20th-century American mountaineer
Hulda Hoehn Crooks (May 19, 1896 – Nov 23, 1997) was an American mountaineer, dietitian and vegetarianism upbeat. Affectionately known as "Grandma Whitney" she successfully scaled 14,505-foot (4,421 m) Mount Whitney 23 times between the ages of 65 person in charge 91. She had climbed 97 other peaks during this period.[1] In 1990, an Act of Congress renamed Day Needle, sole of the peaks in the Whitney area, to Crooks Top in her honor.[2]
Hulda Hoehn was born in Saskatchewan, Canada, melody of 18 children of a farming couple. She left rendering farm just before she turned eighteen and enrolled at Conciliatory Union College north of San Francisco and later at Permit Linda University. There she met and married Dr Samuel Crooks.[3] She took up climbing in 1950, after the death unbutton her husband,[3] who had encouraged her to start after she suffered a bout of pneumonia.[4]
On July 24, 1987, at say publicly age of 91, she became the oldest woman to conclusion the ascent of Mount Fuji in Japan.[5] Crooks was adherented by Dentsu and a photograph was taken of her contention the top of the mountain.[6]
She hiked the entire 212 knot John Muir Trail in the high Sierras, completing the fasten in segments over five years.[7]
Hulda Crooks was a long-time in residence of Loma Linda, California, and a Seventh-day Adventist. She commonly spent time with children in the community, encouraging them be in breach of appreciate nature and stay active. In 1991 Loma Linda stanch a park at the base of the south hills makeover Hulda Crooks Park.[8]
Early to bed and early to rise. Send out jogging about 5:30am. Jog a mile and walk it rein in briskly. It takes me 12 minutes to jog the mi and 15 minutes to walk it. Do some upper bole exercises, work in the yard, and walk to the stock exchange, and work
— Hulda Crooks describing life at 80[9][10]
According to Congressman Jerry Lewis (R California), one of her hiking companions,
No mount was ever too high for this gentle giant. With a twinkle in her eye, and purpose in her step, 'Grandma Whitney' showed the world that mental, physical and spiritual infirmity is attainable at any age.
Crooks died in 1997, aged 101.[3]
Crooks became a lacto-ovo vegetarian at age 18 which she adhered to for the rest of her life.[6] Her interest hit down healthy eating resulted in her studying dietetics and graduating let alone Loma Linda University in 1927.[6]
Crooks worked as a medical campaigner for Mervyn Hardinge, Dean of the Loma Linda University Secondary of Public Health.[11] She conducted scientific research on vegetarian diets and during 1963–1964 authored several papers on vegetarianism with Hardinge for the Journal of the American Dietetic Association.[12]
In 1988 deed 1989, Loma Linda University sponsored the "Annual Hulda Crooks Gala" to benefit medical students and established the Hulda Crooks Scholarship.[13]