Exhausting Ourselves for Charity Since 1997

Ben Myers Ridge-A-Thon at Taos

By Carson Bennett, 3-27-08

What could possibly motivate two-person teams to hike the ridge at Taos as many times as humanly possible in a five hour period? (Besides, maybe, being chased by a guy with a gun?) The answer may surprise you – the motivating factor is charity.

This is the 12th annual Ben Myers Ridge-A-Thon, folks. Originally established in 1997 as a fundraiser for an extreme skier from Taos to offset the cost of his cancer treatments, the Ridge-A-Thon continues in Ben Myers’ memory. This year, on March 28 and 29, all proceeds will benefit the Taos Community Foundation’s Emergency Medicines Fund. According to the Taos News, the EMF “provides vouchers for the purchase of prescription medications at wholesale cost from local pharmacies, with the intention of providing free prescription medicines to eligible individuals.”

Now, I don’t know if you have hiked the ridge at Taos, but I have, many times. I’ll tell you something, it’s not easy. My personal record is four hikes in one afternoon, and I was only able to do that because I was with friends who had never been there before (I was trying to show off) and we were mostly skiing down Hidalgo and Juarez (the two ridge runs closest to the chair lift.) These people will be making laps on all sorts of ridge runs, the event culminating in one final lap down Main Street on Kachina Peak. I’ve only hiked Kachina once. It took me forty five minutes just to get there. These people are crazy.

Bless ‘em.

If you would like to participate in the Ben Myers Ridge-A-Thon, you can get more information and print out a registration packet here.

Bring water, pace yourself, be safe, have fun!

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