[naviga:font face="NimrodMT-Italic"][naviga:font face="NimrodMT-Italic"]"If you cannot understand that there is something in man which responds to the challenge of this mountain and goes [naviga:font face="NimrodMT-Italic"][naviga:font face="NimrodMT-Italic"]out to meet it, that the struggle is the struggle of life itself, [naviga:font face="NimrodMT-Italic"][naviga:font face="NimrodMT-Italic"]upward and forever upward, then you won’t see why we go.”[naviga:font face="NimrodMT-Italic"][naviga:font face="NimrodMT-Italic"]—Sir Edmund Hillary[/naviga:font][/naviga:font][/naviga:font][/naviga:font][/naviga:font][/naviga:font][/naviga:font][/naviga:font]

Tom Watkins has an eye for beauty and a passion for adventure.

The Summit Hill native who now lives in Missouri has traveled the world, photographing nature and the wonders that are found all around.

His travels have taken him to natural parks, densely populated cities and desolate locations, but even with 26 countries under his belt, Watkins' inner adventurer yearned for a new challenge - something he never thought he would do in his life.

In April 2018, he; his daughter, Jennifer; and son-in-law, Dustin, will make the trip of a lifetime, hiking into the Himalayas of Nepal to photograph Mount Everest and raise money for the Himalayan Children's Charities.

"In 2018, I turn 65 years old, and likewise, it will be 65 years since Sir (Edmund) Hillary conquered himself and climbed Everest," Watkins said, calling this adventure a celebration of life. "I wanted to celebrate the blessings bestowed on us by paying it forward, and perhaps most importantly to recognize the beauty of our planet and our cultural diversity.

"Call me crazy, but with the support and encouragement of my family I have made a commitment. This small-town coal cracker geologist intends to follow in Sir Edmund Hillary's steps by trekking a little over 30 miles in the Himalayan Mountains of Nepal to personally view and photograph Mount Everest from the Tengboche Monastery."

An adventurer is born

Watkins was born in Allentown in 1953 to Vernon Watkins of Lansford and Ann Jones of Slatington.

The family settled in a quaint home on East White Street in Summit Hill, and Watkins graduated form Panther Valley High School in 1971.

He went on to earn a Bachelor of Science in geology from Indiana University of Pennsylvania and a master's degree from Colorado State University.

Watkins was a fourth-generation miner in the Bethlehem Mines before moving westward, finally settling in Missouri.

Watkins retired from Associated Electric Cooperative, where he served in management, four years ago, and he and his wife, Fran, moved to O'Fallon, Missouri, to be near their daughter and grandchildren.

Since then, he and Fran have traveled the world, exploring 26 countries, 48 states and four continents.

"This journey will certainly be at the top of the list for highlights and bucket list items," Watkins said. "But admittedly, I also enjoyed standing on the Great Wall of China and in Red Square in Moscow."

It was during this time that his love affair with photography and hunger for adventure grew.

Tackling the mountains

Watkins first became intrigued by hiking the Himalayan Mountains through watching vlogs on YouTube from iTrek Nepal.

Shortly after, he contacted the company and the gears of planning started turning.

Watkins said iTrek Nepal is handling the logistics for the trip and arranging for guides and porters.

When the day arrives that he, Jennifer and Dustin will begin their 17-day adventure, they will fly into Kathmandu and then Lukla before beginning their hike at an elevation of 8,500 feet.

Over the next nine days, they will hike a total of 30 miles, gradually ascending to 12,650 feet to Tengboche Monastery, a place many visit in the hopes of finding tranquillity and peace as well as themselves.

Watkins has begun training for the upcoming climb, doing regular cardio and weight conditioning.

He is also currently asking those who wish to help others through his journey to donate to the Himalayan Children's Charities, which can be found at http://hccnepal.org.

Once a donation is made, he asks the donor to send him an email at pvminer@gmail.com with how much they donated.

Watkins quotes actor Denzel Washington when summarizing this trip because he feels Washington's thoughts "really touches on my overall feelings about both the blessings I've had and the purpose of the trek."

"Mr. Washington said, 'At the end of the day, it's not about what you have or even what you've accomplished. It's about what you've done with those accomplishments. It's about who you lifted up, who you've made better.'"