May 28 is the start of birthday season in the Cohn family. This was the date, in 1992, when Samuel Mariano Cohn, the family's middle son, was born. "Birthday season" is what his mother, Diane Mariano, calls this time of year. Next up is the birthday of Gabe Cohn, who will turn 22 on June 9. The oldest Cohn son, Max, was born on June 17, 1988. He's almost 29. When each Cohn baby was born, their father, John Cohn, made a big banner from sailcloth to announce the birth. He hung each celebratory sign from the 65-foot-high bell tower of the family's home in Jonesville, a big converted schoolhouse. The signs read, in turn: Meet Max. See Sam. Greet Gabe. This past Sunday, family and friends gathered to honor and remember Sam, who died at age 14 in a traffic accident. He would have been 25. Twice a year since his death — on Sam's birthday and on the November day when he died — the Cohns hike up Bolton Mountain. "I think we connect with Sam outside more," Mariano said. "And we needed to go climb the mountain he loved." Sixteen people and eight dogs took that Sunday hike. The group included Sam's brother Gabe and childhood friends who are now young men. Sam's grandmother, 83-year-old Judy Cohn, traveled from the Boston suburbs for the occasion. "Since Sam died, John and Diane have done everything they possibly can to keep his spirit alive," Judy said. "And they have. They took a lovely little 14-year-old and kept his spirit going." This was the 19th hike for Sam on Bolton Mountain, where the family has trekked in deep snow in November and in May's warm spring sunshine. Though it was Memorial Day weekend, Gabe spotted a patch of snow on the mountain and scooped up a handful to make a snowball. He remembered the time Sam kept him company, and made him laugh, when he broke his wrist snowboarding at Bolton Valley. Gabe shrugged off the mishap, noting that he got his first stitches at age 2 — the result of going down a slide headfirst. "I think I'm at 68 stitches," he said. "It's only been that style since." Gabe and Silas Wells, who was a friend of Sam's, talked on the hike about the band in which Sam played drums, Black Night Vengeance. Sam, who…
May 28 is the start of birthday season in the Cohn family. This was the date, in 1992, when Samuel Mariano Cohn, the family's middle son, was born. "Birthday season" is what his mother, Diane Mariano, calls this time of year. Next up is the birthday of Gabe Cohn, who will turn 22 on June 9. The oldest Cohn son, Max, was born on June 17, 1988. He's almost 29. When each Cohn baby was born, their father, John Cohn, made a big banner from sailcloth to announce the birth. He hung each celebratory sign from the 65-foot-high bell tower of the family's home in Jonesville, a big converted schoolhouse. The signs read, in turn: Meet Max. See Sam. Greet Gabe. This past Sunday, family and friends gathered to honor and remember Sam, who died at age 14 in a traffic accident. He would have been 25. Twice a year since his death — on Sam's birthday and on the November day when he died — the Cohns hike up Bolton Mountain. "I think we connect with Sam outside more," Mariano said. "And we needed to go climb the mountain he loved." Sixteen people and eight dogs took that Sunday hike. The group included Sam's brother Gabe and childhood friends who are now young men. Sam's grandmother, 83-year-old Judy Cohn, traveled from the Boston suburbs for the occasion. "Since Sam died, John and Diane have done everything they possibly can to keep his spirit alive," Judy said. "And they have. They took a lovely little 14-year-old and kept his spirit going." This was the 19th hike for Sam on Bolton Mountain, where the family has trekked in deep snow in November and in May's warm spring sunshine. Though it was Memorial Day weekend, Gabe spotted a patch of snow on the mountain and scooped up a handful to make a snowball. He remembered the time Sam kept him company, and made him laugh, when he broke his wrist snowboarding at Bolton Valley. Gabe shrugged off the mishap, noting that he got his first stitches at age 2 — the result of going down a slide headfirst. "I think I'm at 68 stitches," he said. "It's only been that style since." Gabe and Silas Wells, who was a friend of Sam's, talked on the hike about the band in which Sam played drums, Black Night Vengeance. Sam, who…