I'm standing near the old railway station in Crawford Notch at the foot of Mount Willard.

And today we're going to take a little hike.

And naturally, you're invited.

Welcome to windows to the wild.

I'm Willem Lange.

And over the years, you and I have taken some pretty good hikes, some arduous, some fairly easy.

Today's hike is in the latter category.

Oh, 1.6 miles up mount Willard.

Right here behind me.

But we're going to be hiking with the most unusual companion.

Gotcha.

His name is Randy Pierce.

Some years ago, when he was 22, a mysterious disease attacked his optic nerve.

And 11 years later, he was totally blind.

Next, the disease attacked his mobility.

And he spent the next two years working his way out of a wheelchair.

But since then, he and his companions have climbed all 48 of the New Hampshire 4000 footers in the winter.

He's also started the charitable foundation to challenge people to overcome their disabilities.

The only thing he hasn't overcome, as far as I can tell, is his passionate attraction for the New England Patriots.

Really?

It's a pleasure.

Likewise, great to meet you.

So this will be a new experience for me.

I have never climbed with someone with a guide dog before.

That's.

It'll be fascinating.

Well, you know, it's a lot like climbing with somebody without a guide dog.

Except that you can marvel at the work he does along the way.

I will do that.

Okay.

Shall we?

I mean, we might as well start, right?

I'm ready.

Let's go.

Let me get my poles and we'll be off.

Yeah, I know this is This is the worst part of this trip isn’t it Quinn?

We're almost through.

There you go.

We planned to take our time up this mountain.

Neither Randy or I was in any rush.

Early on I was really cautious with him.

I warned him about any obstacles I spotted in the trail.

Beautiful.

Perfect day.

Perfect day Randy.

Branches.

I'll take that warning.

Okay.

Thank you very much.

The first one especially.

You got it.

I know you're nervous too.

Good job buddy.

Good work.

All right.

The partially painful ones are on your left, but I think you're going to clear them.

Okay?

Okay.

Good boy.

Quinn.

Turned out I was a bit overcautious with Randy.

Many times, he became his own guide.

So I'll just feel my way along, if you don't mind my mind.

Why would I mind?

It's easier than picking you up.

Quinn you stay, buddy.

Am I mostly clear of that?

Well, you're doing fine, my friend.

Just fine.

I've learned to sort of see through my feet.

You know, where I just put all my focus so that I can feel out that tip, for example, to see.

Is that a strong enough tip?

You know, I guess that's just helping give me extra balance.

Terra firma.

You made it.

I think about the day I couldn't walk to my mailbox.

Yeah.

And, you know, now I don't think anything about tearing up this mountain.

When Randy isn't his own guide.

He completely trusts his guide dog.

The mighty Quinn.

And Quinn never disappointed.

He picked up on the slightest possible problems for Randy.

Quinn working.

I mean, he just refused.

He's like, nope.

Don't go.

Yeah, you haven't acknowledged it.

Hiking with a person.

Maybe they missed it.

Maybe they thought it was a little further out.

Maybe they forget how long these legs extend when I move.

Yeah.

You know, and so that's where I get the most dangerous, really, with people guiding me, When I hike with people, I tell them.

Doesn't matter where in the middle of the conversation I am when the trail changes, when Quinn starts trying to grab my attention by stopping.

I got to give it to him, because if I don't, I'm going to have some bruises.

That make you smart a couple of times.

A couple of times.

Just as you always have to listen to your mother.

You have a good job.

You always have to listen to your guide dog or you learn the hard way.

So that rock is what he warned me.

I tap it so he knows it's there.

Now, he was showing me how big it is so that when I step, I don't hit my knee on it as I'm going up and over.

And I mean, partly he's showing off and saying, hey, what's around, you know, coming to a rocky water bar.

All right.

Hey, Quinn, how about a little focus there, buddy?

Although Quinn's not perfect, he's truly an amazing guide dog.

Just think of the circumstances he's working in.

Okay Quinn, let's go.

He's two feet tall.

I'm six foot four.

