Youth on a trip organized by an Educators Outdoors-trained leader at the Ecology Village in Floyd Bennet Field, Brooklyn, New York.

On the sixth floor of the Appalachian Mountain Club’s headquarters in Boston is a treasure trove of gear. But it’s not for most AMC members. Nor is it even for AMC staff. It’s for teachers and youth leaders. 

Since 1968 Educators Outdoors (EO) has been the Appalachian Mountain Club’s outdoor education, professional development, and social justice program. What started as a training session for educators in Roxbury, Massachusetts has grown into a support model for over 400 educators per year, engaging thousands of young people with outdoor experiences. The program primarily serves communities of color and lower-income communities around New York City and the greater Boston area, groups that remain underrepresented in outdoor recreation. 

Grandy Organics is proud to partner with AMC to sponsor these incredible outdoor leadership programs for youth. We wholeheartedly believe that everyone should be able to access the outdoors and spend time enjoying what this beautiful planet has to offer. The more people we get outside, the more people appreciate the planet and ultimately work to protect it. We all win. 

A 1975 Outdoor Leadership Training at AMC Cardigan Lodge.

Training the Trainer 

At the heart of Educators Outdoors’s work is a unique “train the trainer” approach. 

AMC believes that youth outdoor experiences are most effective when led by people who know their participants the best: teachers and youth agency staff. AMC gives these youth development professionals the experience and resources they need to confidently lead trips.  

“We’re not going into the community and saying ‘we’re gonna take your kids out.’ Rather, we’re going into the community and looking for folks who are interested in getting [young people closer to nature] with the support of the AMC,” says Sebastien Venuat, Director of Educators Outdoors.  

It all begins with multi-day Outdoor Leadership Trainings, which take place throughout the year. These experiential trainings focus on the essentials: technical skills in camping and hiking, risk management, and outdoor leadership. But they remain loose. Every idea about how to get young people outdoors is on the table. 

“During the workshop, there is a lot of time where we just brainstorm. What will it look like for you and your young people [to get outdoors]? Does it include a hike? Or is it just a walk? Does it include actually setting up a campsite with a tent?” says Venuat.  

An Outdoor Leadership Training at AMC’s Mohican Outdoor Center in Blairstown, New Jersey. Venuat is third from right.

Thinking outside the box about what an outdoor experience can mean is especially important given the limited transportation to “wild” spaces that many leaders and youth face. A June 2023 Camping Outdoor Leadership Training, for example, included multiple participants with backgrounds in gardening and composting. This led to a larger discussion about gardening as a potential outdoor adventure. 

While workshops may change to suit the needs of educators, the goal is always to empower them to lead confidently and help their young people form a deep and lasting relationship with the outdoors.

Trip Support Coordinator Zoe Hecht at AMC’s Boston gear lending library.

Providing for the Community  

AMC’s support for educators doesn’t end with a training. The barriers faced by many youth leaders and their communities go beyond outdoor education and include transportation, time, and expensive gear. To help address these issues, AMC offers a full continuum of services once EO-trained educators are ready to take their kids on trips. This includes:  

• Free use of outdoor equipment and gear from eight AMC gear lending libraries; 
• Advanced skills workshops on topics including canoeing, winter hiking, backpacking, biking, and more; 
• Trip-planning assistance;  
• Mini-grants, training scholarships, and subsidized stays at AMC facilities;  
• Continued access to the EO support network. 

At AMC’s Boston headquarters, AMC Trip Support Coordinator Zoe Hecht sorts through sleeping bags and other camping gear, preparing for a school group. EO-trained educators request the gear they need for a trip two to three weeks in advance. Hecht and other AMC staff members handle logistics from there. 

The gear lending library includes more than just basic camping and backpacking gear. There are warm coats and hiking boots. Snowshoes and cross-country skis. Cookware of all kinds. One corner even boasts a small collection of sleds. This array of gear gives educators options for what kinds of programming they can offer. It’s another example of EO’s trust in its trained educators to know what their young people need.  

“They’re all amazing leaders within their communities. They know their kids, they know their youth development goals,” says Venuat. 

The Appalachian Mountain Club believes the outdoors should be accessible to everyone, regardless of race and income. When young people get the chance to be outdoors, it opens their horizons. Educators Outdoors is a manifestation of this belief. The program not only helps youth have fun outside, it elevates underrepresented voices in the next generation of outdoor recreation. It’s an investment that matters, and we at Grandy are happy to help.

The post The Impact of Educators Outdoors appeared first on Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC).

Courtesy of the Mount Washington Observatory Library.

April 11, 1934: It was relatively warm on the summit of Mount Washington. Below freezing, but not by much. But more comfortable temperatures were not a reason for relief for the staff of the Mount Washington Observatory. Two walls of the observatory building were caked in ice nearly a foot deep and the wind was picking up. The observers decided to stay up in shifts that night, taking measurements with a radio to an anemometer (a special device for measuring wind speed) and a stopwatch. 

“There was big weather out there, and the instruments would need tending,” wrote William Lowell Putnam in his history of the Observatory, The Worst Weather on Earth. 

The wind picked up all night. By mid-day on April 12, Observatory staff were recording gusts of more than 200 miles–per hour. Then it happened.  

231 miles–per hour. A world record for the highest wind speed ever recorded to date. Still the highest wind speed ever witnessed in person. 

Capturing the measurement was a major scientific achievement for the fledging Mount Washington Observatory, then just eighteen months old. But it was also a victory for the Appalachian Mountain Club and its Huts Manager, Joe Dodge. Dodge was a life-long advocate for scientific research on New England’s highest peak and a co-founder of the observatory. All the men on the summit that day had been AMC employees at one time. 

Today the Appalachian Mountain Club and the Mount Washington Observatory’s work and missions remain entwined. AMC’s backcountry huts in the White Mountains depend on forecasts from the observatory to prepare staff and guests for the day’s adventures. Scientists from the two organizations frequently collaborate to study the impacts of climate change on our region. 

Courtesy of the Mount Washington Observatory Library.

The Beginnings 

As long as people have been living near Mount Washington, they’ve been in awe of its wild, unpredictable weather.  

The Abenaki name for the mountain is Agiocochook, which can be translated as “Mother Goddess of the Storm.” In the winter of 1870, Dartmouth College professor Charles H. Hitchcock and a small team built a temporary weather station in a railroad building, sharing reports via telegraph. The next year the U.S. Army Signal Service established a full-time weather station on the summit of Mount Washington. But when the government closed the project in 1892, the high peaks of the White Mountains were without consistent meteorological data for almost 40 years. 

