 30, 2025) is going to be Nick’s 600th hike. He’s already wise to it, so we can’t surprise him. We’ll just have a little celebration.
I’ve known Nick for about 5 years. In that time we’ve done lots of hikes together and we’ve gone lots of places. In case you didn’t know, Nick does have a doctorate degree. They don’t just hand those degrees out. It takes a lot of time, effort and drive. He’s crazy, but he’s not stupid.
I sometimes refer to Nick as “Qui-Gon.” That’s because when it comes to scrambling, he’s one of the jedi masters of the rocks. He makes almost every obstacle look effortless. And he does it in regular everyday shoes. He’s also rather rebellious, like the actual character Qui-Gon. He’s always questioning the elders.
Nick rarely misses a weekend hike. That’s why he’s been able to do 600 hikes in 5 years, while still holding a full time job. In addition, he’s been able to develop many of his own routes without copying anything from anybody. He explores his own stuff and puts his own routes together.
Nick likes to give everybody the impression that he doesn’t care (and sometimes I fall for it), but don’t let him fool you. He cares more than most organizers, not just about safety, but about whether people on his hike are having fun. Most of the time that means crawling through some unbelievably tight hole in the rocks while he’s laughing.
Nick’s 600th hike is this Saturday. If you can’t go, then the next time you see Nick, congratulate him on reaching his 600th hike.
