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46 Peaks That Make Legends of Ordinary People

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ADIRONDACKS, New York -- Regent University is home to many talented students, and some of them don't wait to graduate before making their mark.

Film major Blake Cortright will soon debut his documentary called "The 46ers." It's a breathtaking look at the 46 high peaks of the Adirondacks and the people known as the "46ers" who love to climb them.

Our resident mountaineer, Wendy Griffith, traveled with Cortright to the high peaks of New York to find out more about what inspired these legendary climbers.

Meeting the 46ers

When Cortright was just an 18-year-old freshman at Regent University in Virginia Beach, Virginia, he had an epiphany one day while hiking in the Adirondacks of upstate New York.

"I looked in all directions and all I could see was wilderness and I just saw the beauty of creation and the wildness and the ruggedness and it touched a piece of me," Cortright said. "And I felt the whole way down, the seven-mile hike out, I need to make a film here."

So he did. But that takes money. So first he made a short video to raise funds and awareness.

"What are the 46ers? I'm glad you asked. There are 46 mountains in the Adirondacks region of upstate N.Y. over 4,000 feet. They're known as the high peaks and the people who successfully conquer all 46 are known as the 46ers," Cortright says in the video.

Now, three years later with many of his own miles logged up these glorious rock formations and many interviews with those who've gone before, the 21-year-old Cortright is putting the finishing touches on his documentary, "The 46ers." It has already piqued the interest of New York Public Television and some national outdoor networks.

Watch the film's trailer below:

Cortright said the great diversity of people who hike these mountains (part of a 6 million acre park, a land area roughly the size of Vermont and greater than the areas of the National Parks of Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, Glacier, and Great Smoky Mountains combined) is part of what drew him to the project.

"There are people that are 82 years old and there are 6-year-old kids that do the 46ers," Cortright said. "There are families, single, career people, mountain people. You got folks that drive up from NYC five hours, folks that drive up from Canada. There's even a 46ers Club."

Griffith: Is there a common denominator in the 46ers you've met?

Cortright: I found that this was a place that people just loved to be and nobody can really describe it. When I would ask people they would say it's that feeling, 'I just want to be here.'"

A Love Story

"And as I sat down and looked at these two years of interviews and production and my own experience there, I felt something that was akin to love," Cortright said. "It was this love for the mountains and it's what I saw through all the people. And so that kind of runs as a thread through the film. And it's amazing to me how this has reshaped my approach to the documentary because it has become a love story.

Griffith herself couldn't do a story on the high peaks of the Adirondacks without climbing at least one of them. On a mountain known as Cascade, and although it is spring here, they were wearing snow shoes -- it was freezing! (About 17 degrees at the top)

But the rugged and wild beauty of the Adirondack's makes this a great climb any time of year.

Also, something you can only do here in the winter is known as the "Adirondack butt slide." You essentially slide down the snow-covered trails on your butt. It's a great way to get down the mountain fast and much easier on the knees!

Cortright said his main goal with this film was to try and answer the question, "What transforms ordinary men and women into the legendary mountaineers known as the 46ers?"

Griffith: Did you find the answer?

Cortright: You'll have to watch the documentary to find out.

Savoring the Climb

Meanwhile, Cortright is an aspiring 46er himself, with 18 of the high peaks already conquered during his time making the movie.

But, he's in no hurry to reach his goal. Like many climbers who've fallen in love with the Adirondacks, he plans to savor the moments and every exhilarating step of the climb.

"For me it's becoming less and less about the summits and more about the journey," he said. "I would love to spend my life telling stories that bring people closer to God, whether they realize it or not. And it starts to give themselves a sense of something beyond themselves."

Cortright will graduate from Regent University in May. He's hoping his documentary will open the door for him to go full-time into the movie-making business.

For more information on Blake's "The 46ers" documentary you can visit his website at The 46ers Film.

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About The Author

Wendy Griffith
Wendy
Griffith

Wendy Griffith is a Co-host for The 700 Club and an Anchor and Senior Reporter for the Christian Broadcasting Network based in Virginia Beach, Virginia. In addition to The 700 Club, Wendy co-anchors Christian World News, a weekly show that focuses on the triumphs and challenges of the global church. (https://www.facebook.com/CBNCWN). Wendy started her career at CBN on Capitol Hill, where she was the network’s Congressional Correspondent during the Impeachment trial of former President Bill Clinton. She then moved to the Virginia Beach headquarters in 2000 to concentrate on stories with a more