About Me

Who is PaPa Smurf?

 By John F. Klebes

Mt. Rainier Expedition, WA

My story is simple, I love hiking.  I am an avid hiker and mountaineer with climbs of Mt. Rainier, Mt. Whitney, and all the 4,000 footers in the North East USA – many in winter.  One of my most memorable hikes was on a summit climb of Mt. Washington in minus thirteen degree weather and 65 mph winds with a wind chill of –75 degrees.  As past-president and active member of the Pioneer Valley Hiking Club and a hike leader of 100’s of local hikes I have shared my passion for hiking, backpacking, snowshoeing, and mountaineering with beginners and intermediate hikers through out the Springfield/Hartford Massachusetts area. 

When I was eleven years old my oldest brother took me on a backpack trip to the summit of Mt. Washington, the highest point in the Northeastern United States.  When we hiked above tree line I fell in love with the mountain summits.  There is nothing like that feeling of wonder and accomplishment hiking above the clouds with everything below you. Over the years I’ve gone from easy hikes and backpacking trips to exploring and pushing my limits.  My goal is to try more and more difficult trips to high peaks, endurance hikes, and just new and special places.

I am an active member of our local hiking club and use my influence to bring new people into the sports of hiking, backpacking, and mountaineering.  I have put together hiking trips that have included a series on “Waterfalls hikes in New England,” “Hiking the high point of each of our New England’s states,” and a series on “Oceans and Sea Shore hikes.”

Snowshoeing to the Summit of Mt. Adams, NH

A big part of my participation in the community is to give back to trails through teaching good land stewardship and providing trail maintenance and improvement.  While on the Conservation Committee in Kingston, NH I helped establish their first hiking trail in the town forest created by a private party land donation.  During my tenure as VP of the hiking club I championed the adoption of section 1 & 2 of the Metacomet-Monadnock trail where we have constructed bog bridges and stone steps to improve the quality our backyard trail.  This trail now is part of the newly created “New England National Scenic Trail”.

Summit of Mt. Whitney, highpoint of lower 48, CA

As president I assisted the Trustees of the Reservations in the construction of the Falls Brook Shelter on the Tully Loop Trail.  This was a major construction project to build an 18 x 16 foot shelter near Royalston Falls in Massachusetts. 

Construction of the New Falls Brook Shelter, MA

Building Bog Bridges on the M-M, MA

I am very active with almost every weekend spent on day hikes or backpacking trips, biking, skiing, kayaking, and other outdoor activities. Each year I try to pick a few more serious trips representing climbs of the higher peaks in the USA, endurance distance hikes, or multi-day backpacking adventures.   My favorite time of year is winter because there are no bugs, more solitude, and fantastic views.

Summit of Katahdin, ME

My experiences have ranged from ice climbing and experiencing an avalanche on Mt. Washington’s Huntington Ravine, to practicing self-rescue out of a crevasse on Mt. Rainier.  I’ve explored rock climbing, scuba diving, whitewater rafting, skiing, kayaking and canoeing but my passion is mountaineering.

Winter Summit of South Kingsman, NH

I am a father of two grown children, Robert and Stephanie, who joined me on many of my adventures when they were young.  Now that they are on their own I have more time for adventures. 

While I’m certainly not ready to start climbing un-named and un-climbed peaks in the Himalayas, I have a goal to explore and push the adventure level up each year.  Having finished two of the three major trails in the triple crown my next goal is to hike the Continental Divide Trail in 2013.  On with the adventure.  It’s another FANTASTIC day on the trail.