If you're doing Quinn's job, what you're doing is guiding somebody 18ft tall, weighing over 700 pounds, with feet the size of a table up these narrow, twisty trails with water crossings and cliff edges.

And by the way, they can't see and you can't speak.

Think about that challenge.

You want to come to work on that?

That's amazing.

And yet he does it all wagging and loving it.

And he's pretty good.

Mount Willard is a busy place, which made things more interesting for Randy and me.

Hi there guys.

Hey, how's it going?

Oh, not too bad for a couple of little fossils.

Did he just make me old?

Many people stopped to talk with us.

They were amazed by the fact that someone blind was going up this mountain.

Good for you.

Well.

Thank you.

You know what?

It is good for me.

I've really enjoyed it.

I've.

I got a lot of good benefit out of it, though.

Awesome.

We'll do some more.

You're definitely an inspiration to me.

He does great work.

Yeah.

And what's his name?

The mighty Quinn.

Quinn, you a good boy?

Off duty, but you can say hi him.

You can say it didn't register.

Yeah, well, he knows.

He just.

It gives him the freedom.

Do you often climb, here in the Whites?

I do, he climbed all of them all the 4000 footers in the in the winter in 2011, Randy and the mighty Quinn set out to hike all the 4000 footers in one winter.

They succeeded, and the story was covered all over New England.

Now they plan to hike them in the summer, which Randy will tell you is much harder.

Winter's a little easier for me, actually.

It's all smooth.

Different challenges, like I see with my hands because my eyes don't work at all.

My hands are my eyes and it gets too cold.

Your hands don't work so well.

But I got, After tomorrow, I'll have three peaks left.

And I'll have done all 48 in the winter and the summer.

After Mount Willard, he plans to climb Mount Isolation, which, as the name implies, is the mountain farthest away from civilization.

We're going to be on trail at 5 a.m., so I sort of love the notion, you don’t look crazy.

I've been up there before.

I obviously I’ve done it in the winter, you know, but in the wintertime, it's just a whole different experience.

Nothing stops Randy from exercising his passion for hiking, but he does have a great interest in something very different from the trails.

Since he was a kid.

Randy's been a diehard New England Patriots fan.

In 2002, he was recognized as the number one Patriots fan and visited the White House with the team when they won their first Super Bowl.

He also has a strong friendship with one former Pats player.

Now the guy on the Pats that I'll tell you the personal side, a guy named Teddy Bruschi actually got to take him out here into the White Mountains and take him hiking for his first time, And there's a character.

Nice heart, good spirit.

He even had enough spirit to challenge the mighty Quinn to a tug of war.

I think we mis-scouted him.

He’s much stronger than his strength said at the combine.

Much quicker and a stronger neck.

All right, buddy.

Yeah, I think he have class.

Definitely a first round pick.

Quinn, how do you feel about this?

He said that Bruschi guy was tough, but I tell you, he's nothing.

He's nothing.

I took him, left hand, right hand, both hands.

Nothing.

I took him, he's nothing.

I tell you what.

Overrated.

Just overrated.

Nah, just kidding, Teddy.

Well, you know, from 1988 till 2000 and, I guess 12, I missed exactly one home game ever.

When I was training with my first guide dog.

And the reason the guide dog took me away is it's more important than football.

Yeah.

In 2012, I missed two more games, and both of them were playoff games.

And the reason I missed them was to be on a mountain climbing.

So I guess that tells you where the mountains rank as well.

We're walking a bare ledge here.

That's pretty, pretty smooth.

It’s almost like gravel.

Oh, yeah.

Up ahead, you will be delighted to know there's a little light at the end of the tunnel of trees.

I think we're coming to an overlook.

Right?

Yes.

Beautiful.

That'll be right out onto Crawford Notch itself right?

It will.

Let's go find out.

I couldn't ask for a better view, but how can I show it to Randy?

Well, he showed me how.

You know what?

Sometimes people do.

I don't know if you're willing to.

Yeah, but I point my finger and they take my hand and trace the profile.

Would you be willing to do that?

Well, sure.

