Arctic Wednesdays 2026: Week 5 Pre-Trip Blog

 The time has come! Tomorrow, a fellow educator and myself travel with MWOBS Staff on their shift change up to the summit of Mount Washington. I submitted my application for this experience last season, but unfortunately, I did not receive the “Golden Ticket”. However, this year, I am one of the chosen few to be able to experience the summit in the dead of winter. Something I can only imagine a small handful of humans have done in our history on this planet.

If you would have told me a few years ago that I would end up living in northern New Hampshire with Mt. Washington in my backyard, I would have told you that you’re crazy. Yet low and behold, here I am. Upon moving to the North Country, the first hike I decided to conquer was, you guessed it, Mt. Wash. Tallest peak in the northeast? Sure! Let me at it! It was the middle of July. The weather was immaculate. This was only my 2nd hike of the season as that summer was filled with job hunting, house hunting and ultimately, moving. I took the mountain for granted and was instantly humbled. The hike was all rainbows and butterflies until that final 1.7 miles, which I can only describe as a giant staircase consisting of steps anywhere from 3 inches to 3 feet. It got to a point where I was simply just going from cairn to cairn. I made it and spent a nice time on the summit to take it all in. 

I’ve been back to the summit a few more times since then. All by vehicle with family that has visited over the last year or so. I also was fortunate enough to take my Atmospheric Science class up during this past fall semester. Each and every time I have been up there, the weather has been rather tame. In the fall with my class, the day was super clear and tied a high temperature record for that day in October. I think it was around 40 to 50 degrees that day with almost zero wind!

I would be lying if I said I was hoping for tomorrow’s visit to present a little bit of "biblical" weather if you will. Not bad enough to postpone our visit, but gnarly enough to see some of what this mountain’s reputation is all about. As fate would have it, that doesn’t seem to be the case. At the time of this post, the Higher Summit Forecast has skies mostly clear with temps in the mid to upper 20s. This will most likely be the windiest of my summit visits with winds at 55-75 mph and gusts up to 85 mph. Maybe not as “biblical” as I would have liked, but the fact that there is the potential for category 1 hurricane force winds is pretty surreal. 

You can’t look up at the peak of this great big rock without giving it your respect. Many people have taken this mountain for granted. For some, it was the last mistake they ever made. Luckily for me, it was the middle of July when the mountain thoroughly kicked my rear end. I may have hoped for “biblical” weather tomorrow, but perhaps the fact that it will just be somewhat of a typical day up there is potentially a blessing. I look forward to the wonderful views, the ride in that brand spanking new Cat they have, the potential for winds in the 70s and great conversation throughout the day. I think that’s just the right amount of excitement for me!

Mike Maras

White Mountains Regional High School

March 4th, 2026 Expedition