Corrine Ferzoco looked up at the majestic and daunting peak of Mount Bondcliff, which looms at 4,265 feet above her, and took a deep breath. This was it—the final summit. Completing this climb would be the culmination of her six-year quest to scale all 48 of New Hampshire’s 4,000-foot mountains, an impressive feat at the age of 69. “I was determined to do it before I turned 70,” she says.
Ferzoco’s mission to ascend all 48 peaks was nowhere on her radar when she stepped foot on the first of them, the 4,003-foot Mount Tecumseh, at age 63. The idea only germinated in her mind much later, blossoming as she racked up climb after climb, gaining confidence with each. At first, she didn’t think she had it in her to complete them all, but by the time she climbed Mount Washington, she realized she had 33 of them under her belt. With bolstered self-assurance, she resolved to finish all 48 climbs—at her own pace and on her own terms.
For Hampton resident Ferzoco, a retired registered nurse and self-proclaimed “gym-rat,” the passion for hiking crept up on her over time. While she had long dabbled in hiking with her gym friends, her discovery of summit hiking in her 50s transformed her enjoyment into fervor. She began with early morning climbs of Mount Wachusett in her then home state of Massachusetts, but eventually, the soaring White Mountains of New Hampshire beckoned, almost daring her to resist their call. Always up for a challenge, Ferzoco answered with a resounding, “Here I come.”
From the beginning, Ferzoco was not alone on her inspiring journey. Close friends not only hiked some of the 48 with her but encouraged her along the way, helping her prepare physically and mentally and advising her on gear. Ferzoco took their advice to heart, carrying the Ten Essentials for hikers on even her shortest forays. These include a first aid kit, water, food, extra clothing, a compass, and supplies to survive the night, if necessary. Since Ferzoco braved these hikes year-round, she relied on three-season hiking boots, insulated winter boots, and microspikes to navigate ice and snow.
The genial Ferzoco collected a new friend as well along her path to the 48, earning herself the lofty title of “Shoe Angel.” Before embarking on a wintry March hike up Mount Pierce, a serendipitous parking lot encounter led Ferzoco to lend her extra pair of boots to a female hiker who had forgotten her own. The boots happened to be the right size. The freshly crowned Shoe Angel would later go on to hike Mount Isolation, her number 47, with her newfound boot-buddy.
On October 14, 2023, the big day arrived. The 48th summit awaited the eager but nervous Ferzoco and her fellow mountaineers, Sue Gaudet, Beth Adams, and Maggie Porpora. The 19-mile hike up Mount Bondcliff was one of the most challenging, but the indomitable Ferzoco reached her goal, and before her 70th birthday as planned.
Reaching this summit brought Ferzoco more than personal satisfaction. Standing triumphantly atop the peak, defying the buffeting 60-mile-per-hour winds, she felt the unwavering support of her three friends enveloping her like a wind-proof blanket. Her most powerful impression of this final hike is how special her companions made her feel. “It was all about friendship,” she says, choking up with emotion. “If they could have pulled out a brass band and a red carpet, they would have.”
Despite her incredible accomplishment, Ferzoco humbly shrugs off the praise, insisting she is just one of many older hikers pushing their limits and reaching for the sky. Asked what she has learned about herself from this experience, she pauses thoughtfully before answering, “I learned that I can trust myself–that I am capable.”
“I learned that I can trust myself–that I am capable.”