Until AMC Huts Manager Joe Dodge came along. 

“Often, folks that have some knowledge of Joe think of him as just a long-time AMC huts manager. But he also had a very strong technical streak and scientific streak,” said Dr. Peter Crane, Mount Washington Observatory Curator. 

Crane’s workplace, the Mount Washington Observatory’s Gladys Brooks Memorial Library in North Conway, New Hampshire, is filled with reminders of Dodge’s legacy: letters from Dodge to friends and donors, made out on both AMC and Observatory letterhead. Studious notes on the newest innovations in radio, a lifelong passion of his that would play a role in his co-founding a weather observatory. 

Dr. Peter Crane in the Mount Washington Observatory Gladys Brooks Memorial Library, North Conway, New Hampshire. Photo by Matt Morris.

Joe Dodge was enamored with radio as a teen, even building his own amateur setup. When the U.S. entered World War I, he dropped out of high school and worked as a radio operator on a naval submarine. A few years after returning home, he moved to New Hampshire’s North Country and found work as the hutmaster at AMC Pinkham Notch Lodge. Today it’s called Joe Dodge Lodge. 

Dodge soon saw the impact of the White Mountains’ volatile weather – and what it could mean to understand and predict it. In 1927, after historic flooding in New England, he worked with a Dartmouth College professor to set up precipitation recording at AMC’s backcountry huts. He then became a U.S. Weather Bureau official observer for the area. 

Dodge made another Dartmouth connection around this time, future Observatory co-founder Bob Monahan. Monahan was just a college sophomore when he organized a Christmas break trip to take weather data on the summit of Mount Washington. He met Dodge passing through Pinkham Notch, and the two bonded over a shared desire to rebuild a year-round weather station on the mountain. 

“[They] decided that that example given by the 19th century weather observers was too good to pass up. They talked about reinstalling or reoccupying Mount Washington,” said Crane. 

Scientific funding during the Great Depression was hard to come by, but the pair found a way. In 1932 Dodge gave a presentation on the potential of an observatory at a meeting of the New Hampshire Academy of Science. His talk impressed Academy President James W. Goldthwait so much that the organization decided to make a major donation. 

“[The Academy of Science] figured out how much they would need for their basic operations for another year. They set that money aside and everything else in the treasury was given to Joe Dodge for starting up the observatory,” said Crane. 

Just like that, the Mount Washington Observatory was on its way to becoming a reality. 

From left: McKenzie, Monahan, Dodge, Pagliuca. Courtesy of the Mount Washington Observatory Library.

The Early Observatory 

With funding secured, Dodge and Monahan set to work turning a seasonal office building on the summit (courtesy of the Mount Washington Summit Road Company) into a modern scientific station that could withstand inhospitable conditions. In written reflection on this time, Observatory mainstay Alex McKenzie remembered days of hard work, surrounded by friends from across the AMC hut system: 

After the storm windows had been placed, the chains over the roof tightened, and all the work of making the place livable had been finished, we were free to start making our Observatory, installing instruments, wiring the house for electricity, building and setting up radio equipment. Joe had enlisted Itchy Mills… Ralph Batchelder, mule skinner and hutmaster par excellence, and Wen Stephenson, prospective hermit of Carter Notch, to help the Observatory crew at the start. 

When construction was completed, a small crew hunkered down for the Mount Washington Observatory’s inaugural winter. Each had previously worked for the Appalachian Mountain Club. Monahan stayed on the summit full-time while Dodge split his duties between the Observatory and Pinkham Notch. Joining them was Galehead Hutmaster Salvatore Pagliuca and backcountry skiing pioneer Albert Fleetford Sise. McKenzie replaced Sise later that year. 

Winter on the mountain was challenging. Trips halfway down the mountain for supplies could involve high winds and limited visibility. Most observatory staff only took five days off a month, and contact with the outside world was limited to the radio and occasional visitors. 

“At the moment our last remaining friend had disappeared into the fog, we became men rather than boys,” recalled McKenzie. 

But there were moments of joy. In Worst Weather on Earth, Putnam recounts a visit from Joe Dodge’s wife, Cherstine, carrying a batch of oatmeal cookies that “disappeared like magic.” The crew were kept company by a “monumentally unhousebroken” dog and a cat. While, supposedly, no one was excited to have the cat there, the tradition of the observatory cat continues to this day. By 1934 eight cats were living on the summit.  

What attracted those early crews to the summit of Mount Washington? Conditions were tough and isolation near constant. Observers served on a volunteer basis, only receiving room and board. While the pay is much improved, the draw of working on New England’s highest peaks, whether as a meteorologist or AMC Hut Croo, remains the same for many: adventure and the comradery that comes with living in an environment unlike any other. 

Courtesy of the Mount Washington Observatory Library.

Keeping the Backcountry Safe 

With the tradition established by its founding staff and worldwide publicity after measuring a world record wind, the Mount Washington Observatory continued to grow. Staff moved from their borrowed office to a new facility and began a partnership with the U.S. Weather Bureau. They also integrated Joe Dodge’s first love, the radio, into their work. The results were pivotal not just for science, but for the outdoor recreation culture Dodge and the AMC were creating in the White Mountains. 

“Reports about ski conditions and the weather forecasts were in part for safety reasons and part to encourage tourism… From a commercial angle for Joe [Dodge], he wanted to have a successful winter. He wanted skiers who came all the way up from Boston,” said Crane. 

From the start Dodge and Alex McKenzie, a skilled radio technician in his own right, intended for the Observatory to share their weather reporting with the world. They began broadcasting their forecasts to the Blue Hill Observatory down in Milton, Massachusetts. From there, reports were shared with the U.S. Weather Bureau’s Boston Office and sent to a broadcast in Washington D.C., according to an article by McKenzie in the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society. The pair also found an important use for the radio closer to home. 

In 1933 a young hiker named Simon Joseph went missing in cloudy conditions on his way to AMC Lakes of the Clouds Hut. To aid the search, Observatory staff sent the hut’s Croo a newfangled device they’d built over the winter – a twenty-pound portable radio system. While Joseph’s body was unfortunately found too late, the impact of using radio to coordinate a search did not go unnoticed. According to author Nicholas Howe in his book Not Without Peril, the effort had global implications for how rescues are carried out.  

Alex McKenzie works the Observatory radio. Courtesy of the Mount Washington Observatory Library.

