Tree Line:  The edge of the habitat at which environmental conditions become too harsh to sustain most forms of life.  The organisms that have adapted to maintain life above tree line endure cold temperatures, high winds, minimal moisture and lack of oxygen. Despite these desolate conditions, many species have learned to do more than just survive above tree line, they’ve adapted to thrive. 

“Life is better above tree line” The thought that our lives become enriched through the hardships and harsh conditions that we are forced to adapt to. We learn not just to survive through the hard times in our lives but to make the most of them and to thrive.

5 years ago I underwent a spinal fusion surgery to remove a severely herniated disk in my lower spine.  I’ve made a greater recovery than I ever thought possible, so to celebrate I’ve decided to set my sights on the highest point on the African Continent, Mt. Kilimanjaro!   In addition to the climb, I wanted to give back a little bit in appreciation of how lucky I’ve been, so I’ve set up a fundraiser to benefit the Children’s Hospital.      

How did it I get here?

My story starts during my freshman year of high school, with what I though was relatively minor back injury, several years later I would lean that I had herniated a disk in my lower spine.  I had been living with slight discomfort and pain, but certainly nothing that was going to slow me down.  In college I was in a four wheeling accident and sustained 3 broken vertebra. I was extremely lucky, the breaks were minor and just needed time to heal, however, the accident had caused further damage to my disk.  The pain began to get worse, but was still manageable, so I opted not to have any kind of surgery.  A few years after college, I was hit by a drunk driver while I was driving home from work, and of course my lucky streak continued, no one was severely hurt in the accident. However, once again the trauma only worsened my condition. 

I began to struggle with simple things, like walking, and standing, sleep became a struggle.  I was in constant pain and was desperate for anything that would give me even a small respite.  I tried spinal decompression, steroid shots, and physical therapy, but these were all temporary fixes, and would only slightly reduce the pain.  It finally became clear that I needed to have the surgery that doctors had been suggesting to me for several years.

Surgery

Surgery might seem like the obvious choice in my situation, but there were so many risks to consider.  Once I had my first spinal surgery the chances of needing subsequent spinal surgeries was significantly increased (I’m still not out of the woods on this one). This type of surgery is very uncommon for someone as young as me, and of course, whenever you’re talking about the spinal cord there is risk of paralysis or even death.       

Once I decided to undergo the surgery, there were physicals to ensure that my body was strong enough, an Electrocardiogram (EKG) to check that my heart could handle the trauma of such a major procedure, every precaution was taken. Yet finally it came time to fill out my Power of Attorney in case I was incapacitated, as well as my last will and testament.  This was a HUGE eye opener for a 25 year old!

The surgery removed the disk between my L5 and S1 vertebra, and replaced it with a “cage”, which is basically what it sounds like, a 4 sided piece of metal that imitated the shape of my natural disk. Inside the cage they put bone from a cadaver, this was to help promote my own bone growth and complete the fusion.  Then they inserted four screws and two rods to hold everything in place until I healed.

Recovery was a long and difficult process, it was often times very painful.  I struggled with maintaining my stability, and regaining my strength. I spent several days in the hospital learning how to do simple things like getting in and out of a car, or bed, in a way that wouldn’t cause any damage to my very delicate spine.  As my vertebra fused together I was slowly able to regain a normal life.  It was about a year after surgery that I was released to do most anything I wanted, it was 2 years after surgery before I felt good enough to do a lot of those things.     

About Me:

I was lucky enough to be born in Colorado, to parents that loved the mountains and the outdoors.  Some of my earliest memories are of camping trips and hiking on Green Mountain, which at 3 years old I had nick named “Matt’s Mountain”.  Long before I knew who John Muir was, the mountains had started calling.   

When I was 12 I strapped on a backpack nearly the same size as me and trekked through The Canyonlands in Utah for 5 days, and then went back for more every year till I graduated from High School.  I grew up in an area where my friends and I could walk a few miles from my back door and be completely secluded in Pike National Forest. I had close encounters with a bobcat, a mountain lion, and was even stung in the foot by a scorpion.  It didn’t matter if I was in the mountains or the desert, I was happy, I had found what I was passionate about.

Throughout college, and the years following, my condition got progressively worse.  I knew that there was a possibility I might never be the same again, things that had come so easily to me before were becoming a challenge.  Things that I had taken for granted, were slowly being taken away from me.

WHY Kilimanjaro?

In the years since my surgery I have been fortunate enough to have made enough of a recovery to regain so many of those things in my life that I was so passionate about.  I began checking off 14ers, and 13ers from the list.  I started backpacking again, including one trip to Havasupai falls in the Grand Canyon (I highly recommend it).  Last year I made my first venture in to glacial mountaineering when I summited Mt. Rainier in Washington State.  So as the 5 year anniversary of my surgery approached I knew I had to do something big to mark the occasion.  Eventually I set my sights on the highest mountain in Africa, the tallest free standing mountain on the planet, and the tallest “walkable” mountain in the world.  Mt. Kilimanjaro!

As I planned my trip I began to think about how I had gotten to this point, everything that I had gone through.  Certainly not the toughest road any one was forced to travel, but not exactly smooth sailing either, it became apparent to me that this trip was about more than just me.  I’ve often told people “I’m the luckiest person you’ve ever met” which may or may not be true. Regardless, I’m pretty damn lucky, and I know it! So, if I can take my good fortune, and this life changing experience, and use it to help change the lives of kids that are in need, then what better way to celebrate?

My journey to this point hasn’t been easy, but despite it all, I wouldn’t change a thing.  These challenges have made me who I am today, they have taught me that sometimes it’s the harsh conditions that ultimately enrich our lives. And thus… “Life is better above tree line”    

So, here’s where I ask for your help, I’ve set a goal to raise $1.00 for every foot of elevation above sea level that I will be standing when I reach the summit, 19,341’.  I hope that many of you will donate, I hope that all of you will join my Facebook page and follow me throughout my training as well as the climb.  I hope that you will share your own stories about living life above tree line, and I hope you’ll share this with all of your friends and help me reach as many people as possible.