Paul Scholz poses on top of Mt. Whitney, near the end of his 20 days on the John Muir Trail.

His wife of 30 years was none-too-pleased with his decision. His two daughters said flat out he couldn’t go, and when he went for a check-up, the doctor said he’s certifiably crazy.

But 63-year-old Paul Scholz, the managing partner of the certified public accountancy firm Onisko and Scholz in Long Beach, was in a funk. His dad’s death at age 91 hit him hard – they were very close. He felt like part of his life was gone. And on top of that, he was seeing friends with bad knees and other ailments have their lives shortened.