The White Mountain
Support our IndieGoGo campaign here: https://igg.me/at/TheWhiteMountain From the vaulted heights of New England’s highest peak, travel writer and journalist Dan Szczesny will spend a year exploring the very heart of the White Mountains. But Mount Washington-home of the world’s worst weather-is more than just a Rock Pile, it’s the cultural and natural soul of climbers and tourists from around the world.
Hear more from Dan Szczesny about his latest project by watching the YouTube video [above.]
MANCHESTER, NH – Travel writer Dan Szczesny has launched an IndieGoGo campaign through New Hampshire book publisher Hobblebush Books to support his latest endeavor – spending a year participating in Mount Washington’s many happenings, and then putting it all together in one, insightful tome. Some of the highlights reel will include:
- The Mt. Washington Observatory: Szczesny will spend a week on the summit—”Home of the World’s Worst Weather”—cooking for the Mt. Washington Observatory crew. Since he does not cook, we’re uncertain who will survive.
- Seek the Peak: This annual fundraiser brings hikers from around the world together to converge at the summit from every direction on the mountain. We’ll meet as many of them as possible.
- Adaptive Sports Sunrise Ascent: Szczesny will be a “mule” on an adaptive sports team whose goal will be to reach the summit with an adaptive athlete who needs assistance.
- Alton Weagle Day: Szczesny will try to make it into the record books by being the first person to climb the mountain dressed like Walt Whitman and reading poetry all the way up!
- Dan’s first ascent with a toddler: Perhaps the most grueling summit attempt of them all, Szczesny will backpack with his toddler, Uma, to the top.
Other events and chapters to look forward to: The Bike Hill Climb, the Road Race, Minis on Top, ATV Climb and Bicknell’s Thrush Tour. Szczesny will also look at the mountain’s history and the strange convergence of organizations (Cog Railroad, Auto Road, State Park, National Forest and AMC) that come together to create an odd and exciting partnership.
Szczesny intends to capture and chronicle all of these characters, experiences, observations, histories, and discoveries in a book project, which is the ultimate purpose of this journey, to be titled, “The White Mountain!: 365 Days of Mischief and Adventure on Mount Washington.”
He’s looking for some financial support to make this book a reality. You can donate directly through the IndieGoGo campaign page here. Or, if you’re feeling charitable but low on extra cash, consider helping his efforts by sharing this post – and the campaign – in the following ways:
- “Like” his page on Facebook (www.facebook.com/YearOnWashington) and invite your friends to do the same
- Share this info on any social media sites you use
- Encourage your local library or bookstore to host an event with Szczesny once the book is published
- Drop the publisher a line at info@hobblebush.com if you have any information that would be helpful about Mount Washington or its many events
About the author
Dan Szczesny is a long-time journalist and author living in New Hampshire. His books include The Adventures of Buffalo and Tough Cookie, a hiking memoir about a one year, 225-mile journey through some of New Hampshire’s least known wilderness with his ten-year-old foster daughter; The Nepal Chronicles, about a month -long trek to Everest Base Camp and marriage in Kathmandu; Mosquito Rain: Alaskan Travel Essays; and Sing and Other Short Stories, which includes a variety of short fiction spanning Dan’s 25-year career as a writer and journalist.
Dan began his career in Buffalo, NY. Since then, he has written for a wide variety of regional and national publications, including the Main Line Times, Philadelphia Weekly, Christian Science Monitor, Princeton Packet, Pennsylvania Magazine, all4woman.com, Yahoo! Parenting and Huffington Post.
He’s a member of the Appalachian Mountain Club’s 4,000-footer club and has written extensively about the outdoors and hiking. He has camped in the Grand Canyon, hiked England’s Coast to Coast Trail, and trekked to Everest Base Camp in Nepal. He’s also traveled to India and Turkey with his ten-month-old daughter. For more, check out: www.danszczesny.com.
