Follow the Adventures of Two Interns and a State Park Manager as they Explore New Hampshire’s State Parks and Great Outdoors!
(Concord, NH - February 22, 2012) – Did you know that it only takes one inch of snow to make a twelve inch snow drift when the wind blows at Mount Washington State Park? Or that Wadleigh State Park in Sutton provides opportunities for art in nature, whether it’s photographing Kezar Lake or oil painting the birch trees? Have you considered scuba diving off of Fort Constitution or Fort Stark Historic Sites on New Hampshire’s Seacoast? Well you just might if you start reading the new travel blog by New Hampshire State Parks featuring the adventures of two University of New Hampshire interns, Theresa Conn and Robert Eaton, and the Mount Washington State Park Manager Mike Pelchat.
“We are excited to share this new travel blog about the wonders and beauty of our New Hampshire state parks this winter,” said Phil Bryce, Director of the Division of Parks and Recreation. “Mike, Theresa, and Robert are sharing their experiences of a variety of New Hampshire adventures available through vibrant pictures, videos, and stories.”
Mike Pelchat has been working at Mount Washington State Park for 30 years. When not on the summit of the Northeast’s tallest mountain, you can find him enjoying rock and ice climbing on one of the many beautiful granite cliffs located in Franconia Notch, Crawford Notch or Echo Lake State Parks. Besides climbing in NH, Mike travelled to Nepal last year and climbed the infamous Ama Dablam, which neighbors Mount Everest and is considered to be almost as challenging to climb.
Mike’s blog posts are accompanied by amazing images and gripping video of the winter conditions and scenic beauty above and below the clouds at Mount Washington State Park.
As a sophomore Environmental Conservation Studies major at the University of New Hampshire, Theresa Conn can’t get enough of the great outdoors. Growing up in suburban Massachusetts, her family always ventured north to Lake Winnipesaukee and the White Mountains to hike and relax. Last summer Theresa worked as a Shorebird Interpretive Intern on Cape Cod National Seashore, protecting endangered shorebirds on some of the Cape’s most popular beaches. She is on a quest to see a moose in NH this winter while on her State Park adventures.
“When I came to college, I realized that some of the most rewarding experiences happen when you put yourself outside of your comfort zone,” commented Conn.
Upcoming posts for Theresa will be about attending NH Fish and Game’s “Becoming an Outdoors Woman” workshop. Next week she will have the opportunity to ride with the Muddy Paw Sled Dog team up the Mount Washington Auto Road.
Robert Eaton is also a student at the University of New Hampshire. Currently studying Anthropology, he is a long-time outdoor enthusiast and a self-described “obsessive” surfer. He has been active in the outdoors since childhood and hiked extensively in the NH Presidential Range. Robert’s third blog followed his experience in climbing to the 6,288’ summit of Mt. Washington, which is no easy feat in summer, let alone winter.
“Winter backpacking intensifies the rawness of the hiker’s experience, giving the summer backpacker an entirely new perspective on the ever-changing environment we immerse ourselves in,” commented Eaton.
Upcoming posts for Robert include experimenting with pinhole photography at Odiorne State Park and a night with the Student Conservation Association in Bear Brook State Park.
Industry members interested in being considered for the topic of a future blog post with either Theresa or Robert should contact the Division of Parks and Recreation marketing staff at 271-3556.
For more information on our bloggers and to experience their travels and adventures around New Hampshire, check out
http://blog.nhstateparks.org/.