NULL 2010-08-25 22:28:55.000 - Mary C. Watkinson,  Summit Volunteer NULL When my good friend Barbara Francis told me she wanted to volunteer at the Mt. Washington Observatory...I said 'Let's do it.' I love Mt. Washington and I love to hike. What could be better. I really didn't know what to expect, but I didn't realize what different types of systems are up here to make the mountain operate. Barbara and I had some good laughs the first few days as we were 'feeling' our way around. She dropped the pizza the first night...then the next day I set the fire

Reflecting on my Summer 2010-08-24 18:57:38.000 - Rebecca Scholand,  Summit Intern CAVU It is hard to imagine that only eight shifts ago I started my summer internship on the summit of Mount Washington. When I look at all I have learned and experienced, it amazed me. I have grown as an individual and gained a wealth of knowledge. I am truly going to miss the time I have spent here but look forward to what the future might bring. Looking back at all I have done on the summit it is bittersweet. Remembering my first week and my initial view

Marty says hello 2010-08-23 19:57:22.000 - Marty,  Summit Cat NULL Hello fellow fans,Marty here again. Ryane, the museum attendant, mentioned everyone has been asking about meeeeowwww so I decided to give you an update on what I've been up to. It's beginning to get colder here which means winter is on its way and all my rodent friends won't be around to play.Have no fear - Ryane has been keeping meeeooowwww busy with string she always brings up. We also had a nice couple bring us a big plant which I have taken to playing in when I get sick

Rain Rain Rain 2010-08-22 23:03:06.000 - Mike Finnegan,  IT Observer Well, I didn't get to have my Dad and Kathy write a comment last night. After an excellent dinner of spaghetti and salad, we sat down to watch Get Smart and had a wonderful time laughing. Bed soon followed, and when we awoke this morning, the rain had arrived during the night. The whole northeast is pretty much getting hammered with rain, heavy at times. In the forecast, we have been mentioning the possibility for flash floods, especially in the gulfs and ravines of the White Mountains. Another area of

A Bike Race and my Dad 2010-08-21 17:56:07.000 - Mike Finnegan,  IT Observer NULL It has been another nice day here on the summit. I awoke not only to low winds and lots of sunshine, but also to a whole lot of people. This surprised me because it was not yet 6:00 AM, but then I remembered it was the day of the Mount Washington Autoroad Bicycle Hillclimb. The day was spent taking observations, explaining the concept of a sling psychrometer to a number of folks, and petting any dog I could find. Clouds slowly built in overhead and as

Satisfying Start to a Shift 2010-08-20 20:58:30.000 - Rebecca Scholand,  Summit Intern Marty at Sunset Driving up the mountain Wednesday morning I wondered what this week might have in store for my last shift as a summer intern. So far I have not been disappointed, but rather elated with the weather, views, and good times there have been. In the few short days I have been here this shift a lot has been going on. Arriving Wednesday I immediately jumped into my role as tour guide as I had three back to back tours. Weather wise through intermittent fog a

NICE!!! 2010-08-19 23:47:02.000 - Ryan Knapp,  Staff Meteorologist The end of a NICE day! There are BAD day, there are OK days, and then there are NICE days. Today was one of those NICE days. And I wasn't the only one that thought it was a nice day up here or in New Hampshire. I heard it from tourists in the Sherman Adams rotunda, on the observation deck, from our guests on the Summit Adventure trip, our intern, our day observer, Gus from State Park and from an overwhelming amount of Facebook status updates from friends and businesses around the

Two down but not out yet 2010-08-18 22:30:22.000 - Ryan Knapp,  Staff Meteorologist Intermittent sunset today. When I said I would do a quick comment this evening, my coworkers scoffed because I don't tend to write short comments. But, I'll show them; the whole five of them that are up here. Had I said this last shift, I would have been scoffed at by seven coworkers but this week, it was only five. We have reverted back to a crew size similar to when I first started here (two observers, an intern, the museum attendant and the two volunteers) for

NULL 2010-08-17 20:35:11.000 - Stacey Kawecki,  Observer and Meteorologist a view finder, for a different vantage point I could write all kinds of contemplative thoughts about life, music, goals, and/or weather, but really, I'm just happy that tomorrow is Wednesday. It's been a rather busy day, and unlike with most jobs, leaving at the end of the day just isn't feasible. They say it's the darkest before the dawn, and that the sun will come out tomorrow (whether or not you can see it is a completely different question) and that higher beings often work in mysterious ways. Ok, I

Musical Mountain 2010-08-16 23:44:35.000 - Mike Carmon,  Staff Meteorologist A Melodic Deviation Let me deviate, for one comment, away from the usual topics of discussion that you're accustomed to occupying this small portion of cyberspace. Instead, I'll take a journey into one of my interests, perhaps THE interest of mine, that has been essential to my existence and even plays a vital role in my day-to-day (or, more accurately, night-to-night) life on the summit. And, contrary to what many of my friends, co-workers, and acquaintances might be thinking at this point, the hobby I speak of is NOT weather. On