“The AMC was so impressed by reports of the Joseph episode that their high-elevation huts – Lakes, Madison, and Greenleaf – were equipped with portable two-way radios… Word spread, and by 1938 the Swiss were equipping their mountain refuges with thirty-pound portables.”

Perhaps more important than the searches the radio system aided are all the missions that never happened because radio communication between huts and the Observatory kept hikers informed about changing weather patterns. 

Aside from improvements, it’s generally the same system both organizations use today. 

Each morning at 7am sharp, hut Croos tune their radios to the Observatory’s daily forecast. Croos share these reports with their guests at breakfast and write them down for passing hikers to see. In a place where phones quickly lose battery and cell service is limited, radio reports give hikers the information they need to make smart decisions. 

Understanding Climate Change 

The Mount Washington Observatory doesn’t just collect its data for the daily weather forecast. Reports are stored for posterity, creating a reliable, consistent scientific record almost a century-long. Data sets like these are rare, especially in the backcountry. Between the Observatory and AMC’s 90 years of weather reporting at nearby Pinkham Notch, the Mount Washington area is fortunate to have two such records. By sharing their resources, scientists from the two organizations have taken advantage of a unique opportunity to understand the fragile environments they steward. 

Observers using a weather balloon in the 1930s. Historic data helps today’s scientists understand climate change in the region. Courtesy of the Mount Washington Observatory Library.

In 2021 AMC Staff Scientist Georgia Murray published a study utilizing Observatory and Pinkham Notch data focused on temperatures and snowfall on Mount Washington from 1917 to the present. Murray found that New England’s highest peak, once relatively insulated from the impacts of climate change, is now warming at a statistically significant rate. Since 1917 the mountain has seen 20 fewer “frost days,” or days where the temperature is below freezing. Snowpack is declining, and the growing season for plants is getting longer. 

Much of that change has been in the last 20 years. 

“Our paper found that for the first time, the summit is tipping to what we call significantly warming,” said Murray, speaking to WMUR. 

The founders of the Mount Washington Observatory may not have had climate change on their minds, but their measurements have proved instrumental to our understanding of its effects in the Northeast.  

“Since 1932, Mount Washington Observatory has built one of only a few high-altitude, long-term records of weather and climate worldwide. This record provides huge benefits to scientific research, including our own climate studies, grant-funded projects, partnerships with universities, and product testing,” says Observatory Executive Director Drew Bush.  

Research like Murray’s informs policymakers and the public about the real, immediate, and close-to-home impact of climate change. Without the longstanding scientific relationship between AMC and the Mount Washington Observatory, a big piece of the report would have been missing. 

“Our missions are different, but the passion is the same… We couldn’t do this climate work without what they’re doing up there,” says Murray. 

The Mount Washington Observatory in the 21st century. Photo by Kristina Folcik, AMC Photo Contest.

Staying in Touch 

From shared staff and research grants to radio calls and rescues, it’s impossible to tell the history of AMC without the Mount Washington Observatory, and vice versa. Peter Crane, the Mount Washington Observatory Curator, doesn’t just record this history. He’s lived it. Before working at the Observatory, he was a ten-year AMC veteran, starting as a caretaker in Carter Notch Hut in 1978. In a 2006 article from the Hut Croo’s alumni association, the OHA, Crane says the skills he learned in his decade with AMC, from understanding the alpine environment to living in isolation, prepared him for his new job on the summit. In many ways, it’s a metaphor for the relationship between the two organizations. 

“The trend is toward working more closely with some of the things that both organizations have been involved in for many, many decades. Hiker safety and hiker awareness. Protection of the environment. Climate awareness… It’s a big mountain, and there’s plenty of room for many organizations that are working for better experiences for the public and for the environment.” 

Nothing is safe from the passage of time, even in the seemingly constant mountains. Observatory staff (and beloved “Obs” cats) come and go. The Pinkham Notch outpost that Joe Dodge helped turn into the center of White Mountain recreation is now named in his memory. Weather patterns shift and temperatures rise. But the partnership between AMC and the Mount Washington Observatory remains strong. 

“It’s great that we’ve stayed in touch for 90 years,” says Crane. 

The post The Shared History of AMC and the Mount Washington Observatory appeared first on Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC).

AMC Gorman Chairback Lodge and Cabins, Maine. Photo by Cait Bourgault.

Whether it’s holidays, birthdays, or other special events, gathering and spending time with loved ones is always a joyous occasion. 

But it can often feel like our celebrations lend themselves to waste: disposable plates and cups, wrapping paper used just once before it’s thrown away, so much food that it can’t all be eaten. U.S. households throw away 25% more trash between Thanksgiving and New Year’s than other times of the year: over 1 million extra tons of garbage, mostly packaging. How can we celebrate while lessening our environmental impact?   

Read on to learn AMC’s top tips for honoring the special things in life sustainably.  

Rethink Gifts  

Giving gifts is a way we express our love or pride in someone. But, too often, we throw away items we don’t want or need, contributing to the growing issue of waste on our planet. Instead of giving a new item, consider one of the following:   

• Exchange an experience: Experiences can range from overnight stays at a new place to cooking classes, depending on the person’s interests. Or gift your own time trying something new or doing a favorite activity together. AMC has a range of destinations and guided adventures for you to try! 

• Find secondhand presents: Whether it’s at a thrift shop or online marketplace, look for like-new items that already exist.

• Make a gift: Are you a painter? A knitter? Even if you don’t consider yourself “crafty,” you can still make a collage or photo album or bake something like cookies. Using your skills to create something offers the opportunity for a meaningful, one-of-a-kind present. Bonus points if the craft materials come from a secondhand shop! 

Sustainable gift wrapping paper. Photo by Gabriella Gurney.

Put Away the Packaging

You’re probably used to wrapping your gifts in colorful paper or plastic. It’s a fun tradition, but it can be wasteful. Instead of new wrapping paper, consider: 

• Making your own: Old magazine pages, newspaper, or brown paper can be repurposed into unique gift wraps. Try taping them together to make large sheets and adding stamps or drawings to elevate plain paper.  
• Using part of the gift: wrap items in a colorful dish towel or blanket, making the packaging part of the gift itself.   
• Re-using what you have: Save and reuse bags and boxes instead of buying them. If they’re not ripped, torn, or otherwise marked, they’re as good as new!  

DIY Decorations  

We often buy specific decorations for special occasions, but this can pack a wasteful punch when the event is over. Many decorations are plastic or plastic-based, which has a serious impact. According to the National Resource Defense Council, we produce 300 million tons of plastic each year, and 91% of all plastic is never recycled. 

