BEEN TO THE TOP -- Nine-year-old Trent Hulbert might weigh 60 pounds dripping wet, but within his small stature is a mountain man.
Eight days ago, the soon-to-be fourth-grader at Denair Elementary School became one of the youngest people ever to climb Mount Whitney in a single day.
Trent and his mom, Diana, joined friends and experienced climbers Rodolphe and Stephanie Jourdan. Also with them were 9-year-old Jonah Kosakiewicz of Denair and his father, Joe.
At 14,496 feet, Mount Whitney is the highest peak in the lower 48 states.
They arrived at the 8,000-foot base camp the evening of June 27 and set up camp. They rose at 1 o'clock the next morning and began the 11-mile ascent an hour later.
Rodolphe Jourdan has climbed the peak 11 times; his wife, four. The others were rookies.
"I'd never been on any hike," Trent said. "It's the first time I've done something like that."
When they reached 13,000 feet, Jonah got altitude sickness. He and his father headed back down the mountain.
The others continued.
"I asked Rodolphe if we were going to make it," Trent said. "He said we would. He said the last part was mental."
Two miles from the top, Diana Hulbert almost punted as well.
"I stopped everybody and said, 'I don't think I'm going to make it,' " she said. "I looked at Trent and he said, 'I came here to get to the top. I'm going.' "
His determination under the circumstances caught her by surprise.
"He was going to leave me there," she said with a laugh.
So she kept on climbing, too. They made it to the top of the mountain by 10:45 a.m.
"When he reached the summit, about seven to 10 other hikers at the top clapped for him and gave him high-fives," Diana Hulbert said of Trent. "I cried like a baby because I was so proud of him."
They took some photos and then headed back, returning to base camp at 4:30 p.m.
Back home, her brother scoured the Internet, trying to determine if Trent is, indeed, the youngest person to reach the summit in one day.
"He found a 9-year-old who did it unassisted (solo)," Diana Hulbert said. "We had help. I don't think my son broke any records, but he definitely impressed the heck out us."
So did Jonah by making it up to the 13,000-foot mark.
Trent Hulbert said he would do it again in a heartbeat.
"Totally," Trent said. "And Jonah, he wants to do it again, too."
As for Diana Hulbert?
"It was my first time and my last," she said. "I'm not that much of a risk-taker."
Read more:
http://www.modbee.com/2010/07/06/1240606/jardine-9-year-old-conquers-whitney.html#ixzz0xMjUoDaV
