THE WYE — Climbing mountains is a monumental task in itself, not to mention scaling those peaks blind.
One Missoulian is training to be the first blind man to complete both Mount Rainier (Tahoma) and Baker (Koma Kulshan) in a season.
"Everybody looks at how beautiful the mountains are from down below. My theory was I want to see what they look like from the top down," Michael Tucker said reflecting on starting his climbing career.
For Tucker, his journey of chasing summits started in Missoula.
"I've lived here for 40 years in Missoula and never climbed the M, until, about four years ago, my daughter said, 'Dad, let's do this' and I thought it was amazing and I just kept going higher after that," Tucker detailed.
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Over the past few years, he's climbed throughout the Bitterroot Valley.
"Everything from Trapper Creek up to Lolo Pass, we've done," Tucker stated.
Plus, he's even ventured to the glaciers of Washington and thin air of Colorado.
However, one day in May of 2024, his life changed forever.
"I woke up with my eyes not working, basically, it was just dark," Tucker said.
Tucker and his wife went across the county, from doctor to doctor, looking for answers.
"He's had some dark days, but he's pulled through them," wife Mysta Tucker shared.
Yet, physicians still don't know what caused his optic neuropathy.
"It's a sudden permanent, no cure thing to where the optic nerves hemorrhage. They said there's only about 900 people that Mayo knows about that have double," Tucker said.
Now, Tucker is headed to summit two Cascade volcanoes again.
"He needs to have something to look forward to and he's always going big and this is probably the biggest," Mysta stated.
To be the first blind man to stand on top of Tahoma and Koma Kulshan in one season.
"We're gonna do Mount Baker, and then Mount Rainier is in the plans right now. With 3 guides that have been on the mountain. They will basically have me tethered, but I'll be walking up. They'll make sure I don't fall in crevasses," Tucker explained.
This time, he's in the mountains with a new sense of purpose and hopes to inspire others.
"If you stop dancing, you sit on the bench. If you stop playing, you sit on the bench. I'm not a bench sitter," Tucker said.
No matter the outcome, his family loves that he is still chasing his dreams.
"Very proud of how he's overcome the challenges," Mysta said.
"We all have problems. Don't give up," Tucker added.
