On her final hike, Lydia Pearson wasn’t in a rush. She pranced up the trail, stopping to watch the train go by (every time) and examining the various plants sprouting around her. Her pace was slow, but steady – and as a preschooler climbing up Mount Washington, it carried her to a record-breaking feat.
At 4 years old, Lydia Pearson of Webster earned the record earlier this month for the youngest person to summit all 48 of the state’s 4,000-foot peaks. She called it her “hiking graduation.”
She did it in less than a year. It took 35 hikes (34 plus one turnaround), 7 overnights, 308 miles and 105,775 feet of elevation gain. She did each one with her mom, Whitney Pearson, and her 16-month-old sister, Demi, strapped to her mom’s chest.
If you’re wondering whether Demi has the record for the youngest person to summit all 48 being carried by someone else, there’s no need – Lydia also holds that record (4 months old). But, the Appalachian Mountain Club doesn’t recognize the achievement until you complete them on your own two feet.
Lydia’s journey started organically. After giving birth, Pearson was looking for ways to get her body moving again. She started walking around the backyard with Lydia in a ‘front sack,’ and soon, they were climbing mountains together. Some of Lydia’s first conscious memories were of New Hampshire trails.
Last summer, when she started getting comfortable walking, Lydia would toddle alongside Pearson up the mountains. In the early days, she would cling to her mother’s hand and steer clear of any potential threats: she hated branches and puddles. They only did a couple of hikes that summer.
But as fall turned to winter, Lydia got braver. The snow on the trails made for a less hazardous ascent (no branches, no puddles), and on the way down, she could scoot down parts of the path as if she were sledding.
Pearson noticed the shift in her daughter. “She got really confident,” she said, “and she just got so much stronger.”
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Lydia’s age drew occasional judgment from passing hikers. Seeing a four-year-old on a tricky hike can be concerning. “Not everyone thinks it’s so amazing,” Pearson said. “There are some people who say, ‘That’s way too dangerous.’” She noticed that most of the disapproval came from men. She wonders if Lydia’s safety would be in question if they saw her hiking with her father.
Pearson always approaches hikes with fierce preparation. She is constantly cautious of the weather. Before their first overnight hike, the duo practiced camping in their backyard.
When people expressed their doubts, she would say, “Well, we can always turn around.” They had before. Plus, it helped to add that Lydia had already conquered tens of similar peaks. After hearing that, the doubters usually turned sheepish.
Being safe didn’t mean it was always easy for Lydia. On some of the more advanced uphill sections, she struggled.
“Learning how to physically breathe and get through those steep parts, she would get worked up sometimes,” said Pearson.
As a mom, this was hard for Pearson. No one likes to see their kid upset. But, she kept it in perspective: Lydia was facing something difficult, just like anyone else.
“This is really what we’re all feeling as adults,” she said. “Kids just express what we keep in.”
That applied to the good parts, too. Every time, the summit was the “Coolest thing ever!” Flying back down the mountain on the descent was completely exhilarating. And the nature she encountered filled her to the brim with fascination – she would fawn over her favorite flowers, lady’s slipper orchids, and beg Pearson to carry piles of unique rocks she had gathered.
And as she got stronger, the hard parts softened. “We would practice: we can stop, we can catch a breath,” Pearson explained. “Now, I don’t even remember the last hike when she had any tears at all.”
The countless hours on the trails also gave Pearson a window into her daughter’s brain. Lydia would talk about school, and practice dances with her arms while her legs skipped up the dirt. “Between the front sack and on her feet, we have spent thousands of miles together,” Pearson said. “We definitely have a really cool connection because of it.”
At 4 years old, Lydia doesn’t fully understand the weight of her achievement. But she had been looking forward to her final hike for a long time. She had always wanted Mount Washington to be her last peak – as early as two years old, she would point to the mountain whenever it was visible.
“She sees it, and she’s just amazed,” Pearson said. “For as long as I can remember.”
And now that she’s done it, she’s hungry for more.
“What am I gonna do when I finish these mountains?” she asked Pearson. “Can I climb them again?”
“Well, these aren’t the only mountains in the world,” Pearson replied.
Lydia brightened.
She asked, “Can I hike all the mountains in the world?”
Sofie Buckminster can be reached at sbuckminster@cmonitor.com.