And maybe tell me what you're pointing it at.

Okay, I'm pointing at Webster over here.

So you're going to take my hand because I won't see it.

Right?

There you go.

Sorry.

There's a little lump on the ridge right there.

Yeah.

Well, we're going to go up and up, and there's the point of the mountain right there, which would be Jackson next to Webster.

Right?

Yeah.

And then.

And then, you know, the little stage steps ledge, kind of a sawtooth ledge.

Yeah.

Then a lump and then down into Crawford Notch.

Nice.

Right there.

You're pointing right at the right at the notch.

Oh, okay.

The ponded at the Willey house.

Right.

Right there.

Okay.

Yep.

You see how that.

Mountain profiles, every angle, that's part of what makes each viewpoint spectacular is it gives you a slightly different profile.

Yeah.

So it gives me just a sampling of it.

Gorgeous.

I almost felt guilty being able to see the beauties of Crawford Notch and wishing Randy could too.

There's just so much in this fantastic view.

You know the line from Robert Frost, those who lifted eyes from there could count five mountain ranges, one behind the other, under the sunset, far into Vermont.

That's my boy.

Come here.

So let me give you a full break.

Ready?

This is his pack off break.

Hey!

There you go, buddy.

Now you can be off duty and just be a dog for a little bit.

The first couple of times I hiked with him.

You know, we know that we use all these extra calories.

And I didn't really think about how many extra he was using.

Oh, yeah.

And what a difference.

It made to up his meals.

Of course, it means when I do a five day in the wilderness trip, I'm carrying a lot of kibble with me, and that's got some weight.

They don't have dehydrated kibble.

Quinn took a well-deserved rest on the summit.

Randy and I had a little lunch and talked about the charitable foundation he started.

It's called 2020 Vision Quest.

I started in 2010, and I was thinking to myself a couple of things.

One, I love these mountains and wanted to get out there.

I sort of set my sights on climbing all 48, and I thought I'd take a leisurely ten years, sort of the Bill Bryson Walk in the woods type story.

The notion to me was 2010, ten leisurely years gets me to the year 2020.

And I love the double entendre that 2020 is a perfect vision.

Yeah, and the notion our tagline is achieve a vision beyond your sight.

But the core message is sort of ability awareness.

And what I do primarily for our charity.

We're an all volunteer staff.

I go out to schools or nonprofits and at no cost.

I give presentations to them about that, because I really believe the students in our schools can benefit from learning to believe in themselves.

Learning that it doesn't mean it just happens.

You got to problem solve.

You got to do some hard work, but you can achieve if you're willing to put that in.

And I get to talk about teamwork and communication because think about Quinn and I's role is doing these mountains.

You know, I get to talk about dealing with adversity a little bit because everybody's going to have problems and life is not about the problems you face.

It's about the choices you make in response to them.

I really believe that I'm not a blind guy, because that's not what I define myself as.

Since 2010, I've spoken to 26,000 students throughout New England.

Is that right?

That's what I'm most proud of.

Not not 48 peaks in one winter.

26,000 students in three years.

And I'm not done.

That's great.

Randy's made many strides overcoming his blindness, as he puts it.

He's made his disability an ability, the ability to reach others.

Hop up buddy.

You seem a little tired.

Thank you.

Awesome.

Thank you.

I'll pause while you go by.

You're welcome.

Thank you.

But still, many in society have a tendency to look at a disability as just that a disability.

I saw this firsthand with my own parents, who were often ignored by the hearing community because of their deafness.

My sister and I used to talk about if we had to lose either eye sight or hearing, which would we rather lose?

Yeah.

As we got older, the hearing became more important.

When we were kids, we thought, oh, no sight.

But now you can because you're cut off from human interaction.

If you can't hear.

Yeah, you're largely cut off.

People don't talk to you.

People avoid you.

I watched my father sit at, He was a clergyman.

Sit at clergy meetings and just staring straight ahead because he had no idea what was going on, and nobody was signing to him but me.

And I hated it when the bishop one time used the expression intercontinental ballistic missile.

Try spelling that fast.

