Stunning Views on 4th Annual Mt. Washington Hike
Gorgeous weather and stunning views greeted our 4th Annual Summit Mt. Washington hikers on August 22 in New Hampshire. More than 50 hikers of all ages made the 5.2 mile ascent on the Jewell Trail to the summit of the highest peak in the northeastern US.
Over the past four years, this hike has grown from a dozen hikers raising about $2,600 in 2012 to this year’s event in which more than 50 participants raised more than $11,000. We thank all the hikers and their many sponsors!
HIKE for Mental Health is an all-volunteer organization, and 100% of funds raised from the hike go mental health research and trail conservancy.
The hikers were met at the summit by hike founder Sue Twombley. She planned the first Summit Mt. Washington in 2012 and envisioned it as an annual event right from the beginning. We still give all hikers bright orange HIKE for Mental Health bandanas, another tradition which Sue originated. Thank you, Sue, for your vision and your openness in helping to overcome the stigma that too-often still accompanies mental illness.
We were also honored on this year’s hike to witness the engagement of HIKE for Mental Health Director of Hike Development Diana Pease and Paul Huffman on the sixth anniversary of their first date. Congratulations, Diana and Paul, and thank you for letting us be a part of the special moment!
..it really was a tough hike. Took me 4 1/2 hours and it was hard work the whole way. Legs were cramping. Pouring sweat. Elevated heart rate the whole way. Huffing and puffing. ….
But the experience was wonderful. Made some good friends. Saw magnificent views. And yes, we were above the clouds. Mt. Washington is an incredible place.
– Mt. Washington hiker Pat Zinna
Check out other great photos from the hike…
Group picture of hikers at the start of the hike in front of the cog railway station.
And one more time, with enthusiasm!
Thanks to Lightheart Gear, Leki, Vasque, Kelty, Point6, Princeton Tec, and ZPacks for their donations to our 2015 top hiker prize package, a collection of brand-new gear worth more than $1,000 for the hiker who raises the most from all our hikes in 2015!
I believe it was in 1951 when family friend Alan Johnson was our guide on a day hike up Mt Washington. I would have been 13 at the time, and I climbed the mountain with family members and a girl a year younger than me named Ann Gullord. we fell in love on that hike in a way our elders don’t think possible. when we summited, Ann and i climbed down and sat on a small promontory that jutted out over the headwall. we held hands there, not to steady ourselves but because we were in love, as only the young can be. our elders couldn’t see us climb down to that little rock promontory or they would have screamed bloody murder. it was incredibly dangerous, and I don’t know why Ann and I did it, bit it crowned that day for us. our feet dangled literally over perhaps 700 feet of nothing but air, I do remember being afraid we’d fall off, but we just had to do it.
this is a true recollection of our hike up Mt Washington one chilly spring (?) day in about 1951, a day when Ann and I helpd each other make it the 5 exhausting miles or so to the summit. “Ain’t young love grand?”