Mt. Washington won once, says Garrett Hoelscher, but perseverance eventually paid off. Oceans 2003 recently spoke with this adventure seeker to ask about his recent experience hiking up Mount Washington, the highest peak in the Northeast.
Oceans 2003: Good morning, Garrett Hoelscher, and thank you for speaking with us about your conquest of Mount Washington.
Garrett Hoelscher: My pleasure, I love telling this story.
Oceans 2003: Can you describe for our readers what makes Mount Washington such a dangerous climb?
Garrett Hoelscher: It has terrible weather, especially in the winter. The record low there is -50 degrees.
Oceans 2003: What made you decide that you wanted to tackle a mountain with conditions like that?
Garrett Hoelscher: I was bored camping in “safe” seasons. Spring, summer, and fall all have their nuances that make hiking fun but the real challenge comes when you can experience something most hikers never have the opportunity to.
Oceans 2003: We understand that you had just recovered from a pretty major surgery prior to your first ascent?
Garrett Hoelscher: Yes, I had just gone through several boring months after knee surgery. I was ready to get off the couch.
Oceans 2003: The Presidential Range, where Mount Washington is located, is also known for the force of its winds, which average around 40 miles an hour. Did you have a guide to teach you ways to overcome this obstacle?
Garrett Hoelscher: I’d be lying if I said we didn’t consider hiring a guide. But my friends, Taylor and Steve, and I decided that we all had enough experience between us to try this hike on our own.
Oceans 2003: So what did the three of you do to ready yourselves?
Garrett Hoelscher: I can tell you this much – we over-did it by a little. We packed entirely too much food and water. In hindsight, that’s not really a bad thing if you get caught in the elements but it was really hard packing everything.
Oceans 2003: Those things get heavy fast.
Garrett Hoelscher: Yes, but we wanted to be prepared in order to ensure a successful trip. Long story short, it was not a complete flop but we did not make it to the summit of Mount Washington like we planned. We did, however, manage to trek three other summits, Quincy Adams, Madison, and Adams.
Oceans 2003: That’s still pretty impressive, especially since you had just recovered from an injury.
Garrett Hoelscher: Taylor and I gathered a few other friends up and returned a few weeks later. This time, we met Mother Nature with open arms and made the entire journey.
Oceans 2003: How long did that take?
Garrett Hoelscher: The entire 20 miles took up less than two days. It was around 42 hours.
Oceans 2003: That is definitely something to remember.
Garrett Hoelscher: It definitely was. But, I’m still young so who knows? I look forward to the other mountains I will climb, figuratively and literally, in the future.
Following graduation from Georgia’s Emory University in finance and business, Garrett Hoelscher combined a longtime love of sports with his degree. As commissioner and general manager, Garrett Hoelscher helmed Wine Country Baseball’s twelve semi-professional teams in California.
As the general manager of the new baseball league in the Sonoma Valley, Garrett Hoelscher oversaw a $350,000 budget that garnered $85,000 in game day revenue. Within three months, Garrett Hoelscher was promoted to commissioner, taking overall responsibility for providing great baseball to the more than 20,000 fans of this startup league. There, Garrett Hoelscher was responsible for concessions, leasing venues, advertising, hiring team managers, scheduling, and public relations.
Moving to Aspen, Colorado, Garrett Hoelscher transitioned from baseball to business start up. Working with independent business people, Garrett Hoelscher experienced first hand many of the core disciplines required in starting a business. This experience served to prepare Garrett Hoelscher for the realities of corporate life. Today Garrett Hoelscher resides in the Northeast, serving as a Performance Manager at Wayfair.
Away from work, Garrett Hoelscher enjoys a variety of pastimes that include lacrosse, mountain trekking, Crossfit, and skiing.