Where's Waldo 2010-01-17 17:35:48.000 - Ryan Knapp,  Staff Meteorologist Found ya! If you grew up in the late '80's and early '90's, then you are probably familiar with the coffee table book series of 'Where's Waldo'. But if not, let me explain what 'Waldo' was/is all about. Waldo is a cartoon man that has a distinct outfit made up of the following: brown shoes, blue pants, a thick lined red and white long sleeved shirt, a pair of horn-rimed glasses, a red and white striped beanie and a walking cane. Waldo was also a man of travel, taking him to

My First Week 2010-01-16 17:07:07.000 - Nick Lovejoy,  Summit Intern Sunrise This is my first week here on the summit, and what a week it has been so far. On Wednesday as I climbed up into my first snow tractor at the base of the auto road, I was filled with anticipation and excitement. We crept up the side of the mountain slowly, getting higher and higher as I watched the windows of the tractor begin to frost over. When the doors finally opened and that cold burst of air hit my exposed face, I knew I had arrived. The

Bluebird Skies to Fog 2010-01-15 16:20:21.000 - Mike Finnegan,  IT Observer A 'Glory'ous Day! Looking toward the windows as I type this, I remember what it was like yesterday when I looked out the windows. Today they are, for the most part, covered in rime. There is a dense fog outside that is forming this layer of white and grey, a fog thick enough to get turned around in. I was outside retrieving the precipitation can as we do every 6 hours and found myself a ways off when I expected to be nearly to it. Walking over to switch

A good day to get outside 2010-01-14 17:57:36.000 - Brian Clark,  Observer and Meteorologist A happy observer in the East Snowfields Today was one of those rare winter days where winds drop below 10 mph, temperatures are "warm" (low to mid 20's), and the sun is shining brightly. We might see a day like this once a month in the winter and if we're lucky, it's on our shift. Because of this, the summit crew is always sure to take advantage of such fantastic weather by getting outside for various outdoor activities, as the work load allows of course. In

The Lakes 2010-01-13 09:48:19.000 - Al and Marion Lake,  Summit Volunteers Sunrise this morning WOW !!! What a difference a year makes! Marion and I have volunteered at the Observatory since the early 90's and have come to expect changes as the Observatory improves with the times. However, this year is one that ranks at the top of the list!First, we started from the base in the 'new' Bombardier tractor which has a heated compartment for the crew and passengers, and each person has their own cushioned seat facing a flat screen TV. No! We did not watch TV on

High Mountain Haircut 2010-01-12 18:25:49.000 - Drew Hill,  Summit Intern Artist, Marion, works her magic. I woke up this morning to Observer Steve Welsh's voice looping in my head: ''Get a haircut, you hippie.''It had been eight months since I last cut my hair, and, well, it was about time... or at least that's what my parents (and shift leader) had been telling me. Truth be told, the hair-in-the-eye thing kind of gets old-- no matter how dashingly rugged it makes me look (hah!). So, this morning, I solicited Observatory volunteer Marion Lake (you may have heard of her) for

An Intern's First Sunset 2010-01-11 20:31:37.000 - Andrew Foley,  Plymouth State Intern Sunset between two cloud layers Generally speaking when we hope for 'good' weather up on the summit it is something on the order of category 1 hurricane winds, snow, rime and all the wonders that make the summit of Mount Washington so unique. However, the dominant high pressure yesterday was an event that you hope for every once in a while as well. Along with this calm system, winds were only at a lulling 50 mph, with a visibility at a maximum 120+ miles below some higher clouds.

NULL 2010-01-10 20:24:40.000 - Stacey Kawecki,  Observer and Meteorologist NULL First and foremost, Happy Birthday to fellow observer, Mike Finnegan! Two years and one day ago, Mike Finnegan began working as an IT Observer on my shift (I miss him terribly) and that's how I remember both his birthday and his start date. Secondly, the breath-taking beauty of Mount Washington never ceases to amaze me. Fresh blood (interns and visiting guests) always seems to reinvigorate my own appreciation for the mountain and all it has to offer. Their excitement at seeing a sunset, sunrise, interesting cloud formation, high winds, or

Back Again 2010-01-09 22:59:01.000 - Aubrie Pace,  Former Intern NULL Oh, the Summit of Mount Washington! How I have missed thee. It truly is a joy to be up here again on an EduTrip for the MWOBS. I would almost swear it is back to the good ole days of the fall of 2007 when I was a young intern. After an interesting Saturday-- instead of Wednesday-- journey to the summit, the group and I were welcomed by the shift and volunteers. We took a safety tour, ate some lunch, and played in the 61 mph gusts. I then returned

Happy Birthday Elvis 2010-01-08 16:51:24.000 - Drew Hill,  Summit Intern The a-frame greets a sleepy intern. So, I didn't sleep through my alarm this morning. And good thing; 6:30 found me on the observation deck, fighting off frostbite and snapping pictures of a glorious sunrise. Picture this: Undercast to the west. Overcast to the east. A sanguine sun rises slowly in between. The Wildcats, dappled with iridescent fog and coated in an unreal sheen of rime, snake their way along the horizon. Along the southwestern flank of the Presidential ridge, Lakes of the Clouds floats on a strato-cumulus ocean. It