The Highest Mountain: Stacy Sullivan Mountain Shadows Pioneer |
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By Sheryl Wilde At 14,495 feet, it is the highest mountain peak in the contiguous United States. Many claim it to be the most challenging day hike, not only in California, but in the entire U.S. |
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In just one section of the climb, a total of 99 switchbacks carves through the massive rock face, zigzagging across the steep terrain. In this section alone, the hiker must ascend a height double that of the Golden Gate Bridge. Double. |
When Stacy Sullivan’s intrepid team of three women decided to climb Mount Whitney, she admits she was a bit naïve. “I didn’t even know where Mount Whitney was. But I said, sure, we can hike a mountain! Then I started reading more about climbing Mount Whitney and I started to understand it meant hiking 22 miles – in one day.” For those who know Stacy, her penchant for adventure and taking on new challenges may come as no surprise. As Director of Operations at Mountain Shadows Support Group for the past 29 years, she’s seen her share of challenges, perhaps of a different kind, but no less monumental.
The Team of Three trained for three months, waking at 5 am to train locally, then expanding to get in longer, higher climbs. “We did Mount Baldy, which is 10,000 feet. We got up at 2 am to get there early and start climbing. We needed that 10,000 feet. Our goal was to get that elevation power and we did that successfully. Then we did San Jacinto. Then Bishop. We had weather in Bishop. We had snow. We were not prepared for snow. So, we had three California girls going, ‘There’s snow up here in June.’ We realized we needed gloves and a better poncho than the Walmart dollar ninety-nine. We packed up our backpacks and they each weighed about 19 pounds, because we needed to be prepared for the weather.”
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As the team prepared for the hike, COVID was spreading across the world. “Everyone in the world was struggling with COVID and I started thinking more and more about our Mountain Shadows family, our residents, and how they were struggling more than anyone else. It made me realize how our residents climb mountains every day, but their mountains are even larger. “Mountain Shadows has been a mountain for me for the last 29 years. We’ve had lots of ups and downs, lots of challenges.”
Stacy’s ability to surmount many daily challenges has been integral to the success of Mountain Shadows and she has recently been recognized for her contributions with a promotion to Executive Director.
“I’m so excited about where we’re headed at Mountain Shadows. Wade Wilde will be stepping down as Executive Director, but will remain in his position as CFO. It’s important to me that everyone in our Mountain Shadows Family knows this will be a smooth transition. The team is still here. We are all still working together for the same common goal – to provide quality services to the individuals we serve. Our mission remains the same.”
She credits the visionary work of two men, Doug Cook and Wade Wilde, in creating the lasting Mountain Shadows legacy, which she will inherit, and build upon, beginning January 1, 2024.
“Doug Cook instilled in all of us the importance of family. That’s who we are. If you look at our history, we were purchased by the family members of our residents. We are here because of family. Doug wasn’t just the Executive Director of Mountain Shadows. I used to see him sitting at the table with our residents. If someone needed personal care, like wiping their mouth, there was no hesitation. He would take care of them. He believed that you take care of people. That you meet them where they are. He was never above them. I admired that. I’ve always believed that if you are to be a leader, you need to understand that if somebody needs help, you need to step in and help, no matter what.
“I also learned a lot from Wade about how to be a leader. He took the lead in launching Outreach Services, our Transportation program, our expansion into Riverside – all of our ancillary services. That is all under Wade’s legacy. My goal is to continue the Doug vision, the Wade vision, and to keep us moving forward to provide even more services to our community well into the future. Says Wade, “Stacy and I have worked together as a team for 25+ years to ensure the success of Mountain Shadows. Her breadth of knowledge, her commitment to our mission, and most importantly, her passion for our residents, participants, and staff, are what qualify her to become the leader of Mountain Shadows for the future. “I am proud to have Stacy as a co-worker – and a friend.” |
Stacy recalls the day she and her team started to climb Mount Whitney, “We started out at 1 am on a Tuesday. We had to use our headlamps, because it was completely dark. That made me think of our residents, and how some of them can’t see, or hear, or walk, and how they have to use different senses than most of us. “We had to rely on our hearing, since we couldn’t see anything. It was beautiful, because we heard things we never paid attention to before. But we had to pay attention now in the blackness. We heard a waterfall. We heard the sound of our footsteps, on rocks, on ground cover, on dirt. “Then, suddenly, we came up to a river and had to cross it by walking across a fallen telephone pole. And, at last, the sun came up. It came over the mountain and we all stopped. It was the most beautiful sunrise I’ve ever seen in my life. And, finally, we could see where we were. We had only hiked about four hours at that point, so we just kept going.” |
“Then we came to a crossing and it was all rock. There were no beautiful trees anymore. We were walking on rock and there was water underneath.
“I don’t think in our minds we were really prepared for this. And as much as we said, ‘Oh, we can do this!’ It was slippery – and we were on the edge of a mountain. And it was thousands of feet down if you fall.” |
“Eventually, we came to a point where we knew we had about a mile and a half to go to get to the summit. That was probably the hardest part. We were at about 13,000 feet. We were all experiencing altitude sickness to some degree. So, we were really pushing.” |
“Once we reached the summit, we spent about 30 minutes there, but then we had to think about turning around. We had to make the trip back. The whole trip took about 17 hours.” |
Perhaps we, as a Mountain Shadows family, have now made the river’s-crossing and we behold the beauty of the sunrise as it settles over the mountaintop. We acknowledge its quiet magnificence, and now turn and look upward toward the summit.
“I knew it would be hard, overwhelming. Climbing Mount Whitney was the biggest accomplishment of my life so far, besides the accomplishment of what we’ve done at Mountain Shadows.
“But, I climbed Mount Whitney. And I will continue the climb here, as we, as a family, reach for the summit to fully realize the Mountain Shadows legacy.”
We congratulate Stacy on her many accomplishments and wish her well in her new position as Executive Director. |
The Mountain Shadows Foundation – Because We CARE |
Thanks to YOUR SUPPORT, the Mountain Shadows CARE program provides recreational and social experiences to residents and participants, adding meaning and richness to their lives.
It’s easy for you to help us continue to provide activities like this – activities that improve the quality of our residents’ lives in fulfillment of their dreams. Here are some ways you can help ensure these crucial activities can continue for years to come: - Make a one-time donation today by clicking on the donate button below.
- Make a monthly or annual contribution.
- Leave a Legacy Gift.
To learn more about the Mountain Shadows Foundation Legacy Society, to include us in your estate plan, or to let us know if you have already designated Mountain Shadows to receive a legacy gift, please contact Mandy Huiras, Director of Development at: mhuiras@mtnshadows.org, or visit our website by clicking here:
Learn More About the Mountain Shadows Foundation Legacy Society Please share this story with your family, friends and co-workers to help grow our Mountain Shadows Family! |
Mandy Huiras Mountain Shadows Foundation Director of Development
Contact Mandy today to learn more about the Mountain Shadows Foundation and how you can make a difference in the lives of our residents:
mhuiras@mtnshadows.org |
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