• Look to the thrifts: Instead of buying new decorations from the store, try finding them secondhand. Thrift stores and online pages often have like-new decorations looking for a new home, available at a lower cost and without the environmental impact of purchasing something new.  
• DIY: If you’re feeling creative, try making your own decorations. There are plenty of crafty DIY options, like a cheery garland made out of dried orange slices or streamers from pieces of cloth. Many DIYs can be made with natural or secondhand materials, reducing their environmental impact. Plus they add a personal touch!  

AMC International Dinner at Joe Dodge Lodge, Pinkham Notch, New Hampshire. Photo by Corey David Photography.

Dinner Decisions 

One of the best parts of any party is the food! Thinking about what we eat and how we eat it helps us celebrate more sustainably.  

• Go plant-based: Try vegetarian or vegan snacks, sides, or even a main dish over a traditional roast or steak. Studies show that eating less meat and dairy significantly lowers our carbon footprint, with vegan diets emitting 75% less greenhouse gases than meat-eaters. Trying new foods can be a fun experience, and plant-based swaps are easier than you realize. Don’t know where to start? Our Real Trail Meals cookbook has plenty of vegetarian and vegan options and ideas. 
• Re-use: Opt for reusable plates, cups, cutlery, and napkins over single-use disposables, which end up in oceans or landfills.  
• Think ahead: A whopping 70 billion pounds of food is sent to the landfill every year, so thinking ahead is imperative to avoid food waste. Try adjusting recipes to limit leftovers and cater to your guest number. You can then freeze extra food or send home leftovers with guests. Planning for extras can help to reduce food waste.  

AMC Harriman Outdoor Center, Harriman State Park, New York. Photo by Dan Klempa.

Dress to Impress 

When we celebrate, we want to do so in style. Too often, we buy clothes for a party or event only to wear them once. There are a few ways to celebrate in sustainable style.   

• Outfit repeat: It’s ok to wear the same thing to more than one event! Using what we already have is always the most sustainable option. You can also try to “upcycle” what you have, which means mending, altering, or adding to your clothes to give them a style facelift.  
• Borrow or swap: If you have a friend or family member who’s the same size as you, look for something appropriate for your event in their closet. Borrow from them, or trade some of your items for it!  
• Rent or thrift: If you don’t have something you need, try a thrift or consignment shop, or look online. Renting is an especially great option for formal wear, which doesn’t get used very often. 
• If you buy, buy with intent: Sometimes we can’t find any secondhand alternatives. If you need to buy clothing for an event, aim for timeless items. Ideally, the garment is something you’ll wear for multiple occasions, in a classic style that will stand the test of time.  

Celebrating special events doesn’t have to mean buying new things or creating excess waste. With just a few extra considerations, all our events can be more environmentally friendly. 

The post AMC’s Guide for Celebrating Sustainably appeared first on Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC).

Inspired by our popular fall foliage tracker, we’re providing snow depth reports from AMC locations in Maine and New Hampshire (a snow-liage tracker, if you will).

Check back weekly for the information you need to start planning your next winter adventure. Whether you’re looking for a family getaway or guided exploration of the backcountry, there’s an AMC destination for you.

Last Updated: December 27, 2023

New Hampshire

AMC Highland Center: 0”
Joe Dodge Lodge: 0”
Cardigan Lodge: 0”
Zealand Fall Hut: 0”
Carter Notch Hut: 2”
Lonesome Lake Hut: 0”

Maine

Stay tuned for January 11th, when AMC’s Maine destinations open for the winter.

The post AMC’s Winter Snow Report appeared first on Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC).

Each category in the contest speaks to something we love about the outdoors. Land, Waters, and Wildlife for images of the environments we love and strive to protect. Outdoor Adventure for shots of outdoor recreation in action. Outdoors Close to Home for the photos that remind us that it doesn’t take an expensive trip to a remote location to enjoy the natural world. 

Wherever these photographers were, their images brought us along for the ride. From an icy river on a winter’s day to a beach during a hurricane. From New England’s highest peak to a small park outside a city. Each tells a story about a special place, whether animals on the prowl or humans taking solace in nature. 

So come see the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic through a new lens. The AMC Photo Contest 2023 winners have arrived. 

Grand Prize | “December Paddling” by Will Adamczak 

Location: Schroon River, Chester, New York 

Why We Loved It: In a year of incredible submissions, this one stood out. In the photo’s spare composition, we saw a lot: A lone individual taking on the elements, the beauty of ice forming. The contrast of white snow on dark waters, and the contrast of a bright coat with the natural surroundings. Through Adamczak’s lens, a winter paddle on a river in upstate New York becomes an epic adventure. 

Conservation Award | “Second Roach Pond” by Peter Shaw 

Location: Second Roach Pond, Medawisla Lodge and Cabins, Maine Woods, Maine 

Why We Loved It: Seeing a truly dark night sky is as simple as a trip to AMC’s Maine Woods International Dark Sky Park. Capturing it with a camera is a whole lot harder. Photographer Peter Shaw had long been fascinated by night sky photography, taking shots across New England. After a Dark Sky event at AMC Medawisla Lodge and Cabins, Shaw and astronomer John Meader set up their cameras on the banks of Second Roach Pond. The result transports us right to their side.   

Outdoor Adventure 

1st Prize, Outdoor Adventure | “Summit in the Valley” by Mike Censullo 

Location: Franconia Notch, White Mountain National Forest, New Hampshire 

Why We Loved It: This photo is an encapsulation of everything we love about our outdoor community. On a fall hike, Mike Censullo photographed two climbers summiting The Eaglet, along Franconia Ridge in the White Mountains. Censullo was ultimately able to share his work with his subjects, and a new friendship was born. The photo that brought them together is a stunning representation of both the climbers’ feat and their smallness against the backdrop of the mountains. 

2nd Prize, Outdoor Adventure | “The Surfer of Hurricane Lee” by Garrick Hoffman 

Location: Higgins Beach, Scarborough, Maine 

Why We Loved It: It’s no secret we love a good surfing shot. On the morning of Hurricane Lee, photographer Garrick Hoffman hit the beach with some friends to watch the waves. He also saw surfers taking advantage of big winds and rolling waters. The resulting photo shows that interplay between ocean and sky. Don’t try this at home! 

