PEEKS documents history in the making. The 2025-26 winter will be remembered as a cold one — just ask any one of our recent winter 46ers (p. 58)! Out of 17,068 46ers, only 1,280 are winter 46ers: 7.5%. Congratulations! Highlights from the Boulder Report from our 763 newest finishers (p. 20) transports us over trails, across bridges and up summits, hot-wiring our memories as we retrace our own footsteps over familiar ground with newfound friends. History is the story of people: their thoughts, inspiration and actions. In Talking Points (p. 10), Neal Burdick shines light on two unsung heroes who teamed up to preserve our traditions by gripping the reins as historians after Grace Hudowalski retired. Grace communicated with hikers and safeguarded their letters for more than 50 years. Decades of letters penned by aspiring hikers detailed their hopes, setbacks and victories and serve as the bedrock of our organization, bridging connections between successive generations of 46ers. It’s a tradition that differentiates us from other organizations. In From the Vault (p. 17), we republish a section from the 46er history book Heaven Up-h’isted-ness! that details the rich history of this momentous transition postGrace, our original bridge-builder. In Mountain Vignettes (p. 44), read about an anxious golden retriever turned hardcore rock-climber; a Pacific Northwesterner’s take on hiking in the Adirondack High Peaks; what the spirit of 46ering reveals over four generations of fathers and sons (soon to include a daughter); and a story of a team of aspirants, one shouldering a 55-pound pack, paying homage to a murdered police officer. In Club News (p. 58) read about our new endeavor with Champlain Area Trail System (CATS), the 46ers’ first sponsored Wilderness First Aid (WFA) training class instructed by James Wolff at CATS’ recently purchased 675.5acre Twin Valleys Educational Center in Wadsham. This is not the first time that the 46ers have partnered with CATS. The 46ers’ focus will always be on the High Peaks, but we also enjoy sharing our talents on other trail systems within the Blue Line like the CATS trails. The plan is to continue WFA training annually. I explored Twin Valleys, which boasts 15 miles of marked trails within pristine woods, and hiked up Payne and Whipple mountains. Give it a go — you’ll be glad you did. After some elevation and fresh air, head over to the Adirondack History Museum in Elizabethtown. Forty-sixers get free admission again this summer. And, while supplies last, we get a copy of the Marshall Centennial Edition book The High Peaks of the Adirondacks and a replica 46r of Troy patch. Let us know what you think of the new PEEKS design and be sure to participate in the poll on page 64. Kick back, turn the page and let PEEKS carry you up the mountains. Have a great summer, and ramble on! HELLO MEMBERS! By now you must be noticing PEEKS magazine’s new look! Pete Sucheski #15500, our new art director, shouldering a 100L pack loaded with experience and artistic vision, revamped the style and design, adding cohesion and appeal sure to keep six generations of 46ers turning the page. Although PEEKS’ appearance continues to change, its mission remains the same in its 62 years of print: to further the fellowship of the 46ers, promote the conservation of the Adirondack Peaks, encourage the right kind of climbing . . . inform 46ers and Aspiring 46ers about each other and their doings . . . supply current hiking information . . . serve as a means of communication. EDITOR’S RAMBLE Sherry Roulston, #12512 Sherry.Roulston@uvm.edu “Welcome to our new look. PEEKS’ appearance changed, but its mission is the same.” SUMMER 2026 | 5 Photograph by Nancy Battaglia #3543
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