26th Annual Seek the Peak Recap

By Drew Bush

We’ve had another incredibly successful Seek the Peak event this past July. Mount Washington Observatory’s 26th Annual Seek the Peak soared past its goal of $260,000, raising more than $293,000 thanks to the tireless efforts of 592 hikers. An inspiring 242 hikers joined us for the first time.

We couldn’t be more grateful to everyone who took part for helping us to accomplish this incredible outcome. Your efforts mean we can work every day to provide insight into extreme weather, communicate this science in a manner that keeps millions of listeners safe, and educate young children to help inspire the next generation to do the same.

A particularly large thanks goes to all of our incredible volunteers who make this event possible each year, with some having been part of Seek the Peak for multiple decades, and these days feeling more like family than anything else.

This Seek the Peak also featured a wonderful ceremony. For the first time in almost twenty years, we gave our Barbara and Brad Washburn Award to internationally acclaimed mountain climber Rick Wilcox. The award, celebrating meaningful contributions to both the Observatory and the broader community it serves, was presented for the first time since honoring its namesake nearly two decades ago. Read more in this InDepthNH story.

You can find a full recording of this ceremony and the footage of our entire hiker awards in the following video that’s also found on our YouTube channel.

Each year, words feel inadequate at capturing the energy at our Après Hike Celebration. This past July 18 was no different, particularly after relocating to Wildcat Mountain Resort as our new home. Participants each received vouchers to ride the Wildcat Express Chairlift, and the whole night was filled with laughter, stories, and celebration. We are grateful for the smoothness with which Wildcat’s staff made all of this fun possible, even despite some off-and-on-again inclement weather.

We particularly celebrated a few of our incredibly generous and motivated teams and individual fundraisers. Their hard efforts make our work in weather science, research, education, and technology possible as we strive to serve as a true international resource in weather and climate science learning.

A recap of the highlights:

• The Top Fundraising Team was Fire on the Mountain, led by captain Ryan Shepard, raising $16,258.77.
• The Nichols Clan, led by captain Chris Nichols, won Top Student and Family Fundraising Team, raising $14,342.46.
• Ann Dodge Team, led by captain Peter Middleton, won Top Business Fundraising Team, raising $6,712.50.
• The Top Four Individual Fundraisers this year were Sandy Kurtz, who raised $15,031.50; Chris Nichols, who raised $13,649.46; Lee Eckhart, who raised $6,288; and Rob Kirsch, who raised $5,241.41.
• Gaining special recognition for the Most Individual Gifts were Gail Costello and Johanna Vienneau.

A shout out, as well, to our presenting sponsors: Eastern Mountain Sports, Helly Hansen, Arc’Teryx, Wildcat Mountain Resort, and Martini Northern Construction.