When Paul Eraclio turned 50, his wife Maggie gave him a climbing trip to the summit of the Grand Teton in Jackson Hole, Wyo., as his birthday gift. Going one “step” better this September when he turned 60, Eraclio and three Clayton friends hiked to the summit of Mt. Whitney – the highest point in the continental United States at 14,505 feet.

Joining Eraclio were Scott and Karen Shackleton and Joyce Kelly, all experienced hikers. The friends hatched the idea last year at a neighborhood dinner in Clayton. Eraclio already had seven trips to the summit of Mt. Whitney and Kelly had gone there twice. For the Shackletons, this would be a first.

The Eraclios moved to Clayton 12 years ago as a result of a corporate transfer and were inspired to start hiking with beautiful Mt. Diablo as a front yard. On his first Diablo hike, Eraclio found two starving dogs in the horseshoe of the Falls Trail. “They were skin and bones and in terrible shape but followed me back home. My wife and I named them Jack and Jill. With some medical attention and much love, they were returned to health and have been wonderful additions to our home for the last 12 years,” explains Eraclio.

The attorney for a reinsurance company has also summated Mt. Hood and Mt. Shasta. “Other favorite local hikes are Black Diamond, Morgan Territory and all around Mt. Diablo, which has always been our main training ground for Whitney,” he adds.

On another hike with his dogs on a Clayton back trail years ago he met Kelly, who was walking her dog Raider. They found they both enjoyed hiking and camping and became friends. The Shackletons are Kelly’s next door neighbors and have been hiking as a family for more than 20 years.

“The last four years, as our kids got older, we started hiking more challenging trails and peaks – including the Mt. Diablo range. We feel that the four peaks hike on Mt. Diablo is equal to any of the high-altitude hikes that we have done,” says Scott Shackleton.

Family hikes have included Thunder Mountain at Kirkwood (9,400 ft.), Half Dome in Yosemite (8,600 ft.), the Grand Canyon twice (top to bottom and back), Mount Tallac (6,500 ft.) and Mount Washburn in Yellowstone National Park (10,400 ft.).

Karen Shackleton says of Mt. Whitney: “It is 10 out of 10 for beauty, challenge, endurance and accomplishment.”

Kelly grew up in Concord and moved to Clayton about 30 years ago and raised two sons, Jared and Cole. Professionally, she’s a certified residential appraiser. Kelly has been with her significant other, Dwight Cotten, for 10 years. “Dwight prefers hikes under 15 miles and Sunday football on the big screen TV,” Kelly says with her youthful smile.

“I’ve done several long-distance day hikes over the past 20 plus years, like Half Dome, Mt. Shasta, many Desolation Wilderness hikes and Mt. Whitney, but the most challenging for me was hiking the Grand Canyon from the North to South Rim in one day. The heat made it particularly difficult, more than the estimated 24 miles,” she says. “Mt. Diablo is still my favorite place to hike, especially during the fall and spring months. We are very fortunate to be located so close to Mt. Diablo – just a short 10-minute walk to the Regency gate.”

The Mt. Whitney hike started at the 8,500-foot level early on Friday morning, Sept. 11, and ended in time for dinner. “We covered 22 miles in one day, including a 6,000-foot elevation gain,” Kelly says.

Eraclio’s wife and Cotten stayed at the campsite, waiting to celebrate with food and beverages.

As for the future for these intrepid Clayton adventurers, Eraclio says: “I would love to do Mt. Rainier and Mt. Kilimanjaro with Joyce and Scott and Karen!”