By Stacy Cruz
Staff Writer
Costa economics teacher Charles Currier takes on new heights outside his economics classroom with his passion for backpacking and hiking.
Hiking includes walking throughout the country or the woods, while backpacking can involve an extended journey and outdoor camping. According to Currier, his first major hike was a trip to Mt. Whitney with friends about 15 years ago.
“Mr. Ninnis and Mr. Zeihen, a former Costa teacher, asked me if I wanted to backpack up Mt. Whitney with them back in 2000,” Currier said. “I knew nothing about backpacking or Mt. Whitney, but I still decided to go.”
According to Currier, he visited Mt. Whitney every year for nine years after his initial trip with Ninnis and Zeihen. Mt. Whitney is part of the Sierra Nevada mountain range and is the highest peak in the continental United States, reaching over 14, 495 ft. Only 10, 000 people each year are able to complete the trail, though 30,000 attempt the climb.
“It was June 24, 2000, and my friends and I were at 12,000 feet up the trail to Whitney with the wind blowing about 35 miles per hour,” Currier said. “It was my welcome to backpacking.”
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