Seek the Peak is a hike-a-thon fundraiser to benefit the nonprofit Mount Washington Observatory. Now in its tenth year, Seek the Peak is a great way to get out and experience the White Mountains while helping a great cause.

The event features a Friday night Stonyfield Farm Kick-Off Party and concert, fantastic goodie bags, awesome t-shirts, a rockin' after party, thousands of dollars in prizes, and of course, all the beauty and excitement of Mount Washington.

Here's how it works: you register, raise a minimum of $100, and then join us on July 24 for a great day on Mount Washington. You solicit support from family, friends and co-workers, and they make their donation one of three ways:

1. Online with a credit card. The easiest way to round up support is to create your own Seek the Peak hiker page on SeekthePeak.org. You can send the link to your page to friends and family all over the world, and they can give online using their credit card.
2. Offline with a check or cash. You can also solicit donations the old fashioned way, by collecting cash or check pledges and mailing them in to the Observatory.
3. As an event sponsor. The third way to round up support is to ask businesses in your area to join the event as a sponsor. There are several sponsorship levels available with a number of great benefits. Check out the sponsorship page, and call Karen at (800) 706-0432 ext. 230 for more information.

The Cause

Since 1932, the legendary Mount Washington Observatory has been monitoring the conditions in one of the most extreme places on Earth—the summit of New Hampshire's Mount Washington. Bitter cold, dense fog, heavy snow and legendary wind combine to make the mountain a truly harsh place. In fact, the fastest surface wind gust in the world was recorded by the staff of the Mount Washington Observatory in April of 1934, an astonishing 231 miles per hour! To this day, scientists, educators, interns and volunteers live and work on the summit of the northeast's tallest peak, observing and documenting the "world's worst weather".

The Observatory also engages in cutting edge scientific research, both on and off the mountain. In collaboration with partners such as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, University of New Hampshire, Plymouth State University, the Appalachian Mountain Club and many others, Mount Washington Observatory conducts important research in icing, mountain weather and climate, instrument siting and product testing.

For more than a decade, Observatory outreach educators have been traveling across the region in a Subaru "Weathermobile" bringing interactive weather programs into classrooms, libraries, science centers, and other locations. Observatory educators teach children and adults about the fundamentals of our weather and climate, and the complex natural systems of our environment. Now, students across the nation also have the ability to connect with weather observers at the summit through videoconferencing technology. This new Distance Learning program helps educate students about weather and climate with the mountain's notorious extremes as a captivating backdrop.

The Observatory also operates the Weather Discovery Center science museum in North Conway Village, NH, offering unique, hands-on exhibits that educate about the fundamentals of weather and Mount Washington's extreme conditions. Additionally, twice daily "Live from the Rockpile" presentations, offered by Observatory summit staff via video conference, give museum visitors a real-time look at life on the mountain. These unique, interactive programs also help visitors understand how weather works, how weather observations are made and what goes into the making of a forecast.

For an inside look at the Mount Washington Observatory, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, including current conditions, webcams, forums and extensive weather information, visit www.MountWashington.org.