3rd Prize, Outdoor Adventure | “White Out on White Cap” by Eric Ward 

Location: White Cap Mountain, Maine Woods, Maine 

Why We Loved It: At first glance, it’s hard to tell if this photo was taken in black and white or color. What could have been austere instead feels joyful. You can feel the crispness of the cold air, and the excitement that surrounds the best winter outings. 

Lands, Waters, and Wildlife 

1st Prize, Lands, Waters, and Wildlife | “Fireworks under Lakes of the Clouds” by James Carlson 

Location: AMC Lakes of the Clouds Hut, White Mountain National Forest, New Hampshire 

Why We Loved It: Our judges enjoyed the contrast between the serenity of the White Mountains’ highest peak with a raucous Memorial Day celebration down in the valley. We’ve seen many wonderful photographs of AMC’s most popular high mountain hut. None are quite like this. 

2nd Prize, Lands, Waters, and Wildlife | “Egrets Take Off” by Biruk Abate 

Location: Wellfleet Wildlife Sanctuary, Wellfleet, Massachusetts 

Why We Loved It: It may be a still image, but it looks like a timelapse! If Abate had photographed one of these egrets taking off, we would have been impressed. Getting all four in a moment of symmetry with each other is masterful. 

3rd Prize, Lands, Waters, and Wildlife | “Lone Juvenile Barred Owl” Ryan Burg 

Location: Wilson Reservation, Dedham, Massachusetts 

Why We Loved It: You feel that? It’s the big eyes of this owl staring into your soul. Burg’s dusky shot is even more impressive considering the barred owl is generally nocturnal.  

“A short hike in Wilson Reservation led to this special encounter with a juvenile barred owl,” wrote photographer Ryan Burg. 

Outdoors Close to Home 

1st Prize, Lands, Outdoors Close to Home | “The Pounce” by James Doucett 

Location: Parker River National Wildlife Refuge, Newbury, Massachusetts 

Why We Loved It: Coyotes hunt by staying low to the ground, waiting patiently for the right opportunity to catch their prey. James Doucett clearly kept his wits about him to photograph this species in action. It’s a stunning mix of action and intimacy – bringing us up close to the coyote at the moment it makes the leap. We wouldn’t want to be whatever was just outside the frame! 

2nd Prize, Lands, Outdoors Close to Home | “Truro Dunes Hike” by Brett Willey 

Location: Cape Cod National Seashore, Truro, Massachusetts 

Why We Loved It: This composition is all about the little things. The texture of the sand. The way the subject’s blue clothing matches the sky. The complexity of the rolling dunes against a perfectly clear sky. Chef’s kiss. No notes. 

3rd Prize, Lands, Outdoors Close to Home | “Blue Bird of Happiness” by Judy Haran 

Location: North Point State Park, Baltimore County, Maryland 

Why We Loved It: One of our judges pointed out that there were only three colors in this shot. Each complements the other and combines for a photograph that’s fun and bright. The blue bunting. The yellow sunflower that looks like a sun. The green backdrop. Taken in North Point State Park, just outside of Baltimore, it’s also a reminder of the importance of urban and suburban green spaces for our communities and the planet. 

“This field of sunflowers was planted in July 2023 to preserve the surrounding grassy areas, and it attracted some rare indigo blue buntings,” wrote photographer Judy Haran.

People’s Choice

1st Prize, People’s Choice | “Accord and Satisfaction” by Mike Weinhold

Location: Chelmsford, Massachusetts

Why You Loved It: Many of our finalists captured their greatest, most remote adventures. People’s Choice winner Mike Weinhold found natural beauty right in his driveway.

“I was in the process of packing and grabbing something out of my wife’s car when I noticed the ice patterns along the metal surface of her Honda Accord. They were like tiny intricate feathers or a paisley patterned tie. I ran inside, grabbed my camera and macro lens, and dashed out to make photographs for a few minutes before the sun popped out from over our neighbor’s roof and the patterns evaporated,” wrote Weinhold.

People’s Choice Finalists:

“Focused on the Climb” by Alex Bonacio

“Walk in the Fog” by Biruk Abate

“Willow’s Curiosity” by Gabe Detter

“Omni Collisions” by Garrick Hoffman

“Sunset on Plum Island” Jim Thornhill

“Green Heron with Fish” by Kevin Fay

“Beautiful Eagle Pair” by Lisa O’Brien

“My Best Friend Jack” by Sarah Drane

“Breaking Trail on the Way to Mount Tom” by Siddharth Salunkhe

“Adirondack Aurora” by William Adamczak

“Sunflower Rest” by Sarah Kohrs

The post The 2023 AMC Photo Contest Winners Are Here appeared first on Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC).

An alewife run. Alewives are another fish species benefiting from AMC’s habitat restoration work in Maine. Photo by John Lichter.

A river streaming with silvery scales. Tens of thousands of determined fish, swimming upstream and leaping over barriers to spawn. Water teeming with life. 

This sight was once common from the Gulf of Maine to some of the most remote streams and ponds in the Appalachian Mountains. In late fall female salmon would burrow into riverbeds and make nests of pebbles to deposit their eggs for the next generation of salmon to hatch and grow in the spring.  

Historic salmon populations in the Penobscot River and its tributaries once reached over 100,000 fish. Now that number is just over 1,000. 

Dams, pollution, and overfishing have caused a decline in Atlantic salmon numbers. However, the “King of Fish” isn’t gone yet — and with the help of AMC, this mighty fish is making a comeback in Maine. 

A juvenile Atlantic salmon, caught and released on the west branch of the Pleasant River.

Oceans and Rivers 

Atlantic salmon, also known as sea-run salmon, are large, predatory fish that thrive in cool, clean waters. They’re anadromous, meaning they live in both fresh and salt water. They live the first part of their lives in freshwater rivers before migrating to saltwater to mature, then returning to rivers to spawn.  

Atlantic salmon are an indicator species for water quality in their ecosystems, including not just rivers, but riverbanks and surrounding forests. A healthy salmon population can indicate clean water and a thriving ecosystem. A suffering population warns of the opposite. 

Roughly 200 years ago, Atlantic salmon populations began to crash. Dam construction and pollution from logging and industrial runoff made it almost impossible for them to return to spawn. At sea, commercial fishing operations decimated their numbers. In efforts to restore Atlantic salmon, commercial fisheries were closed in the U.S. in 1948. Log driving from the timber industry, which involved floating logs down salmon streams, was outlawed in Maine in 1976, briefly improving habitat quality and function. However, this wasn’t enough. In the 1980s and 1990s, recreational and catch-and-release salmon fishing stopped as the population continued to struggle. Atlantic salmon were listed as a federally Endangered Species in 2000. 

