The three of them — Ann Marie Burke-Fogg, Judy Gosselin and Kathleen Mahoney — were soaking up the sun and sipping margaritas on the beach last summer in Ogunquit, Maine.

They had something in common besides their Merrimack Valley roots and the fact that they are first cousins.

They also were about to turn 50: Mahoney on Jan. 2, 2008, Gosselin on April 23, 2008, and Burke-Fogg on Jan. 1, 2009.

And so, at this meeting spot, they realized it was important to concoct a plan to celebrate this half-way-to-a-century life milestone together and with the proper fanfare.

"We decided we had to do something big," Mahoney said.

Somebody mentioned the French Riviera. Somebody mentioned a spa in the Midwest.

It was Gosselin, though, who threw out the biggest challenge of all: Mount Kilimanjaro.

That's right, hike up Mount Kilimanjaro. In East Africa. All 19,340 feet of it.

"You've got to be out of your mind," Burke-Fogg, a Lawrence native, shot back. "Couldn't we just go on a cruise?"

The cruise will eventually happen, but not for another 10, 20 or even 30 years, they say.

Much sooner, on Aug. 14, they will board a 24-hour flight to Tanzania, East Africa. And on Aug. 16, they will begin the six-day hike up the highest free-standing mountain in the world.

"People think we're crazy," said Burke-Fogg, who was the last of the three to officially sign on. "Well, we are. This is outside of the box for all of us."

The trio has hiked mountains before, most recently last weekend when they took on the 6,288-foot peak of Mount Washington in New Hampshire. In fact, they did it twice, first on Saturday and again on Sunday.

Kilimanjaro is different. It's more than three times higher and has several climate changes.

It also takes a week — and plenty of physical and psychological stamina.

"I didn't tell my mother about this until about six weeks ago," Burke-Fogg said. "She said, 'Don't do it!'"

That's not stopping her.

"The beauty of it is I'm turning 50 years old," Burke-Fogg added. "I don't have to listen to her any more."

Roots and rediscovery

The cousins recall occasional get-togethers as children, maybe once or twice a year for family events, but it wasn't until many years later when they met at their grandmother's funeral that they formed a close bond.

It was exactly 20 years ago that Agnes Burke of Lawrence died at age 92.

She was the mother of eight children, two boys and six girls. Among them were Burke-Fogg's father, Jack Burke; Gosselin's mother, Frances Burke-Gosselin; and Mahoney's mother, Patricia Burke-Mahoney.

Burke-Fogg, who now lives in Methuen, and Gosselin, an Andover native now living in Manchester, N.H., grew up in big families, with six and seven children respectively. Mahoney, who grew up in Stoneham and now lives in Kents Hill, Maine, was one of only two kids.

At Agnes' wake and funeral, when the three were nearing their 30th birthdays, they realized they had missed a lot of good times together. A family reunion set up by Burke-Fogg's dad in New Hampshire shortly after cemented their bond.

"Twelve of us were within six years (in age) of each other," Gosselin said. "We all had so much fun that weekend. We had a lot in common.."

And in particular, these three women discovered they had a unique connection. Over the years, happy times and hardships, too, have brought them closer together.

On Christmas Eve 1993, Burke-Fogg was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma. Her 10-month battle involved extreme fatigue and a difficult time even getting around after being "pumped" with chemotherapy.

"I would have the chemo treatments every Tuesday, and I couldn't walk until Friday," she recalled. "It was very, very difficult. But I learned a lot about myself. It gave me more strength."

It also changed her view on life.

"After that, I told myself I wouldn't be afraid of anything," she said.

Then five years ago, Mahoney's diabetic son, Will Ballard, died in his sleep due to a blood sugar attack. He was 24.

"They were amazing for me," Mahoney said of her cousins. "Ann Marie and Judy were the greatest gift that could have come out of that. We've been joined at the hip ever since."

Mahoney and Gosselin are divorced, and Burke-Fogg has been separated for six years. Only Mahoney has children: Will, who died, and Jennifer, who is 26.

They all are busy professionals who make a point of making time for each other about once a month for dinner, drinks or a hike.

Burke-Fogg is a real estate agent for Coldwell Banker in Andover. Gosselin runs her own computer forensics company, JAG & Investigating Co., in Manchester, N.H. Mahoney is a fund-raiser at Kents Hill School about 20 minutes outside of Augusta, Maine.

"We all have been successful in our own right," Burke-Fogg said. "Our jobs give us a lot to talk about. We are strong-willed."

But their careers are just fodder for conversation.