People ask me all the time if you'd rather lose your eyes or your hearing.

I have no idea.

I haven't lost my hearing.

Yeah.

If you'd have asked me what I thought losing my eyes was going to be like.

Yeah, I wouldn't have given you the answer.

That's true to my reality.

I would have given you a much darker picture.

Here's what I think is really the truth.

Change is hard.

Going blind was very hard.

The favorite picture that I have in my mind is the last thing I ever saw.

Right.

Think about that.

What if you choose what the last thing you ever see?

That's a pretty powerful thing to keep with you.

I didn't get to choose, but I was on a bus training with my first guide dog, Oscar, a beautiful golden retriever, and I knew was coming because I was having the episode.

They were giving me the medication to try to stop it, but I had so little vision left, they knew it was unlikely, so I.

Just a little pinprick of vision and it was color and detail and pinprick.

The further out you go opens up a little bit.

But I'm talking to my instructor and it just closes.

Like when you black out a little bit how things close.

Then it closed out and I was immediately overwhelmed emotionally because I'm like, that's it.

And I knew it.

And my dog senses this.

He jumps up and puts his head on my knee, and I look down.

Because you're trained to look where you feel things, even though I can't see.

So I look down and my vision kind of opens up and I see his face looking up at me, and it closes and that's it.

Last thing I ever see in the world.

But think about it.

What I last thing I ever saw was a totally dedicated, loving face looking at me with concern.

It's pretty good.

I could have chosen better.

My parents had my sister and me to help them with their struggles.

Randy hasn't been quite alone in his either.

I had some tough years and a lot of great support from my friends.

First step is I had to believe in myself to start to do things.

Then I had to convince them that it's okay to let me do things.

You know, you want to climb a mountain, you know you're blind.

You can't do that.

There are people who will take that.

But not my friends.

I have friends who are like, great, how do we do it?

Yeah.

And that as soon as you get, you surround yourself with people who want to help you make your life better.

And hopefully you're doing the same.

You're on your way to a really rewarding life.

And like I said, that's where I'm at.

Every day.

I wish that I could see.

I'd love to look across and see the suns and shadows on those cliffs.

And see those peaks thrusting up every day I may wish that.

But that doesn't mean I spend every day morose that I can't see, you know, just the opposite.

I celebrate life every day.

In particular, we could take the trail to the right.

Well, peak out over there.

What's that?

I just did.

Yeah.

What what what was that?

Just turn over the willy slide.

Same bloody view.

Same view?

Yeah.

They suggested it was a little different perspective, but.

A little further from the point.

One of the things I do that I love is, Steve Smith has a book that he describes the views from the compass points on the 48.

So I take my raised relief map.

I find the mountain I'm going to be on, I put my thumb on it and I listen to that book by audio and as I'm listening, he's describing the views and my fingers are going out and finding all the peaks that he's talking about.

And the more I get to know them, the more I feel like these mountains are a part of me.

So to me, I love adventure.

But I like problem solving, adventure, risk taking.

You know, if the risk gets too great, I'd rather find a way to solve it.

Yeah.

You know, like, if I wanted a picture over this edge, that's a reasonable thing to want.

Yeah, but should I walk over that edge and take a picture?

Maybe not, but maybe I tie off to a tree.

Now maybe that's okay.

Just solve the problems, and all of the adventures you want are available to you.

I think.

Great quote I heard.

We climb the mountain to see the world, not to be seen by the world.

I do all these.

What do you think a blind person can't do?

We solve it.

And I said, ultimately, what I think is a blind person can't see.

That's the difference.

You agree?

And they say, yeah.

And I said, all right, here you go.

July 4th, 2010 Quinn and I climbed Mount Washington.

That's that is when we did our first climb together, you know, and that that night we're out at Lake of the clouds, and it's normally pretty cruddy weather up there, but it was totally one of those beautiful you can see to the horizon.

And there's about 90 of us sitting outside Lake of the clouds watching the sunset.

