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6.09.10
Higher Cause
Seek The Peak challenges hikers to scale the Northeast's
tallest mountain to raise funds for a good cause.
text by
David Mills
After some four hours of steep rugged
hiking, I have reached the summit of the 5,500-foot Boot Spur on the
shoulder of Mount Washington ─ the Northeast’s highest peak at 6,288
feet. Even though it is late July, I am hiking with a full pack because
Mount Washington’s weather can be unforgiving even in summer.
Upon reaching this peak, I meet up with a half-dozen people of various
ages and backgrounds. One thing connects us all. We are among the more
than 300 hikers climbing Mount Washington for Seek the Peak, a
fundraising event for the Mount Washington Observatory ─ a
privately-funded scientific institution that continually monitors the
weather conditions on the summit and conducts important weather-related
research and educational activities.
This annual event has grown steadily from its modest beginnings. “A few
of us back in 2001 wanted to do an event that connected people more
directly to the mountain," says Scot Henley, the Executive Director of
the Mount Washington Observatory. "Through the years we had done several
big ticket fundraisers, but we wanted to do something that was more
attainable and affordable to the average person and get people up on the
mountain. The first year we raised 12,000 dollars and drew
eighty people.”
Since that time, the event has grown largely through self-promotion.
Cara Rudio, the Marketing and Communications Coordinator for the Mount
Washington Observatory, says, “The event has mostly spread by word of
mouth. Despite minimal advertising, Seek the Peak has grown steadily.
This year, 2010, will be the tenth anniversary of Seek the Peak. We are
expecting to raise over 250,000 dollars from up to 500 participants. This
amount exceeds our annual appeal (total donations and gifts) and is
equal to about half of our entire annual membership income.”
Seek the Peak has become the observatory’s largest fundraiser not only
in terms of dollars raised, but also in terms of the number of
participants. As a measure of just how popular it has become, the
observatory sent out a survey to the 343 people who participated in
2009. Of the 200 people who responded, a full 97 percent said they would
do the event again. One reason this event is so popular is that it is
about more than simply raising money. Participants must climb to the
summit as well as fund raise. One may wonder just who are these people
who are so enthusiastic about supporting the Mount Washington
Observatory? Cara Rudio responds that supporters include
weather enthusiasts, hikers and climbers, scientists, photographers, and
those who have moved away and wish to reconnect with the White Mountain
region.
One of the great aspects of the event is that hikers only need to raise
$100 to participate. As a thank you, the observatory provides goodie
bags to each participant. They included, among other things, maps of the
Presidential Range and recent copies of the observatory’s magazine
Windswept. The accessibility of this event to people of average means
may well be one reason for Seek the Peak’s success over the years. One
does not have to raise large amounts of money to participate. It is
simply a matter of being a hiker who loves Mount Washington and values
the work of the Mount Washington Observatory.
Perhaps the best way to discover the value and fun of this event is to
talk to those who have already participated. Kevin Talbot of Kingston,
New Hampshire, has been climbing Mount Washington for Seek the Peak with
his wife Judy and dog Emma since the event’s second year. He values the
friendships he has gained along the way and the work of the observatory
in providing free on-line weather reports and forecasts for the higher
summits of the White Mountains. Of the event he says, “The annual Seek
the Peak event has become a pilgrimage for us. We have raised several
thousand dollars over the years . . . It is our way of giving back to an
organization which has given us so much and needs our support to stay in
existence.”
Other hikers, such as Mark Truman of Rhode Island, have been more
recently introduced to Mount Washington. He discovered the Mount
Washington online forum community and Seek the Peak in 2008. Once he got
involved in the community and read about past events, he was hooked.
Simply climbing the mountain and the camaraderie of fellow hikers was
enough to get him and his wife involved. “In the process of figuring out
how to solicit pledges, I found out a lot more about the Observatory and
its mission, and I really liked what I found," says Mark. "I had no idea
that this organization was doing so many good and important things. This
was the point that I first got an individual observatory membership as
well. It seemed hypocritical to ask people to pledge to an organization
that we weren't supporting ourselves. That year we raised about 500
dollars for Seek the Peak.”
I first participated in the event in 2009 and found it both rewarding
and stimulating. It kicked off Friday night at the Eastern Slope Inn,
North Conway, New Hampshire. Hundreds of people filed through on Friday evening to
drop off last minute pledges, collect goodie bags and souvenirs, enjoy
some free hors d’oeuvres and interact with members of the observatory
staff. There were so many participants, that the Appalachian Mountain
Club’s (AMC) Joe Doge Lodge in Pinkham Notch was completely full for the
weekend--something of a rarity for the AMC’s largest lodging facility.
Those of us who did not register in time had a choice of nearby hotels
and camp grounds.
The main event, the Mount Washington climb, started at 7 a.m. Saturday
at the AMC Joe Dodge Lodge where most hikers started from, though they
could scale the mountain via any route they wished. Irrespective of
one’s route, a full day of hiking over rugged terrain, and an extended
period of time above the tree line, was involved. High winds, sub
freezing temperatures and even snow have been observed on the summit
every month of the year. During the winter months, the summit regularly
sees winds greater than hurricane force. Therefore, hikers need to be
prepared for all conditions. This is both one of the draws and one of
the very real hazards. Exposure on the mountain can be lethal.
During the climb, one meets plenty of other hikers and while there are
days where one can climb in relative solitude, the day of Seek the Peak
is not one of them. Even if you start up the mountain alone, you are not
likely to stay that way for long. The camaraderie available in Seek the
Peak is almost unequaled with participants coming from all different
backgrounds, and hailing from through out the northeast and beyond.
A particularly educational and rewarding aspect of the event was the
free tour of the staff research facilities and living quarters, a
portion of the summit building closed to the general public.
As this event is more than a mere climb of the Northeast’s highest peak,
the festivities do not end when the hike is complete. Once hikers reach
the bottom there is a large all-you-can-eat buffet dinner and live music
held at the base of the Mount Washington auto road which, like the rest
of the event, is free to the hikers. At the dinner, thousands of dollars
worth of prizes were raffled off, and the more money raised, the better
the prizes became. Those who raised 250 dollars or more in 2009 were
entered into a drawing for an over night educational stay on the summit
of Mount Washington. Entrants who raised over $5,000 were also entered
into a drawing for prizes that included an outfitted fishing trip, an
over night stay on the summit for the hiker and five friends to the
grand prize which included a complete Kayak package for two. While
winning any of these prizes is a matter of luck, they do give the hikers
added incentive to increase their fund raising goals.
This event is justifiably considered the premier hiking event in New
England. Few events even come close to providing the community
atmosphere, excitement, and high mountain pleasures as does Seek the
Peak. It offers something for everyone, and few fundraising events are
as accessible to the average person while raising so much money for a
good cause.
Ж
.JPG) David
Mills has hiked throughout New England, as well as in the Alps
and Rocky Mountains. He has a degree in Environmental Studies and is a
student member of the Outdoor Writers Association of America. He lives
in Concord, New Hampshire. |