Today Maine is the only place in the United States where wild Atlantic salmon can be found. 95% of those salmon returns (when adult fish come back to spawn) occur in the Penobscot River and its tributaries. 

AMC staff and partners replacing a culvert with an ecological bridge, before and after. Photos by Garrett English and AMC staff.

Oh, Dam

Gulf of Maine salmon only have unimpeded access to 8% of their historic river habitat. The biggest obstacle to their population recovery is getting to their spawning grounds. Dams were constructed by paper mills, townships, and hydropower facilities along the Penobscot River starting in the 1830s. 

That’s where AMC and other organizations – a coalition of State, Federal, Tribal, and Non-governmental organizations – come in. Partners like the Penobscot Nation, NOAA, the Nature Conservancy, the Natural Resources Council of Maine, and the Atlantic Salmon Federation formed the Penobscot River Restoration Project, one of the largest watershed restoration projects in the nation. AMC became involved in dam removal and Atlantic salmon recovery in 2012, when we were invited to take part in the project by the Natural Resources Council of Maine. Staff played a small role in work on the main branch of the Penobscot before taking the lead in the headwaters of the West branch of the river. 

Dams and undersized culverts along the Penobscot and its tributaries block salmon from accessing their cold-water spawning grounds, which are essential for laying eggs and growing their populations. When these obstacles are removed, salmon regain access to those areas, and have the opportunity to recover and thrive. 

Plus, there are other fish in the sea — er, river. The Penobscot River is home to 90% of the eastern brook trout habitat in the U.S., another fish species that needs cold, clear waters and is seeing its habitat shrink.  

Barriers hurt more than just fish. Anglers and guides must navigate around them. Stream blockages separate sections of rivers, preventing waterways from naturally balancing their temperatures and neutralizing acidity. Undersized culverts can “blow out” with rain, causing road damage and access issues. Replacing them helps manage high-impact rain events, which are becoming more common due to climate change. This means dam removal and culvert replacement are climate-, people-, and fish-smart. 

“We want to restore total ecosystem functionality in the Maine Woods Initiative areas,” Steve Tatko, AMC’s Vice President of Land, Research, and Trails, explains.  

A fisherman near AMC Gorman Chairback Lodge and Cabins. Stream barriers also impact anglers and guides.

Open Waters 

AMC has been involved in salmon habitat rehabilitation since 2012, working with the Natural Resources Conservation Service. We’ve replaced or removed over 134 culverts, reconnecting over 126 miles of fish stream habitat. Our goal?  

“To ensure there are no barriers to fish passage on AMC land,” says Tatko. 

Fish passage work involves the local community. Our local contractor partners are now nationwide experts in culvert removal and fish-friendly road crossing installations, using their skills in partnership with us to develop new technologies to provide solutions for Atlantic salmon recovery. New bridges are fabricated locally, and community connections deepen as our work continues.  

This work has already led to hopeful results. In 2020 the West Branch of the Pleasant River saw its first return of sea-run fish in 180 years. Numbers were initially low, but are rebounding quickly — in 2021, the Atlantic Salmon Federation reported 561 adults returning to the Penobscot watershed, and by 2022, 1,324 adults.  

Atlantic salmon are still endangered, and their population, though rebounding, hasn’t recovered to its historic numbers yet. Our work continues to support the return of the “King of Fish.” We’re still removing culverts, and the State of Maine is conducting studies to see how water temperature and acidity impact salmon well-being. To date, AMC’s MWI lands are the furthest inland scientists have found Atlantic salmon. This shows that culvert replacement, dam removal, and more attention to salmon habitat are helping their numbers flourish. 

As indicator species, Atlantic salmon have a lot to tell us. Their disappearance warned us of river health and other issues. Their return tells us that now, those tides could be changing.  

The post Wild Atlantic Salmon Recovery in Maine: The “King of Fish” Makes a Comeback  appeared first on Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC).

The leaves have officially gone from “falling” to “fallen.” You’re digging through the closet for gloves you haven’t seen in months. Outdoor enthusiasts know this time of the year as shoulder season. For everyone else, it means the holidays are just around the corner. 

With so many people on your list, searching for meaningful gifts for everyone can be exhausting. Luckily, AMC has the perfect present for the outdoors lover in your life. From gear and books that inspire to the trips that take them there, we have you covered. 

Celebrate the 48 

There’s nothing like connecting a gift to an accomplishment or special place. Whether they just completed the New Hampshire 48, or hiked their very first 4,000-foot peak, they’ll feel properly celebrated with original artwork and gear from AMC’s brand new 4,000-footer collection.  

Check out retro tees and hoodies or give them a festival-style poster with one of the greatest lineups of all time: the Mountains of New Hampshire. For those in search of the perfect home décor, there’s also the 3D Wall Map of the 4,000 footers, an AMC best seller. 

Shop the Collection

Get the 3D Wall Map

Book it! 

Winter is a great time to brush up on outdoor skills, learn a new activity, or plan for warmer weather. However they’re approaching the season, there’s an AMC book for it.  

The Essential Guide to Winter Recreation can help them discover new ways to get outside, from snowshoeing to cold-weather camping. Plot new routes with Best Backcountry Skiing in the Northeast, a longtime staple of the serious skier’s bookshelf. And if staying in and prepping for warmer adventures is more their style, check out AMC Mountain Skills Manual. 

Essential Guide to Winter Recreation

AMC Mountain Skills Manual 

Best Backcountry Skiing in the Northeast, 2nd Edition

Do you know someone who loves a great adventure story? Get them a subscription to Appalachia. America’s longest-running journal of mountaineering and conservation features poems, prose, and exciting exploits from around the globe. 

Subscribe to Appalachia 

Shop Local 

Our friends at businesses across the AMC region are making gear that’s as adventure-ready as you are.  

Burgeon Outdoors creates outdoor apparel in their Lincoln, New Hampshire studio. Our favorites include the men’s and women’s Highlander Hoodie, a technical mid-layer that’s as comfortable on the couch as at the campsite. Burgeon is also a trail adopter on the Old Bridle Path, an iconic footpath in the White Mountains that AMC is working to restore. 

Shop Burgeon Outdoors

Check out NEMO, camping equipment extraordinaires and an AMC partner. Their Chipper Reclaimed Closed-Cell Foam Seat is a versatile, foldable seat pad built to cushion the rocks and snow. Even better? It’s sustainably manufactured using leftover foam, for a lower environmental footprint. 

