Kootenay folk are made of hardy stuff.
Take Larry Plummer, for example.
This Saturday, the soon-to-be 77-year-old will complete his 1,000th climb up the Antenna Trail to mark Montrose Family Day — a personal milestone years in the making.
It all began in 2015, when Plummer hiked the trail twice: first for Beaver Valley May Days, then for Montrose Family Day in June.
His inspiration to achieve 1,000 climbs came during a memorable hike a few years later in 2018, when Antenna Trail visionary Art Benzer — born on New Year’s Day 1938 — marked his 80th birthday with a brisk ascent of the trail.
That day stuck with both men.
“Anybody that hiked the trail with me that day, I gave them a Werther’s candy,” Benzer laughed. “A friend of mine from Fruitvale (Larry) came along just to get the free candy.”
The trail was frozen that Jan. 1 morning — solid footing, no thaw — and a handful of locals were out socializing.
The day felt special.
“When we got to the top, Larry looked at me and said, ‘If this old guy can still do this hike at 80 years old, I’m going to do it 1,000 times by the time I’m 80,’” Benzer shared.
“That was a little over seven years ago.”
What began as a lighthearted challenge has since grown into something far more meaningful.
Six years ago, Plummer was diagnosed with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) — a progressive lung condition that makes breathing increasingly difficult.
Despite never smoking, he suspects the cause lies in his 35 years working at a sawmill, where he was regularly exposed to airborne particulates.
Earlier this year, he was sidelined for a month with a bout of bronchitis.
But true to form, he got back on his feet — and back on the trail.
And remember, the Antenna Trail is no walk in the park.
It’s considered intermediate, with some challenging stretches.
Now, each climb takes him about two and a half hours — nearly double the time it once did.
“I was doing pretty good until I got diagnosed with COPD in 2019,” Plummer said. “What I do now, instead of an hour and a quarter round trip, it’s an hour and a quarter just to get to the top. Sometimes it can be bad, and I have to stop 45 or 50 times.”
He’s learned how to manage it.
Plummer stays in shape with daily walks around Fruitvale, logging between 15,000 and 20,000 steps, and still averages about 10 climbs up the mountain each month.
For him, speed isn’t the goal.
Persistence is.
“I know before I go that if I get too tired, I have to rest longer. I take shorter, slower trips. I’ve got set points — if I push too far, I lose too much oxygen and I can’t get it back,” he explained, adding that some days it can take over two hours just to reach the top.
With characteristic grit and humour, Plummer quipped, “I often say I got so slow, my shadow just gave up and left.”
Now, as Plummer nears that incredible 1,000th climb, he’ll be joined by his son and brother for the final push.
Benzer, who can no longer make the trek himself, will be proudly waiting for his friend at the bottom — Werther’s candy in hand, as always.
