Seek the Peak is an annual event to support the Mount Washington Observatory by hiking to the summit of Mt. Washington. It’s not a race, so you can choose any trail and any pace you wish to reach the top. Mt. Washington has some of the worst weather in the world, but some of the best views, too. On a clear day, you look east from the summit across Maine all the way to the Atlantic, north to Canada, and west to the Green Mountains of Vermont and the Adirondacks beyond.
Seek the Peak is the biggest fund raiser for The Observatory, which is a private, non-profit organization that maintains the weather station at the summit, conducts research and educational programs and helps interpret the heritage of the Mount Washington region. In addition to recording and disseminating weather information, it serves as a benchmark location for many types of severe weather research.
Since 2001, Seek the Peak has raised nearly $1,000,000 for the Observatory. Participants enjoy a kick off party in North Conway, NH on Friday evening, tours of the Observatory at the summit and a post-hike celebration complete with live music, a turkey dinner and lots of raffle prizes. For more information and to register, visit the Seek the Peak website. We make a donation to the Observatory for each of our guests who Seek the Peak, so plan your hike and book your stay for the weekend of July 20-22, 2012, at the Inn at Ellis River now!
Thoreau Falls is somewhat remote, but offers both a scenic view and series of cascades and slides dropping 80 feet along the ledges of the North Fork of the East Branch of the Pemigewasset River. The 5 mile hike to the top of the waterfall takes the Zealand, Ethan Pond, and Thoreau Falls Trails. The easy to moderate hike includes mountain marshlands and a beaver pond. The Trail begins from Zealand Road off Route 302 about 25 miles west of the inn.
Thompson Falls is reached by a hike along the Way of the Wildcat Nature Trail that begins behind the base lodge at Wildcat Mountain Ski Area (12 miles north of the inn on Route 16). Passing through woods with mosses and colorful wildflowers, at the far end of the trail’s loop, a path leads to the falls. Above the clam shaped falls, Thompson Brook goes through a series of falls, slides, and cascades.
Sparkling Cascade is a ‘forgotten’ waterfall upstream of Ripley Falls on the right fork of the trail. Although it was listed in some old guidebooks, it is not easily reached via a trail, and may involve bushwhacking in steep terrain.
Silver Cascade is a series of waterfalls descending Crawford Notch. Together with the neighboring Flume Cascade, they are easily seen from Route 302 just east of the Notch (about 30 minutes from the inn). You can enjoy the Cascades from the highway, park and hike, or even view them from the Conway Scenic Railway’s Notch Train.
Ripley Falls is one of the steepest-angled slides in New England, where Avalanche Brook rushes 100 feet over a smooth rock wall at a 60-degree angle. The 0.6 mile trail climbs up the walls of Crawford Notch from a parking lot off Route 302 in Crawford Notch State Park, about a 25 mile drive northwest of the inn.