Thank you all for your advice. I didn't realize that the different routes had different fundraising requirements and that they all fill up so quickly. The Great Mass Getaway would be a great alternative, but the appeal of the PMC is that cancer is just closer to my heart. I have lost friends and family (some terribly young) to cancer and I'm scientist currently doing cancer research.

Tygab, you make a good point about the feeling of reaching your goals as you cross the finish line, as the lofty fundraising requirements are part of the challenge.

And as far as the choice of Mt. Washington vs PMC, both are going to require a lot of time and training. Though, hiking Mt. Washington would probably need far less training than the PMC. The tentative plans were to hike up Tuck's and spend the night at the AMC hut and then do the short hike to the summit the next day and then hike back down. But an extended hike on the AT isn't out of the question. But that on top of classes and orchestra rehearsals and working full time doesn't leave much time to do much else, that's why it'll be a choice between Mt. Wash and the PMC.