Mark Orton My name is Mark Orton, and I'm 25 years old. I'm in the US Air Force, a C-5 Aero Repair Instructor at Travis Air Force Base in California. I live on the base with my wife Stacey, and we're expecting our first child in August of this year. Most of my free time is spent on the trails. My true passion is backpacking. It occurred to me in early December, that the trip I had planned for early June, could become so much more than just a hike. That's what started the Hike for Hope. E-mail Mark

Mark Orton, Jr. — Chairman of the Hike for Hope Mission Peak Summit, East Bay January, 2002

Jeremy Baldwin in the Green Mountains of Vermont

Jeremy Baldwin My name is Jeremy Baldwin. I am 20 years old and am from Greenfield Center, New York. I am a junior at Plattsburgh State University, majoring in Environmental Geology. My hobbies include Backpacking, snowboarding and fishing. Growing up in the foothills of the Adirondack Mountains gave me a certain love for the outdoors and especially the mountains. I have always believed that the mountains refresh your soul; there is no better feeling than being all alone atop a mountain. E-mail Jeremy

When Mark asked me to embark on this trek with him I was excited, but when he called me to ask if I wanted to do it for a worthy cause I was ecstatic. Diabetes is a disease that affects millions of people around the world, including some of the family members of people close to me. That’s why I wanted to help out in raising money for the research and education of this disease.