Back In The Swing Of Things
2018-07-09 06:38:26.000 – Christopher Hohman, Night Observer
Hi there! My name is Christopher Hohman, and I am the new Night Observer here on the summit of Mount Washington. Some of you may remember me a few years ago as in intern. I thought I’d spend this blog talking about what I’ve done over the past two years, and what it’s been like coming back to the best place on Earth.
My internship at the Mount Washington Observatory was one of the best experiences I ever had in my life. I had left the mountain on August of 2016 with the fondest of memories, and friendships that would last an incredibly long time. I left with the summit with a heavy heart, but I was ready to get into Meteorology at Plymouth State. The skills I had picked up from various observers, and from all the higher summit forecasts I had done, would end up proving highly valuable to me in the following two years of college.
Thermodynamics, Synoptic Meteorology, Atmospheric Physics, Dynamics, it was all I could ever wish to learn about in life. Sure it felt insurmountable at times with how much work was thrown at me. In the end though, I was able to learn topics that took people thousands of years to understand. I am beyond thankful for the education I have, and that’s why I was ecstatic to graduate this May:
(I’m the dorky looking guy 2nd from the right)
So what’s it been like coming back to the summit? Just as amazing of a feeling as I thought it would be. Reconnecting with the observers, experiencing the hurricane force winds again, and eating the delicious meals the volunteers make for us everyday. I just can’t describe how happy it makes me to finally be back. The weather up here really is as unique as it gets. To have the honor to experience that again on a daily basis, it’s truly a dream come true.
Being the night observer has been a different experience than working during the day. The observatory is a little quieter, there isn’t the constant buzz of noise from the rotonda. It’s a bit darker outside on average, and the fog can make things a little spooky at times. It’s still incredibly fun though, especially when there’s a clear night. The stars up here are phenomenal, you can see the Milky Way end to end:
I really hope to see some unique, and record breaking weather on the rockpile during my time here. My dream is to see the wind record be broken up here again (Perhaps a direct hit from a Cat 5…..). Or even a temperature record or two, I’m not picky! I’m also extremely excited for the winter time to roll around. Summer is great and all, but I’m already ready for some Nor’easters to dump tons of snow on the summit.
No matter how long I stay up here, I know it’ll feel too short at the end of my time. I’m going to enjoy every minute of this, and hopefully my journal entries will be able to entertain some of my kids in the future. I’m beyond thankful for where I am today. I wouldn’t be typing this right now if it wasn’t for my family and friends who given me colossal amounts of support throughout my life.
So here’s to the dawn of my career on Mount Washington. May it be the best experience of my life. Above all though, may it be fun!
Christopher Hohman, Night Observer
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