BRATTTON WOODS: As they make their way down Mount Pierce, a younger woman chatters to her mother, her voice as lively and lively as her movements. She exclaims, “You’re wonderful!” as she walks by a slower pair.
Up until that point, the couple’s focus has been on the physical strain of mountain climbing and the dexterity needed to step just so onto the rocks and over the roots. Yes, movement. Feelings, no. Watching the woman go from view, however, makes them briefly think of their daughter.
How could it not be?
If Jorge Sotelo and Olivera Bogunovic kept as far away from the White Mountains of New Hampshire as possible, no one would hold them responsible. Less than a year has passed since their eldest daughter, Emily, passed away cold and by herself while hiking all 48 of the state’s summits higher than 4,000 feet on Mount Lafayette.
Emily had almost little experience climbing mountains in the winter, even though she only had a few summits remaining, and authorities claim that she was terribly equipped for the harsh conditions that ultimately claimed her life. On Nov. 23, the day of her twentieth birthday, her body was found after a thorough three-day search.
Her family made the decision within a few weeks to establish the Emily M. Sotelo Security and Persistence Charitable Foundation. Many hikers are gearing up for “Emily’s Hike to Save a Life,” a fundraiser hosted by the Foundation and Climbing Buddies, a charity that connects, educates, and prepares climbers. It takes place on July 29. Numerous hiking groups will go on hikes both within and outside of the White Mountains, with some hoping to climb the last 4,000 feet on Emily’s record.
Her parents will be retracing her last steps up on Mount Lafayette.
According to Bogunovic, Emily forced her mother to go outside of her comfort zone in life and inspired her to become more generous. That is what the trek is an extension of. “It’s going to be a very emotional experience, but it’s also a sense of accomplishment because we did what she wanted to do, and in a way, she does live on,” she said. “To build upon what she intended to do… I think it makes dealing with the tragedy a little bit easier.
Prior to starting the preparations for the fundraising, Bogunovic thought mountain climbing was “just a walk in the woods.” She was unaware of how exhausting it might be. She said, “I thought, ‘Oh, it’s nothing; I will just run up that mountain and down.'” “For me, it was truly an awakening.”
The pair really worked their way up to more difficult treks, starting with flat terrain close to their Westford, Massachusetts, home. In late June, after taking on Mounts Monadnock, Pemigewasset, and Kearsarge, they attempted Mount Pierce, their first 4,000-foot peak. They failed to reach the peak that day, but a few weeks later, on their second attempt, they were successful. Expert hikers often complete the 6-mile journey in 4 hours, but Sotelo, 57, and Bugonovic, 56, were on the mountain for over 10 hot and muggy hours that day.
Sotelo, a gastroenterologist
Sotelo, a gastroenterologist who practiced climbing stairs at work, said, “Originally, I used to be considering whether you could take the mountain with the correct dedication; however, after trying mountain climbing a few instances, I spotted that dedication shouldn’t be going to make it.” “You have to get ready for that.”
Andrew Barlow, the operator of the Climbing Buddies NH 48 Facebook group, was with them. Always a kind man, he led the pair through the more difficult parts of the trail, responded to Bogunovic’s numerous inquiries about the amount of elevation they had gained, and cracked wisecracks along the way. One joke went, “You haven’t stopped complaining since you bought right here,” but the inexperienced hikers had none. “They haven’t been shown to be signs of fatigue or anything like that. Though they’re adept at covering it, I’m sure they really feel it,” Barlow said. “They have been great troopers, but it has been a long course.”
The fundraising was started in April with the goal of raising $50,000, but by the beginning of July, more than $75,000 had been collected. A post-hike party on the Bretton Woods ski area is open to non-hikers who give a minimum of $150. Hikers have committed to raising at least $250 each. A portion of the funds earned will be used by Climbing Buddies to provide free “buddy certification” training and security programs for novice hikers between the ages of 17 and 25. Barlow noted that while Emily had joined the Climbing Buddies Facebook group a few months before her death, she had not taken part in any of the organization’s scheduled excursions.
He said, “It just touched us that one in all of our personals had passed away, rather more deeply.”
One of the people involved in the campaign is Donna Lannan, a 66-year-old Harmony resident who intends to summit Mount Eisenhower. She added that she joined up for the fundraising in honor of Emily and to support the volunteer search and rescue personnel who risk their lives to save others. The retired physical therapist has spent 40 years climbing mountains in New Hampshire. The day after Emily vanished, she went mountain climbing in the White Mountains.
She said, “Knowing that somebody that younger, by themselves, had skilled that type of ending, was very shifting and upsetting.” “I was really moved by it, just feeling sorry for this younger woman and her family.”
On July 28, Emily’s parents will ascend Mount Lafayette and spend the night in an Appalachian Mountain Club lodge. They will go to the top the next day, where they could run across their little daughter Michelle, who is planning to walk the two separate peaks Emily had on her agenda the day she passed away. Her parents said that Emily’s absence has been difficult for many months, and as a result, they are now very cautious about potential mountain climbing mishaps.
Jorge Sotelo said, “We think of her every time something happens.”
But he also thinks of Emily when he witnesses families and children enjoying themselves, exactly like the happy young woman who gave them to Pierce. Bogunovic, meanwhile, said the experience made her think of an elderly woman who had contacted her after Emily’s death to tell Emily that she had immediately encouraged her to persevere on a difficult climb. She said, “She did have that spirit.” “It did bring me back.”