For his mother: Man hikes 26.8 miles for Alzheimer's awareness

As the faint glow of the impending sunrise hung over the sky on a recent Thursday, 38-year-old Mark Fredrick prepared to embark on the longest hike of his life.

Standing at the Tunnel Spring Trailhead near Placitas, the enormity of the task at hand began to sink in.

In honor of his mother, whom he lost to early-onset dementia in 2022, Fredrick decided to hike the Sandia Crest Trail, which is 26.8 miles in one day.

“This was a hike that I’ve been dreaming of doing for a long time,” he said. “I’m doing this to remember my mom, to challenge myself, and obviously to raise awareness and money for Alzheimer’s research.”

The hike was part of the annual “The Longest Day” fundraiser hosted by the Alzheimer’s Association. Taking place on the summer solstice, the goal of the event was to pick an activity that would use the most hours of sunlight. Fredrick’s goal was to raise $1,000.

The hike Fredrick was embarking on was estimated to take roughly 11 to 13 hours to complete, according to the app he was using, giving him plenty of time on his own to think and process the emotions of setting out to complete a dream of his and also remember the inspiration behind this journey.

“She would think I’m crazy for doing this,” he said about his mother, Donna, with a smirk on his face. “But she’d probably be really proud and supportive of me trying to do it.”

When Fredrick received the news that his mother, who was 63 at the time, was diagnosed with early-onset dementia, he was devastated. He and his father became his mother’s primary caretakers.

He describes his mother’s disease as a series of declines and plateaus when it came to her cognitive abilities. The declines were sharp but infrequent, sometimes with gaps of roughly a year before the next one.

“Whatever was lost, cognitive or physical ability, was lost,” Fredrick explained. “Each time one of those declines happened, it felt like another part of her was gone.”

Fredrick described his mother, prior to her diagnosis, as a hardworking, detail-oriented sweetheart who loved her family and dogs. She also was an avid supporter of anything and everything Fredrick did, and he credits her with allowing him to challenge himself academically, physically and mentally.

His mother also loved being in nature, underneath trees and looking for wildflowers. In that sense, Fredrick felt she would be with him every step of the way on his hike. Before taking his first step onto the trail, however, the only thing he felt was jitters.

“I feel nervous,” Fredrick said at the time, “but I think once I get into (the hike), those nerves will start wearing out.”

Fredrick said in a video recorded beforehand that he was thankful for all of the support he had received from those who donated to his cause, and it was that support that would carry him through this endeavor.

Throughout the hike, Fredrick kept in contact with friends and family, including his brother and friend, who are both doctors and were constantly checking on his physical status.

He said the start of the hike was beautiful, with cloud cover over the mountains, and as he got higher, a mist of rain fell upon him. “Everything was green,” he said.

The ascent from the trailhead to the top of the crest took Fredrick six hours and five minutes.

“I felt really good. A little out of breath when I was at the top,” he said, “but there was no question in my mind that I was not going to quit at that point.”

Fredrick had lunch at the crest and took an extended break to get acclimated to the elevation. Once he got his feet under him again, he began to make his way down, toward Tijeras.

The descent was the point of no return, according to Fredrick. Once he took that first step down the mountain, he had to finish the hike.

“I’m going to finish,” he said.

The hike down was when his body truly began to feel the wear and tear .

“It was exhausting,” he said, “and I hit that point where my body just wants to fully give up.”

The last five miles of the hike took him five hours. Fredrick said that final stretch was the hardest thing he’s ever done physically. When he reached the end of the trail at 8:55 p.m., he said he had several slices of pizza and, later at home, fell asleep while he was sitting up.

After more than 15 hours of hiking, he had completed his goal of hiking the Sandia Crest Trail in a single day. Fredrick raised $635 for his fundraiser.

Waking up the next morning, he said he felt stiff and had blisters on his feet, but otherwise felt good considering what he had just gone through. As he reflected on the journey, he once again spoke about his mother and said everything he endured was for her and for everyone struggling with dementia and Alzheimer’s.

“Perseverance, dedication and goal-setting really pays off, and I think (my mother) would be incredibly impressed by the work I’m doing to bring awareness to Alzheimer’s, dementia and to try to raise money for them,” he said.