Shop the Chipper

For winter explorers we recommend headware from Skida – a Vermont-based, women-run company. Their Nordic Hats are perfect for getting out on a snowy trail, whether on skis, snowshoes, or foot. There’s a reason we carry their products at many AMC locations, including our Highland Center and Pinkham Notch Visitor Center shops. They’re dependable, winter-ready, and loaded with colorful patterns!  

Shop Nordic Hats

Give An Unforgettable Experience 

They say the best gifts aren’t objects, they’re experiences with the people you care about. And there’s no better way to celebrate being together than in the outdoors. Whether you’re looking for a cozy escape just outside the city, a backcountry adventure, or an off-the-grid getaway, there’s an AMC location ready to explore. 

Help them get outdoors all year long with the gift of an AMC membership. Members get up to 20% off all AMC lodging, gear, and merchandise and access to thousands of outdoor activities with a dedicated community of fellow adventurers. It really is the gift that keeps giving! 

Plan a Getaway 

Give a Membership  

If you want to help them take their outdoor experience to the next level, work with an AMC professional guide. Guides offer a variety of day and overnight trips all year long. 

See Guided Adventures

Still can’t decide? We make it easy with virtual gift cards!

The post AMC’s 2023 Holiday Gift Guide for Outdoors Lovers appeared first on Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC).

Mount Moriah, White Mountain National Forest, New Hampshire.

Deep snows and freezing temperatures are two things that scream “winter” in the Northeast and New England. It’s not unusual to be scraping ice off cars for six months out of the year, and some people keep their snow shovels in the trunk year-round. Snow falls as early as October—and might even come down in April or May. 

At least… it used to. The past few winters have been strange. Snow is still falling, but it starts later in the season, and it doesn’t seem to stick quite as long. It still freezes, but there are also days when it’s unusually warm, and the temperature seems to swing wildly. And were there always this many ice storms?   

What’s going on?   

New England has lost about three weeks of winter since 1917.

Human activities, especially the burning of fossil fuels like coal and oil, are making global temperatures rise. Another way to refer to global warming is climate change, because it’s not just rising temperatures that we’re seeing. We’re also experiencing shifts in weather patterns that cause more rain, floods, droughts, and wildfires. Seasons are shifting, seeming to happen earlier or later than their “usual” times — and winter is no exception.    

While all seasons in New England are experiencing increases in their average temperatures, studies from AMC scientists and partners have found that winter is warming at a faster rate than spring, summer, or fall. In addition, we’re seeing less snow, more ice, and winter weather “whiplash” — a rapid back-and-forth between unseasonable warmth and deep freezes. The combination of thaw-and-freeze weather can damage trees and crops, cause floods and electrical outages, and influence activities from winter skiing to spring maple sugaring. 

AMC scientists and partners use data collected over a long timeframe to look at a suite of changing cold and snow conditions in the Northeast. Since 1917, New England has lost about three weeks of winter. To be more specific, we’re seeing an average of 19 fewer days with snow covering the ground and 20 fewer “frost days” of 32°F or less, which keep the ground cold and maintain snow. Certain states are seeing even more change — Massachusetts has lost an average of 27 days of snow cover, and Rhode Island and Connecticut have lost more than 30.  

You may be thinking, “But it’s still snowing!” And you’d be right. It is still snowing, but due to the warming temperatures and weather whiplash, that snow simply isn’t staying on the ground as long. Inconsistent temperatures from the freeze-and-thaw cycles melt the snow, lessening or completely removing the snowpack. When it’s not cold enough for snow to fall, the moisture in the air falls as rain, which can cause icy conditions if the temperatures finally drop. All of this leads to less snow falling, less snow staying on the ground, and winters ending earlier.  

Find out how you can speak up for the outdoors in the fight against climate change

While the immediate impacts of shorter winters and less snow on the ground have been studied and documented, AMC scientists and partners continue to collect data and monitor our changing winters. Their ability to collect high-quality data over time is possible thanks to state and federal funding and the generous support of AMC members and donors. New on-the-ground equipment for snow monitoring has been set up at AMC’s Carter Notch, Lonesome Lake, and Zealand Falls huts in New Hampshire, helping us to better understand snow distribution, which is more complex in the mountains.   

AMC has also partnered with Community Snow Observations, a community science initiative, to welcome recreationists and backcountry adventurers like you to measure and record snow depth when you’re out in wintry weather. 

How does this high-quality weather data turn into climate solutions? At AMC, our work is backed by science. Our conservation policy team shares the data from our research team with legislators to inform their climate and land conservation policies. Our research team collaborates with other scientists, organizations, and state services to advance our understanding of changing weather patterns. And our lodge managers and hut Croo use our weather data to make informed recommendations to guests about how to enjoy winter, no matter what it feels like these days.  

AMC staff member Mark Cheever demonstrates how to take a snow observation.

Sources

Burkakowski et al. “Future of winter in northeastern North America: Climate indicators portray warming and snow loss that will impact ecosystems and communities.” Northeast Naturalist vol. 28, no. 11, 2022, pp. 180-270.  

Casson et al. “Winter weather whiplash: Impacts of meteorlogical events misaligned with natural and human systems in seasonally snow-covered regions.” Earth’s Future vol. 7, 2019, pp. 1-17. 

Contosta et al. “Defining frigid winter illuminates its loss across seasonally snow-covered areas of eastern North America.” Environmental Research Letters vol. 15, 2020, pp. 1-11. 

Contosta et al. “Northern forest winters have lost cold, snowy conditions that are important for ecosystems and human communities.” Ecological Applications vol. 29, no. 7, 2019, pp. 1-24. 

Murray et al. “Climate trends on the highest peak of the Northeast: Mount Washington, NH.” Northeastern Naturalist vol. 28, no. 11, 2021, pp. 64-82.  

Shankman, S. “’We are seeing winter disappear’: Southern New England has lost nearly a month of annual snow cover, study finds.” Aug. 3, 2023. https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/08/03/science/climate-change-winter/#:~:text=%27We%20are%20seeing%20winter%20disappear,steepest%20losses%20of%20snow%20days.  

Young, S. “Global and regional snow cover decline: 2000-2022.” Climate vol. 11, 2023, pp. 1-27.  

The post Where’s Winter? A Season of Change in the Northeast appeared first on Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC).

A composite image of a 2019 total solar eclipse. Photo Credit: NASA/Goddard/Rebecca Roth.

