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Norah Galvin summits 46th High Peak on 14th birthday

Norah Galvin celebrates reaching the summit of Porter Mountain, her last of 46 mountains, officially becoming a 46er on her 14th birthday. Pictured, back row, left to right, are Eric Galvin, Chris Beattie, Norah Galvin and Marc Galvin. In the front row is Zarela Gulli, Sarah Galvin and dogs Fern and Woodie.(Photo provided)

LAKE PLACID — Norah Galvin was 5 years old when she climbed her first High Peak.

Like any childhood memory, some details of the experience have faded over time. Galvin remembers running around with her friend, Zarela Gulli, on their way to the top. She remembers it being an overcast day.

“I was kind of like, ‘Oh, this is cool,'” she said. “I hadn’t realized there were mountains you can do.”

Galvin, who lives in Lake Placid, enjoyed hiking a few mountains after that. It wasn’t until hiking her fourth mountain, Algonquin, that she decided she wanted to hike all 46 High Peaks.

For the first few years, she took it slow, hiking one or two mountains each year. Last year, Galvin said she hiked 11 or 12 mountains; this year, she hiked 11.

Norah Galvin, at 5 years old, poses by the Cascade Mountain trailhead sign on Aug. 28, 2012. (Photo provided)

“I just put in my mind that I was going to save Porter for last because I thought that was the smallest one — which, it isn’t,” she said. “But I thought so. I wanted all my friends and family to come, and it was going to be great. And it was.”

With the sun shining bright overhead, Galvin hiked Porter Mountain on Tuesday, Aug. 3, celebrating her 14th birthday — and becoming a 46er — with her family, Gulli and her dogs, Fern and Woodie.

“Jump into the mud”

Norah Galvin does a split at the summit of Mount Colden on July 30, 2020 as her dog, Fern, takes in the view. (Photo provided)

Galvin has learned a lot since hiking her first mountain.

She said anyone starting out shouldn’t go for the tallest mountain, Mount Marcy, immediately.

“I would probably say (hike) Cascade or Porter, even though it’s steep, it’s really short,” she said. “For not hiking very far, it’s such a beautiful view on top and such a great reward.”

Galvin wasn’t a fan of Couchsachraga Peak — the hike in was too long, among other things. She loved Mount Skylight the most. She tackled Skylight, Gray Peak and Mount Marcy in one day.

“First of all, the view is just amazing,” she said. “A lot of them have that, but this one just topped it, and I liked the hike up. It was not too steep, not too hard, it was just gradual and then it got steep at some parts. The swamp wasn’t bad that day, you could just walk around it.”

Galvin said she makes sure to always brings a few things with her on hikes: a raincoat, long underwear, a hat, gloves, “lots of food,” extra clothes and a pocket knife.

Galvin also shared some advice she got from her father, Marc, who is a Lake Placid village trustee and co-owner of the Bookstore Plus on Main Street.

“It was all muddy this year because it wouldn’t stop raining. And so my dad would tell me, ‘You’ve got to just go through the mud because your feet are going to get wet and dirty no matter what,'” she said. “You’re going to have to just jump into the mud at some point, so just do it now, get it over with, so you can just hike up the rest.

“But then I got waterproof shoes, and those helped a lot,” she added with a laugh.

“Everyone can do it”

Asked what she’d say to kids her age who feel hiking isn’t for them, or who may be hesitant to get out there and try, Galvin said everyone can do it.

“It is a big commitment and it is going to be a long day — 5 a.m. wake-up to do long days. You get home at 6 or 7 p.m.,” she said. “But once you do one of them, it’s not as bad as you think.

“Getting up there, you feel great — unless you don’t. But I usually do,” she added. “Also, everything tastes better on the top of the mountain. Nothing tastes bad. I’ve had a granola bar on top and it was like, ‘Oh, this is amazing’ — then I get down and try to eat it and it’s disgusting.”

After a long hike, your feet might hurt, but take a warm shower and it’ll feel great, she said.

“And you get to say you climbed another 46er,” Galvin said. “They just keep adding up. Even if you’re like, ‘Oh, this is going to take so long’ … if you keep doing them, it just adds up quickly. Just go out and do it, even if you don’t think you can. Everyone can do it as long as you try and you’re prepared with the right stuff.”

Galvin said hiking has helped her build her stamina.

“We hike pretty fast, and you’re hiking so high that with volleyball, skiing and lacrosse, I’ve noticed that especially in the last year, I’ve been able to build that stamina up,” she said. “I don’t get as out of breath when I play those sports. When I’m feeling off, just being outside and being on top of a mountain just helps so much. I don’t know, it makes you feel better. Especially when you can see everything that’s around you.

“Just do one at least,” she added. “Say you’re a one-out-of-46 in the High Peaks. It’s a good feeling, just to be on top of a mountain.”

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