"We seem to bring out the best in each other," Burke-Fogg said. "It's laughs, laughs and laughs whether we're out for dinner, drinks or hiking a mountain ... We look forward to our get-togethers like you wouldn't believe."

Readying for the hike

Saying you are going to climb Mount Kilimanjaro is one thing. Preparing for it is another.

Because the three women don't live that close to one another, they have done a lot of individual training over the past year.

Mahoney has been an avid hiker for 20 years, mostly tackling mountains in Maine and New Hampshire.

Gosselin, also an avid hiker, had long been contemplating a hike up Mount Kilimanjaro by herself.

"You hear people that have done it say it's the biggest accomplishment of their lives," Gosselin said. "I am looking forward to saying the same thing."

Burke Fogg, despite her post-cancer vow not to allow fear to stop her from living, was the most hesitant to take on Kilimanjaro. She also had the most work to do in training.

"I was in no physical condition to do anything, never mind hike one of the biggest mountains in the world," she said. "Without saying anything to either of them, I joined Weight Watchers and quietly tried to get ready before I committed."

Since deciding to do the hike, she has been training by climbing the stairs at Lawrence Veterans Memorial Stadium at 6 a.m.

"I wear the boots and everything," said Burke-Fogg, who has lost 40 pounds since last summer.

Last weekend the three trained together on those hikes up Mount Washington. They stayed at Burke-Fogg's nearby summer home.

"We had to get together at least once before we leave, as group," Gosselin said. "It was a great weekend."

They realize the twin hikes in New Hampshire are not the same as Kilimanjaro. But they've done their planning and feel ready.

They've all visited doctors for shots and pills, which provide protection from Hepatitis B, yellow fever, malaria and typhoid fever. And by the time they return home late in August, each woman will have spent about $6,000 for airfare, hiking fees and food.

"So if we don't come back, our families won't be stuck footing the bill," Burke-Fogg joked.

They're traveling through a tour group in England and will be among 17 hikers on the six-day climbing adventure.

They will each carry about 20 to 25 pounds in their backpacks while paid helpers will carry tents and food. They will hike for five to six hours per day. On the fourth day, they will not hike in order to take a day to acclimate to the altitude.

The hardest part, though, will likely be dealing with the climate changes.

At the bottom of the mountain the weather will feel like New England summer, about 80 degrees. At the top, it will be freezing cold, probably below 0 degrees Fahrenheit, with a few feet of snow.

"My biggest fear is the cold," Mahoney said. "I hate winter. Don't ask why I live in Maine. I'm just afraid of being so cold. But I'm guessing it will be worth it."

For Burke-Fogg, the cold takes a back seat to her anxiety about hiking speed.

"We tend to walk very fast when we're together," she said. "We are going to have to take this very slow or altitude will kill us."

When they finish the climb, they've planned a four-day safari at Serengeti National Park in Tanzania.

"That is something I've always wanted to do," Gosselin said. "This really makes this a dream vacation. It's the best of everything."

While all three heard plenty about how crazy they were when talk about Mount Kilimanjaro started a year ago, friends and family members are on board as their trip gets closer.

They might even be envious.

"I didn't even realize it, but my brother told me he's wanted to hike up Kilimanjaro for a long time," Gosselin said. "He had read about it. He showed me an article about the hike in the New York Times that he had saved. It's crazy."

Recently, Burke-Fogg ran into the oncologist who treated her for cancer 15 years ago, Caritas Holy Family's Dr. Yamil Khouri. She told him about the big hike.

"He couldn't believe it. He was so happy for me," she said. "I have so much energy right now, from everyone's help and support.

"This is going to be the trip of my life. I know that," she said. "I plan on coming back a different person because of the experience."

You can e-mail Bill Burt at bburt@eagletribune.com.

Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro:

At 19,340 feet, Mount Kilimanjaro is the highest free-standing mountain (meaning not part of a mountain range) in the world.

Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro doesn't require the kind of climbing skills and gear — ice picks, ropes, helmets, and the like — that would be needed to climb Mount Everest (China) or Mount McKinley (Alaska).

Still, it is a difficult hike through intense climate changes, occasionally difficult terrain and altitude changes.

This time of year it is about 80 degrees at the base of the mountain. The higher you climb, the more temperatures fluctuate. By the time the top is reached, temperatures are about 0 degrees Fahrenheit and there are a few feet of snow.

Seasoned climbers of Kilimanjaro describe the weather conditions as being "hot in the morning and frigid at night."

Most expeditions up Kilimanjaro take between five and seven days, with typical hikers going about five to seven hours per day. Also, one day is usually set aside for rest after the halfway point so the body can acclimate to the altitude.