As the leaves turn, so do the heads of those students who look towards St. Lawrence University’s Outing Club for this year’s 42nd Annual Peak Weekend. Their gaze is met by 23 eager house members, holding up banners in the Enchanted Forest that represent the large variety of trips to be sent out over the course of the three-day event.
One may notice, per house tradition, each member of the Outing Club sporting an identical article of clothing, not to be removed until completion of Peak Weekend. This year the club shows off what are soon to be sweaty and unwashed camo tee-shirts, about as sweaty and unwashed as the house members themselves, some say. But fear not, these Peak Weekenders are carrying on an old legacy and are thrilled for all to join.
Peak Weekend’s long tradition began in 1982 through the ambition of former house president Willie Janeway. The tradition has lived strong for over four decades, each year with the same goal: to boast one SLU student on the summit of all 46 high peaks over the course of a single weekend. The order, set out by Janeway all that time ago, is as tall as the peaks to be climbed, and requires the help of SLU’s student body. Striving to include students of all abilities throughout the community, the Outing Club leads a number of trips, from single peak hikes with overwhelming views to overnight expeditions complete with sleeping bags and sunrises. This Peak Weekend, like all others, isn’t over until we achieve our goal, so by all means, “Lets Peak Together!”