And as you face west, you've got seven different mountain ranges that run north to south, going across New Hampshire, across Vermont, all the way out into the distance Adirondacks and up above with a thin, wispy cirrus clouds and those cirrus clouds on the horizon, deep crimson red flowing into the oak leaf orange that kind of burnt orange.

And then pink cirrus clouds over our heads.

And as the sun was setting on those distant Adirondacks, those far mountains were purple, just like the song for Purple Mountain's majesty.

And it kind of flowed into the Blue Hills through Vermont because of the angle of the sun.

And obviously the closer ones are the lush, lush green of summer.

It's absolutely beautiful.

People are silent watching this all the time the sun is setting, the emotions are palpable.

You can feel how people are are taking the scene.

And when it's done, about a minute of silence after they told me the sun was set.

And then everybody applauds.

Because how how beautiful the experience was.

Now here's my question that I'll ask you.

Same question I ask everybody that I'm dealing with.

You know, did you picture that?

When I was describing it?

Did you picture that while I was describing.

Me?

Yeah.

Yeah, sure.

Right.

So did almost all of them.

In fact, I've had seven people ever out of about 27,000 that haven't pictured it.

So how is that possible?

How did you picture it if you didn't see it?

And I didn't see it?

And it's because this vision is 80% neurological.

If you want the science term, 80% imagination.

Any way data gets in there, you read a good book, it can give you an image of the character.

You hear a description from a mediocre blind guy, and you can see that scene.

So can a blind guy see?

Sure.

Who's the mediocre blind guy?

I was in that description.

Now he's looking away from you.

You cannot get out of this.

Get over here.

Gentlemen, how are you?

Randy's opened my eyes to a world I didn't know existed.

And I'm not the only one.

He points me and then cuts in front of me to show me what's next.

You're an inspiration to all.

Oh.

Thank you.

You know what?

I think the work my pup does, that's.

That inspires me a lot.

I've never seen so many people.

So changed in a matter of seconds.

A lot of people coming down the trail.

Did you see it?

There's blind guy hiking the mountain?

Yeah, well, we're with him.

And I was blown away.

And I know me personally.

It's.

We're talking about it.

I'm sure it's incredible for him to hear that many people being so in awe of what he's doing, because it really is incredible.

Obviously, I'm happy that you can have a positive impact on people.

How do you handle it at the time?

Right.

I try to deflect Quinn because it makes me feel more comfortable.

And I do believe that what he does is incredible.

You don't think of yourself ever in the world as, hey, I'm going to be an inspiration.

You do things, but you can't be blind to no pun intended to the fact that sometimes things you do, no matter who you are, will have a really profound positive effect makes you even more careful about, you know what what one thing could I say that could turn it from great to to bad for a person?

Any interaction.

And I try to try to be sensitive.

You're living life more than most people.

I'm pretty lucky.

Well, as you probably can see, I have triumphed once again.

Up and down.

We cheated death.

Neither one of us fell even once, right?

I don't think there were even too many close encounters.

My little stream crossing.

Maybe.

I forgot that was a little close.

We had a great time and we met a lot of people today.

Wow, this is a crowded mountain, but nice.

It was nice.

Amazing.

How many of them were fans of you and the show.

Oh yeah.

Well, yeah, we get around, but I can't thank you enough for taking us up there.

Just.

It was great, you know, taking me on a hike with you.

You already did thank me enough sharing a mountain and some trail.

I hope we do it again sometime.

We will.

We'll do that.

I gotta hope so.

So it's time to say goodbye, and I shall, I’m Willem Lange and hope to see you again on windows to the wild.

On August 24th, 2013, Randy and the Mighty Quinn finished their goal of completing all New Hampshire's 48 4000 footers in the summer.

Unfortunately, Quinn's health began to fail shortly after their summer hikes, and he passed away on January 20th, 2014.

Support for the production of windows to the world has wild has been provided by the Alice J Reen Charitable Trust, the Fuller Foundation.

The Mount Washington Cog Railway, and from viewers like you.

Thank you.

Buddy, you broke the tag.

How can we use this now?

This toy has done you 48 mountains almost twice over.