The Great Cabbage Rebellion 2011-04-01 10:00:05.000 - Rebecca Scholand,  Summit Intern Briggs Stratton and Lord Shawshank I have mentioned previously that one of my rolls as an intern on the summit this winter is to document the pitot-static anemometer system. In working on this project I have had to do very in depth research about the mountain and its history beyond the Observatory's existence. It is in this research that I have come across a very interesting historical finding. Today marks the 164 year anniversary of the Great Cabbage Rebellion that took place at the top of the Valley of

Spring Storm 2011-03-31 20:31:30.000 - Mike Finnegan,  IT Observer NULL I do enjoy late season snow storms, especially when I am on the mountain because that might mean snow stability will settle down to a safer level by the time I am back on my offweek, allowing me to get out and enjoy it all. All the same, I am certainly looking forward to the warmer weather. Although it is great when the ice is nice and plastic, the hazards of falling ice and bursting ice dams (water trapped behind ice that is suddenly released) do tend to scare me

Volunteer comment 2011-03-30 23:01:59.000 - KD Talbot,  Summit Volunteer Stage Office in rime. Excerpts from Nicholas Howe's intense read: Not Without PerilChapter 14The Summit As Home"The Presidential Range is unique among the major mountains because the highest point has been an outpost of civilization from the earliest days. The first party to spend the night on the summit of Mount Washington went up in July 1784 and the mountain they climbed had been called, variously, Agiocochook, Waumbekket-methna, Christall Hill, and Trinity Heights. When they came down it was called Mount Washington, because the six climbers had gone up for a

NULL 2011-03-29 16:34:40.000 - Steve Welsh,  IT Observer With the arrival of Spring, just over a week ago now, and mild temperatures during last off shift I really thought we had turned the corner and with the days now getting longer summer would soon be here. It was quite a shock to come back to the summit where we have had a week stuck mostly in freezing fog with temperatures well below normal and constant strong winds - it is definitely still winter up here. I for one am really looking forward to returning to the valley tomorrow - it

NULL 2011-03-28 23:20:20.000 - Mike Carmon,  Staff Meteorologist Vicious! My fears that Marty had turned his back on me were alleviated last night.I hadn't seen my furry feline friend nearly all week, since an unfortunate incident early on during this shift. With his absence from his usual spots and his favoritism towards other individuals on the summit, I was apprehensive that I had lost my sole nighttime companion.However, much to my delight, my pawed pal made his way up to the weather room last night, where he plopped in his usual spot on the weather desk, and settled in to

March not going out like a lamb 2011-03-27 19:47:40.000 - David Quigley,  Summit Intern NULL March does not seem like it will be going out like a lamb this year. What an interesting beginning to Spring it has been. Nine days ago, last Friday, it was 60 degrees and sunny. I was very comfortable skiing in a t-shirt. Today, I woke up to a temperature of -9 and winds gusting into the 80s. The wind did not let up all day and temperatures barely broke the zero degree mark. In between I skied 9 inches of powder at Wildcat and

NULL 2011-03-26 20:04:51.000 - Stacey Kawecki,  Observer and Meteorologist NULL Stacey here, reporting from Ohio. Why am I not on the summit? Well, I embarked on a mission to Michigan to help me make decisions about my future (aka, I was visiting a school). I am about to get in my car and head back home for the remainder of the week (a place where I haven't spent much time in the past few months). However, I have a problem.A long time ago, observer Ryan Knapp wrote about earworms. They sound gross, but they're really just songs that get stuck

NULL 2011-03-25 20:20:40.000 - Mike Carmon,  Staff Meteorologist It has been decidedly hushed since our shift has returned to the summit on Wednesday.One reason is the lack of overnight trips to this point. This has been the quietest week in that respect since trip season began in December. No major change in this situation is expected, as there is a scant one EduTrip scheduled this shift, which is due to arrive on the summit tomorrow. With summer fast approaching, this trend will only continue, as we prepare to switch gears with the opening of the Cog, Auto Road, and Sherman

Brush and Pen 2011-03-24 15:01:48.000 - Cara Rudio,  Marketing and Communications Coordinator NULL When you work for a nonprofit scientific institution whose main operations are located on top of a mountain, you don't often have the opportunity to get dressed up and experience the finer things in life. On the rare occasion that we do host a person of stature, it's typically to load them into a snow tractor and hope the summit volunteers have remembered to put the spit and shine on the living quarters. Not exactly an occasion for heels and jewelry.Given these circumstances, you can understand my

NULL 2011-03-23 22:18:26.000 - Ed O Malley,  Summit Volunteer NULL Without the first intrepid visitors to the summit in 1870, and the colonization of the summit by the fledgling Observatory in 1932, it is likely that many of us who enjoy Mt. Washington today would not have the opportunity to visit here, or even know of the mountain's existence. The experiences of those who have visited Mt. Washington or the Observatory, and retold those stories, are what make the mountain unforgettable. The ongoing presence of the Observatory on the summit, the New Hampshire state park, and the protective cloak of