October 24, 2025

“Cal” Harris – A Soul of the Whites and 4,000 Footer Pioneer – by Sandy Wilbur

Calista (Crane) Harris (1902-1993) climbed her first 4000 ft. White Mountain peaks, Washington and Madison, in 1920. She would continue climbing the 4000ers until the age of 87 when she again scaled Washington. Sandy Wilbur, her son-in-law, recounts Calista’s remarkable connection with the White Mountains and outdoor life in general including a letter she left of her recollections about climbing the 48 4000 footers.