2011 Climb
The Washburn Climb celebrated its fifth anniversary on July 11, 2011 in the White Mountains. It was our highest participation to date with 27 climbers and volunteers, and the team raised over $67,000 for the Museum's Annual Fund!
Returning climbers Dale Edmunds and Matt Fates were joined by new climber Christian Chedel for the second annual traverse of the Presidential Range. They hit the trails at 4:30 a.m. and finished an hour ahead of last years' time despite variable weather conditions along the way.
Climb founder Mike Thonis and volunteer Colin Greenlaw successfully summited Mount Washington twice, first in the rain and fog and then again later in the afternoon when the sky cleared and gave way to beautiful views of the surrounding area. Hike leader Dennis Pyburn and intern Stephanie McCartney led the largest group of single climbers in our history: Jeff Arnold, Liz Browne, Greg Lambrecht, Avi Nagar, George Papayannis, Valerie Pontiff, and Stuart Taylor. Rachel DeMaster and Peter Rosenberg also generously fundraised for the Washburn Climb, though they were unable to participate on the day.
For the second year, coordinated by Luke Quigley, ham radio operators kept track of all climbers throughout the day and, in many cases, hiked along helping to ensure everyone's safety. Greg Fitch, Doug Houston, George Hovorka, Boyd Roberts, and Mary Sheldon -- accompanied by hiking volunteer Jacqueline Greenlaw -- managed Mount Washington, while Ellen Ruggles, Brian Wood, and Kathy and Rick Savage spread out across the Presidential Range to check in the traverse hikers. Intern Liliana Andrade and volunteer Amy O'Doherty helped keep everything organized from the summit of Mount Washington to the base of the trails.
Photos © TMP Images