I Like the Sun 2010-12-24 17:31:42.000 - Mike Finnegan,  IT Observer Knapper Takes in the Sunset Today has been a fine day filled with fine views. This morning I awoke before the sun and completed my first observation under the soft blue light of a newly waning moon. By the next observation, the sun was rising over the Atlantic, casting soft pink color on the tower with an undercast below and the moon above, enjoying the beginning of the day as well. As the sun rose a bit higher, the color of the alpineglow intensified, casting its friendly light on

Weather Surprises 2010-12-23 22:28:20.000 - Brian Clark,  Observer and Meteorologist NULL When it comes to the weather, some surprises are better than others. A bright, sunny day on the summit when it was supposed to be foggy is often a pleasant thing, especially if we have been stuck in the clouds for several days straight. On the other hand, a storm that was supposed to bring snow and unexpectedly turns to rain is not considered a pleasant surprise by those of us on the summit. Yesterday's weather brought a surprise; in this case a good one. What was supposed to

Volunteer week comment 2010-12-22 22:09:54.000 - Charlie and Jeanine Kinney,  Summit Volunteers Twas two nights before Christmas and all over the MountThere were wind speeds and snow flakes too many to countThe crew was preparing to escape via catTo join friends and family cause that's where it's atOn Kristen and Stacey on Mike and on JenOn Steve, Charlie and Jeanine off to the GlenAnother Christmas is about to arrive It's a wonderful time to be alive! Christmas is rapidly approaching. A time for reconnecting with friends and family, a time for giving and receiving, and a time for reflecting on

NULL 2010-12-21 16:11:40.000 - Jennifer Finn,  Summit Intern The Bad Weather Shift Well, call me a maple tree, 'cause this one is going to be sappy.Out of all the days of the week, Tuesday is, in my humble opinion, the least significant. Monday is, well, Monday. Wednesday marks the halfway point of the week. Thursday means that Friday is just around the corner. Friday is the end of the week, and the weekend is just within reach. And, of course, Saturday and Sunday are days to sit back and relax. So where does Tuesday fit in?Despite it not being my

NULL 2010-12-20 15:43:38.000 - Kristin Raisanen,  Summit Intern A snowier view than when my internship started The Christmas festivities that Stacey and Mike spoke of earlier this week continued yesterday! Jen and I attempted to spread the Christmas cheer in the weather room with an old favorite, the construction paper chain. Last night, Charlie and Jeanine treated us to our own little holiday party filled with bacon wrapped scallops, red pepper jelly, spinach and artichoke dip, Swedish meatballs and a Christmas tree shaped cake with our own individual cake presents. Everything was delicious and it definitely felt like a Christmas

NULL 2010-12-19 23:36:36.000 - Stacey Kawecki,  Observer and Meteorologist NULL Two weeks ago, Kristin wrote about Sundays being sunny. Once again, Sunday lives up to its name! After the Steve's first observation, he started telling me how beautiful it was outside. I immediately dressed for outside and went to check it out for myself.I was not disappointed! Cool, crisp air of 6 degrees, nearly calm winds, and an undercast set the tone for my star-gazing experience. The undercast blocked a lot of the light pollution from the surrounding valleys and, like people who are obsessed with the weather, I looked

NULL 2010-12-18 23:15:50.000 - Mike Carmon,  Staff Meteorologist A Festive Obs With Christmas fast approaching, the mood on the summit has taken a much more festive tone. Our living quarters have been decorated with stockings, trimmings, lights, and even a pint-sized Christmas Tree with a tiny Santa to match (atop the TV). Our volunteers this week, Charlie and Jeanine, have provided us with a steady stream of sweet treats, which have kept all of our moods at a sugary high.The weather outside is not quite frightful, however, as winds have been nothing short of feeble for the first half of

NULL 2010-12-17 23:14:58.000 - Stacey Kawecki,  Observer and Meteorologist NULL This week we have Charlie and Janine Kinney - long time veteran volunteers - on the rock pile with us. I had been preparing mentally for some time. I know their cooking style: decadent, delicious, and bountiful. Already we've been treated to fudge, chocolate chip cookies, oatmeal raisin cookies, pumpkin pie and cinnamon buns. Dinners have been just as good - delicious and nutritious. In addition to feeding us into new dress sizes, they have also decked the halls, so to say, of the living room, making it much more

Volunteer Blurb 2010-12-16 16:26:42.000 - Sue And Mike Zlogar,  Summit Volunteers Undercast Another week finishes on the summit for Mike and me; as always Brian, Ryan, Mike and soon to be returning to Seattle the summit's awesome intern Erica, were fabulous crew mates to serve with on the Good Ship Rockpile. We were also blessed to have with us for the second half of the shift Mike Conroy who was happy to employ Mike Zlogar to help put up the ceiling tiles in the crew living spaces. Due to the confined nature of the deck below, the atmosphere remained fairly

NULL 2010-12-15 16:35:01.000 - Mike Carmon,  Staff Meteorologist Land Ho! Winter shift changes are almost always more eventful than summer ones. True, there are no tourist vehicles on the road. But the dangers of snow, wind, freezing fog, and mechanical failures are much more daunting than a novice Auto Road traveler.Today was the inaugural trip of our Snow Tractor for the Winter 2010-2011 season. This is personally my third winter working here, and it is the latest I've had to wait to take the premiere trek up the road in our Snow (not-technically-a-)Cat. But weather conditions on Wednesdays have been