Four Severn School Students Hike Mount Whitney To Honor Friend

Lying on the boundary of Sequoia National Park and Inyo National Forest, Mount Whitney, the tallest peak in the contiguous United States, is one of California’s most popular destinations for avid hikers and adventure seekers. There are a couple trails and starting points to get to its summit at 14,500 feet, each one treacherous enough to require hikers to obtain a permit.

For four Severn School seniors and their fathers who completed the hike on August 2, getting to the top wasn’t simply an aspiration; it was a mission. They weren’t just going to the peak to see something. They were going to honor someone: Sullivan “Sully” Shields, a Severn student and close friend who passed away in fall of 2023 from cancer.

Nick Melfi (Severna Park), William Cawlfield (Arnold), Tanner Huber (Severna Park) and Peter Urban (Annapolis) had heard the stories of how difficult the climb would be. Two years earlier, Cawlfield’s father, Andrew, and his older brother had made the same trek with three friends and their fathers — one of the eight didn’t make it to the summit. All scholarly, multi-sport athletes, the four friends worked out and went on long runs all summer to prepare their bodies for the hike.

Starting at a basecamp 8,000 feet above sea level, the young men and their fathers, Nicholas Melfi, Andrew Cawlfield, Don Huber and Chris Urban, left shortly after dawn and hiked seven miles up the mountain to a basecamp. They rested as best as they could, and at 2:00am, the group was again hiking up the mountain.

“We were determined to get to the top to watch the sunrise,” Tanner said. “We had to hike the last five miles in the pitch dark.”

The group carried their gear in backpacks that weighed 35–40 pounds and wore headlamps. Without guides or handrails of any kind, parts of the trail skirted the mountain cliffs where steep drop-offs were as deadly as they were beautiful. Along the way, two of the headlamps went out, making the hike even more difficult.

“Some parts of the trail were just normal hiking trails,” said Peter, “but there were parts so narrow that you’d look over the edge and know you’d die if you slipped and fell.”

With every step, the group thought about their friend Sully. They would not quit this mission. They would honor Sully by reaching the peak. At around 5:00am, the mission was accomplished. Atop Mount Whitney is a book to sign for those brave and strong enough to complete the hike. The group members each took turns signing the book at 14,500 feet above sea level and leaving personal messages for Sully, letting him know that he is thought of daily by the strongly bonded group of friends and fathers.

In complete silence, except for the fierce howling of the wind all around them, Tanner called the moment surreal. They stood in awe of their surroundings, filled with a great sense of accomplishment. At around 6:00am, with the sunrise as a backdrop, the four friends posed for a photo while wearing “Smile Like Sully” T-shirts from the Smile Like Sully Foundation (www.smilelikesully.org).

“In the clouds at that height, I felt very close to Sully,” said Peter, after adding a heart and a “I miss you, Sully” note in the book register.

William said, “Being able to do something so difficult that not everyone can finish, and then being up there so close to Sully, gave us a sense of accomplishment.”

Tanner recalled seeing a sign at the lower-level basecamp reminding hikers that when they get to the top, the hike is only halfway done. After a long time taking in the entire experience together, the group collected their thoughts and their gear and began the 12-mile hike down the mountain.

“I know the Shields are really proud of us,” Tanner said. “To honor Sully this way was really rewarding.”

As the group begins their senior year at Severn, they are already thinking ahead to senior week and beyond. “Who knows?” William said. “Maybe this is the start of a new tradition.”