Follow Me, Boys, By Natalie Soldano
Published in The Seattle Boy Scouts of America Newsletter,
February, 2012.
 What could be better than breathing in crisp air, snapping pictures
of beautiful glaciers and waterfalls, and taking in the view
from the second highest peak in Washington? Well, sliding down
the side of the second highest peak in Washington, of course.
That is, when you are climbing Mt. Adams with Maria Faires leading
the way. "Glissading is always the most favorite thing," she
said of the popular waterslide-style technique that involves
descending the mountain on your backside. "It’s so much fun."
That was only one of many fond memories Faires shared with the
group of 19 from Boy Scout Troop 636 of Issaquah last August.
Many Scout troops feel fortunate to have a group of adults who
are not just willing, but able to hike up mountains and take
boys on outings. Troop 636’s cup overflows with a female leader,
who is a trained fitness specialist, serving as Assistant Scoutmaster.
Her professional background coupled with months of preparation,
it is no wonder the trip went off without a hitch. "The trip
was perfect, ideal," said Faires.
As a registered dietician and certified trainer, Faires is no
stranger to an active lifestyle or climbing mountains. She incorporates
the outdoors into the training of her clients by leading them
on fitness hikes and overnight climbs as part of their path
to a healthy way of life. A certain fitness level was also expected
of those interested in climbing Mt. Adams, according to Faires.
The Scouts had to meet several qualifications, which included
showing they could climb Mt. Si in two hours with a 25% body
weight load, pass a jog test, participate in other scheduled
hikes, perform cardio exercises regularly, and participate in
equipment checks.
"This is not your typical hike," Faires states. "We wanted to
make sure that the boys were really fit and that they were mature
enough to follow instruction." That meant high expectations
during training when it came to listening and obeying safety
precautions. Eight months of planning, extra hikes, and many
meetings was a commitment for both Scouts and parents alike.
The boys grew in leadership within their group and Faires admits
that "it's a big project to undertake, but it’s worth it at
the end of the day to see everybody happy."
And happy, they were. "They had a great time," said Faires,
and lived out the Scout motto by being very well prepared. There
were no incidents, only excitement and a great sense of accomplishment
at having completed such a feat. She hopes to encourage other
groups to face the challenge. As for Faires, who knows what
the future holds for her and the familiar summit. With two trips
up to Mt. Adams and one to Mt. Rainier under her belt with Troop
636, Faires is open to more. At the very least, she would enjoy
assisting others in planning the venture and certainly plans
on maintaining an advisory role within the troop.
For now, she is still enjoying the positive impact the last
journey made on the boys, hearing at a recent Court of Honor
that the climb has been a highlight of several Scouting careers.
"They’ll remember this forever," she said. "Little mountains
will lead to bigger mountains for them."
Issaquah Personal Trainer Maria Faires Plans to Hike Mount
Rainier for Clean Air Fundraiser
By Elisha
Grang, Issaquah Press 5/24/2005
A local Issaquah woman who has summited most of the Northwest’s
mountain peaks is planning to climb to the top of Mt. Rainier
for the second time this summer.
Maria Faires, a dietitian and personal trainer
is raising money to fund her participation in the American Lung
Association’s Climb for Clean Air.
"My grandfather died of lung cancer," she said. "I’m an advocate
of clean air, I love to climb, so it was the perfect fit. It
was the most incredible thing I’ve ever done."
Faires has been training hard for what is described by
hikers as the longest endurance climb in the lower 48
states. She demonstrated some of the exercises she does hundreds
of times a week to strengthen her legs and back: step-ups, horizontal
pull-ups and abdominal routines. She must have the muscle and
cardiovascular strength to carry a pack up to the summit, an
elevation gain of 9,000 to 10,000 feet.
"You can't just buy a ticket for this," she said. "You have
to earn it."
Faires described the final push last year when she summited
Mt. Rainier for the first time.
"We get up at midnight and put all the stuff on — crampons,
ropes and harnesses, helmets," she said. "We start out at 1
a.m. because we want everything to be nice and frozen. We hike
in teams of four, all roped together, with one guide each. It's
cold but we have down gear. It's quiet as the only sounds are
the metal harnesses clinking and snow crunching. We can see
the light from everyone’s head lamps."
The teams watched the sun rise as they continued hiking.
"It’s steep and gets more difficult to breathe, but climb school
prepares you for it", Faires said. "The sunrise is unlike anything
you’ve ever seen before. Everything is frozen."
Once at the top, the teams rested and took celebratory team
photos. However, while the teams were stopped, Faires got cold
and tried to put on an extra pair of pants. "It took 20 minutes
to put the pants on," she said, smiling. "Everything is harder
at the summit."
She missed being in the summit photo, but she’s going to try
for it again this year. She will be climbing with mountain climber
Lou Whittaker and guides from Rainier Mountaineering, Inc.
Every year, the Climb for Clean Air raises almost $500,000 to
support the American Lung Association’s efforts to clean the
air, prevent children from starting to smoke and help people
with asthma and other lung diseases lead more comfortable lives.
 Gigi
and Tracy Predmore complete the Rock and Roll Marathon in San
Diego Romantic getaway?
San Diego Union Tribune June 5, 2006
One of the first times away from their young children
was not easy emotionally for Gigi Predmore and her husband,
Tracy, both 35, of Sammamish, Washington.
"This is our first weekend away without the kids," said Tracy,
who said that
Gigi's personal trainer
Maria was the one who pushed the Predmores
to run a marathon.
But the little ones can be proud – Mom and Dad finished their
first marathon together in 4:36.28, taking a moment at Mile
18 to stop for a kiss.
"We would have loved a faster pace, but this was a fun thing
for us, not for time," Gigi said. "This race kicked my butt,
but it was fun."
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