Name: Lena Schorkopf

Location: Bench at the Duxbury Window Trail viewpoint in Bolton, Vermont

Story: My boyfriend, Ben O’Hearn, and I found a SamStone while on a hike at the Duxbury Window Trail in Bolton, Vermont on June 19, 2025. We found it on the bench at the Duxbury Window viewpoint, where we stopped to catch our breath and soak in the beautiful rolling green of Vermont’s hills. This was my first time in Vermont and the wet heat of summer was kicking my ass. We sat down, found the stone, and visited the SamStone website to learn about Sam and the mission of the SamStone. We resonated deeply with his pursuit of adventure and fun, and his immense love for the outdoors, especially for snowboarding. Ben and I had just met working at a ski resort in California – Mammoth Mountain. When we stopped in Vermont, the two of us were just setting out on a road-trip together. We understood from the SamStone site that we were meant to take the stone with us to put it somewhere of our choosing. We decided that we would place it in one of our favorite locations on our trip. From the bench in Vermont, the SamStone came with us to Montreal, to Presqu’ile Provincial Park on Lake Ontario, to the Canadian side of Niagara Falls, to Warren Dunes State Park in Michigan, to Chicago, to Madison Wisconsin, to Minneapolis Minnesota, and from there our trip unexpectedly went international…to Ireland. We packed our bicycles, camping gear, and the SamStone onto the plane and set off. We spent time biking through the Irish countryside and along the grand Wild Atlantic Way on the Dingle Peninsula. We enjoyed the company of the Irish, an immensely funny and welcoming people. On July 29, 2025, we discovered a local swimming spot outside of Dublin – Sandycove Beach. We’d been bit by the swim bug during our trip and took every chance we could to jump into some water. The Atlantic that day was cold and the sun just barely peeked out, but we got our swim in regardless. We spent several hours there, enjoying the distant view of the cathedral spires, chatting with fellow beachgoers, and splashing in and out of the water. It was there we decided to place the SamStone, on a crevice in a rock ledge, just set back from the water, visible enough that the thoughtful passerby will notice and learn of Sam’s story. We were honored to have had the SamStone along with us on our journey this summer. Several times, we went back and reread his biography on your site to be reminded of his inspiring zest for life. We extend unending condolences for your loss and thank you for allowing us to have a glimpse at his wonderful spirit.