One moment, the sun is shining on a spring afternoon. The next, darkness. 

On April 8, 2024, parts of AMC’s region will experience a total solar eclipse, the moment when the moon passes in front of the sun and completely blocks its light. Total solar eclipses only last for a few minutes and occur within a narrow band of space. When the opportunity arises to see one, take it. 

Throughout history people have looked up during eclipses in shock, sometimes even fear. An ancient Chinese myth describes it as a dragon eating the sun. Many cultures in the ancient Mediterranean believed eclipses were a bad omen of the death of a king. While we now understand the science behind these celestial events, the awe they can inspire remains. 

Want to plan a trip to see this once-in-a-lifetime event in action? AMC lodges in New Hampshire have you covered. Here’s what you need to know. 

What is a Solar Eclipse? 

An eclipse is when the sun and the moon line up in a way where the moon blocks the sun’s light. While the moon does a complete rotation of the earth each month, it does so on a different plane from the earth’s rotation of the sun. This means an eclipse of any kind isn’t a typical occurrence. There are four types of eclipses: 

• Annular eclipse: These happen more frequently, usually every year or two. It’s typically when the moon is at the farthest point from the earth, meaning its shadow doesn’t fully conceal the sun. As a result, the moon will appear to have a bright ring around it.  
• Partial eclipse: This is when the moon passes in front of the sun, but only obscures some of it. In these cases, the earth, sun, and moon have not fully lined up. The resulting visual resembles a crescent-shaped sun. 
• Total eclipse: While any eclipse is worth stepping out to see, it’s the total eclipse that is the most unique spectacle. This is a special situation during which the moon is close enough to the earth and lined up in a way that totally blocks out the sun, submerging viewers in darkness and revealing the sun’s corona, a part of its atmosphere usually not visible to the human eye because of the sun’s brightness. 
• Hybrid eclipse: Some places may experience an eclipse that starts annular and then becomes total. These are extremely rare. 

On April 8, parts of the AMC region will experience a total eclipse.  

A total solar eclipse reveals the sun’s corona. Photo Credit: NASA/Goddard/Rebecca Roth.

Where Are the Best Places to View the Eclipse? 

Not everyone will be able to see the total eclipse. Because of the small shadow of the moon, total eclipses can only be seen from a narrow band of space. Viewers must be in the center of the moon’s shadow, called the path of totality. The sky may darken slightly just outside this path, but go much farther, and it’ll be just a regular day.  

While total solar eclipses happen relatively often, about every year –and a half, the path of totality moves each time. It could be a very long time before there’s a total solar eclipse in the Northeast again. In fact, the gap between total eclipses occurring in the same place is usually around 400 years. 

In the United States, the April 8th path begins in Texas and travels through major cities like Dallas, Indianapolis, and Cleveland on its way into the AMC region. Here’s where you can best see the eclipse in Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine: 

The path of the April 8 eclipse.

Do I Need to Take Safety Precautions? 

Staring at the sun, even if the sun is somewhat covered, can be damaging to your eyes. In some cases, looking at the sun without protection can cause permanent retinal damage. But what about when the sun’s light is completely obscured? 

According to NASA, there is a brief window of time during the total eclipse when the moon fully blocks out the sun’s light, in which the sun is safe to view. This is the period known as totality. However, you’ll still need eye protection during the transition phases, when the moon is covering and then uncovering the sun. 

To safely view an eclipse through all of its stages, use specialty eclipse glasses or a handheld solar viewer. Fortunately, both are inexpensive. 

AMC Highland Center. Crawford Notch, New Hampshire.

How Can I Make the Most of An Eclipse Viewing Trip? 

Because the total eclipse taking place on April 8, 2024, is such a rare occurrence, people from across the world will travel into the path of totality. Luckily, outdoor enthusiasts in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic are just a short drive away from the chance to catch this celestial event. 

AMC lodges in the White Mountains of New Hampshire will be celebrating the eclipse all weekend, from April 6 to April 9! Stay a short drive from the path of totality and enjoy fun hikes, activities, and more focused on astronomy research and dark sky conservation. 

Activities will include: 

• Guided hikes to local viewing locations  
• Workshops to create your own solar viewfinders and build a telescope with a solar filter 
• Indoor planetarium activities 
• Astronomy-related films and speakers 

Celestial events like the total solar eclipse are special. They bring us together for a moment to marvel at the sky. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to literally See The Dark during the day. And it’s a reminder of the unique beauty and mystery of the natural world. How will you make the most of your day? 

The post The 2024 Total Eclipse: What You Need to Know appeared first on Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC).

100 trips up Mount Washington, New England’s highest peak. One hike each day for 100 days. It’s a simple, yet extraordinary challenge. For Andrew Drummond, it was his summer project. 

On May 22, 2023, Drummond summited Mount Washington, then skied down into the Great Gulf Wilderness. He then made his way back up every day through the rest of the summer. 

Drummond acknowledges he’s in a unique position to attempt a challenge like the Mount Washington streak. He lives a short drive from the mountain’s trailheads, and as a lifelong resident of the White Mountains, he is well-versed in its volatile conditions. But he thinks there are lessons anyone can take away from his accomplishment, regardless of their outdoor goals. 

Having an ambitious goal ensured Drummond got outside every day, even on mornings when he’d rather have stayed in. With New Hampshire having its rainiest summer on record this year, the extra motivation proved critical. 

“That accountability [was important]. You don’t have to do something as big as Mount Washington,” said Drummond. 

The other lesson is safety. Even someone as experienced as Drummond always brings the 10 Essentials, including a first-aid kit, into the backcountry and lets someone know his plans. Mount Washington is home to some of the worst weather in the world, and even well-planned hikes carry a risk. Throughout the 100 days, Drummond adjusted his gear to meet the conditions, while still always expecting the unexpected. 

“There’s a lot of dialing in your kit so you don’t have to think as much and you’re confident. Because that’s an important part of staying safe.” 

Throughout it all, Drummond says he could count on the generosity of AMC’s Hut and Lodge staff. Madison Spring Hut, Lakes of the Clouds Hut, and the Pinkham Notch Visitor Center each provided warm food and a roof when the weather got tough. The journey Drummond was on this summer may have been unique, but a visit to an AMC hut always reminded him of the special community he was a part of in the mountains

“You get to see everyone that’s there. And everyone’s doing their own thing, their own story. So, I’d always make sure to pop in the huts and say hi.” 

The post 100 Days, 100 Summits of Mount Washington appeared first on Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC).