12th Annual Climb for the Kids

Mount Jackson • Glacier National Park, Montana

August 26–30

For 12 years, we have assembled a team, climbed a mountain, and raised money for families facing one of life’s most difficult challenges: childhood cancer.

This year, our team will travel to Glacier National Park in Montana to attempt the summit of Mount Jackson—a 10,052-foot peak rising high above Gunsight Lake and the surrounding wilderness.

This will not be an ordinary hiking trip.

Over five days, the team will carry everything needed to travel and camp in Glacier’s backcountry. We will hike long distances with loaded packs, sleep in the wilderness, navigate rugged terrain, and attempt an off-trail alpine summit involving bushwhacking, route-finding, steep elevation gain, and scrambling.

The established portion of our journey begins near Jackson Glacier Overlook on Going-to-the-Sun Road. From there, we will backpack approximately 6.2 miles to Gunsight Lake, where Mount Jackson rises roughly 4,700 feet above the water.

Summit day will begin well before sunrise. The team will leave camp and work its way through brush and rugged off-trail terrain to gain the ridgeline leading toward Mount Jackson. If weather, mountain conditions, and team safety allow, we will continue toward the 10,052-foot summit before descending the same day and returning to camp.

It will be a long and demanding day—one designed to test our strength, endurance, preparation, and ability to work together.

After the summit attempt, we will pack up camp and continue west through Glacier’s rugged backcountry, eventually exiting by way of the Sperry Trail near Lake McDonald. The entire expedition will require excellent physical conditioning, backpacking and camping experience, wilderness skills, careful preparation, and respect for the unpredictable nature of the mountains.

The Itinerary

August 26 — Team Arrival and Preparation
The team arrives in Polebridge, Montana, to secure its backcountry permit and review current wildlife activity and trail conditions with park staff in Apgar. From there, the team gathers at basecamp for a final gear check, last-minute supplies, equipment organization, and expedition packing.

August 27 — Backpack to Gunsight Lake
We travel to the Gunsight Pass Trail near Jackson Glacier Overlook and begin the approximately 6.2-mile backpack to Gunsight Lake. Once there, we will establish camp, prepare dinner, review the summit plan, and get ready for an early start.

August 28 — Mount Jackson Summit Attempt
Before sunrise, the team begins its off-trail ascent toward Mount Jackson. We will bushwhack toward the ridgeline and attempt to reach the 10,052-foot summit. Following the summit attempt, the team will carefully descend the mountain, return to camp, eat, recover, and get some much-needed rest. This is expected to be the longest and most difficult day of the expedition.

August 29 — Break Camp and Exit the Backcountry
After the previous day’s summit attempt, we will pack up camp and begin an approximately 12.5-mile journey from Gunsight Lake to the Sperry Trailhead near Lake McDonald Lodge. The route crosses Gunsight Pass and Lincoln Pass, passes Lake Ellen Wilson and historic Sperry Chalet, and then begins a long descent toward Lake McDonald. With loaded backpacks and tired legs, this will be another demanding test of the team’s strength and endurance. After exiting the backcountry, we will return to basecamp in Polebridge.

August 30 — Team Departure
The team departs Montana and begins the journey home.

Why We Climb

The physical hardship of this expedition is temporary. For families facing childhood cancer, the challenge does not end when the trail does.

We climb to honor the courage of children fighting cancer. We climb to stand beside their parents, siblings, and loved ones. Most importantly, we climb to turn every difficult mile and every hard-earned step into meaningful help for families who need it.

One hundred percent of all donations will go directly toward supporting families with a child undergoing cancer treatment. Funds raised through the 12th Annual Climb for the Kids will be used to pay medical expenses directly for those families.

Every donation—regardless of size—helps ease the financial burden of treatment and allows families to focus more of their energy on what matters most: caring for their child.

The mountain will test us.
The mission will carry us.

Please support the 12th Annual Climb for the Kids and help us make this climb count.

12th Annual Climb for the Kids

Glacier National Park

Team Members