Thirteen mountain hikes including Yosemite’s Half Dome for charity

Brennen Thompson moved to California from upstate New York in 2019.

He decided early on that his time in the Golden State should have impact.

“It’s kind of a weird story,” he told me. “When I moved here in December, my roommate suggested we train for the LA marathon. After that, he said ‘Let’s do something bigger.’”

That “something bigger” is a series of twelve mountain hikes all over California, including one at Half Dome in Yosemite National Park.

The yearlong pursuit will end with a climb up Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania set for June, 2021.

The pair is hoping to bring some hope and inspiration during what Brennen has called “difficult times” for many Americans.

“With the pandemic and the racial protests, we felt what better time to give back.”

They are raising money through website donations, Go-Fund-Me solicitations, and business partnerships.

So far, they have raised half of their six-thousand dollar goal, including a recent donation of seven-hundred dollars from Brennen’s high school graduating class.

Charities in Brennen’s hometown of Herkimer, New York will benefit from dollars raised through the effort.

Brennen, who along with his running partner Garrett Wright, are calling this initiative “Valley Tough.”

The website ValleyTough.com has information about all the hikes, the purpose behind the fund raising effort, and how people can support them.

Their second hike was up Mount Wilson in Pasadena.

As each hike is completed, a short video is uploaded to the website. These videos feature Brennan sharing reflections on the climb and offering thanks to supporters.

As a new Californian, Brennan is taken back by the weather that is in stark contrast to upstate New York, especially during winter.

“I can’t say enough about it,” he told me. “I live in South Bay (El Segundo in southern California), one or two blocks from the beach.”

He had to adjust to the climate as well as to the training discipline for mountain hiking.

“We’re constantly learning something new, and we’ve encountered unexpected challenges such as spiders and rattlesnakes.”

He’s also recognizing the training differences as he transitioned from marathon running to mountain hiking.

“How we train for this is different from preparing for a marathon. Even how I eat is different.”

The third hike in the series was at Mount Baden Powell in the San Gabriel Mountains. With each step, each mountain, the pair is strengthening their endurance and their commitment to the cause.

Brennen and I share some territory.

I grew up in upstate New York and went to college for two years in his hometown of Herkimer.

We both ended up in the media upon graduation from college: he works at an advertising agency while my first job was in television.

While I’m considerably older, we both have a sense of pride for the community of Herkimer in the Mohawk Valley of upstate New York while embracing California as our new home state.

We both have family back east. I remain connected through phone calls and social media.

Brennen does the same with his family.

“My Mom was freaked out at first when I told her about the hikes, he says. “But she has been supportive.”

The hikes will be held once a month on different trails in California.

The September outing was up San Gabriel Peak.

This will lead up to the final challenge in June 2021 when they travel halfway around the world to Africa for Mount Kilimanjaro, in Tanzania.

But in California, Brennen is really looking forward to the hike at Yosemite. They will travel to Half Dome in February.

“I’ve never been to Yosemite, but my roommate says it is jaw-dropping.”

Those of us fortunate enough to visit Yosemite know exactly what it means to say the iconic Half Dome is indeed jaw-dropping.

They will hike the seventeen mile round trip from the valley floor to the summit; not to be confused with scaling the vertical face of Half Dome.

Brennen knows the real thing will inspire.

While each California hike will be special, he can’t wait for Half Dome.

“It’s the one I’m most excited about,” he says.