Polycom and Marty 2009-07-20 23:23:05.000 - Brian Clark,  Observer and Meteorologist Marty! Probably just about everyone reading this has, at some point in their lives, started a project that ended up taking a significant amount more time than originally planned. This was certainly the case for me this shift.As Hedda mentioned in her comment several days ago, I have been working on installing a brand new Polycom video conferencing system here on the summit. This Polycom will give us greater functionality and flexibility in how we present our Live from the Rockpile presentations to the Weather Discovery Center, as well

How high are you? 2009-07-19 17:01:29.000 - Ryan Knapp,  Staff Meteorologist A view from the highest point in the NE. From an early age, we are taught to list things. It starts with the ABC's and the 123's and proceeds from there. Learning to list things teaches us how to order an array of items to either bring placement, rank, organization, or accomplishment. And while some of us live by lists, others generate lists subconsciously. Let me show you some examples of what I mean.We wake up and do our morning routine. It might play out by visiting the bathroom

Unexpected Visitors 2009-07-18 17:51:48.000 - Mike Finnegan,  IT Observer Food Fight Aftermath Yesterday was an interesting day, filled with a multitude of great visitors to the summit. The first ones to pass through were Jeff and Scott Wehrwein. Jeff was an intern last summer who continued on until December and Scott is his brother, a current intern on the other shift. They were doing a Presidential traverse and stopped in to say hello. Talking to them today, they finished up in the dark around 9:30 last night. Nice job, lads! It was nice to finally see the two of them

July 17th, 2009 2009-07-17 15:55:14.000 - Hedda Peterson,  Summit Intern Brian hard at work! Things on the summit have begun to pick up once again! There has been a steady flow of tours and the museum has been busy. We had a stream of unexpected visitors today, which always makes for an interesting break from the daily routine. Two longtime volunteers, Al and Marion, even brought us a delicious cheese cake! We have managed to stay in the clear for most of today. Early this morning I took a short walk. For once, the fog was elsewhere, blanketing the valley

"First half is over already?" Comment - Alex 2009-07-16 15:53:03.000 - Alex Jacques,  Summit Intern The anemometer we put up, in front of the pitot. Yesterday marked the beginning of the second half of my internship. I can't believe how fast this (and my summer) have gone.I have learned a lot from the observers on my shift. After shadowing numerous observations during the first few weeks I got the chance to conduct some of my own last shift. The amount of work and detail in each of these hourly observations is incredible. The code used for them is just as

NULL 2009-07-15 07:13:36.000 - Patti and Sue,  Summit Volunteers NULL Even coming to this mountain multiple times as volunteers, it's always a different experience. Stacy's comment yesterday summarized many of the new experiences this week, but she didn't mention the friendliness of the staff! We've shared many great conversations and laughs, and we've played games and watched movies together in the evenings.Our first four full days here brought sunny skies and time for hikes in between baking cookies, muffins and breads for lunch and snacks and getting the evening meal ready at 7 Obs time (which is 8 Valley time

of camels and weather 2009-07-14 08:49:23.000 - Stacey Kawecki,  Observer and Meteorologist nothing gold can stay Between camels, revenge-seeking cyclists, and an amazing assortment of weather, it has been a very interesting week. Beginning on Wednesday, we were greeted at the base of the Mount Washington Auto Road with a warning: Beware of the camel. Well, upon arriving on the summit, Josh (the camel) was hanging out by Tip Top House, Marty was cautiously curious, and an assortment of Obs and State people were milling about, trying to get a picture. Josh was pretty much the only surprising element on

Flashback! 2009-07-13 05:40:15.000 - Mike Carmon,  Observer and Meteorologist Flashback! I was sitting in the weather room this morning watching the fog roll in and out and caught a glimpse of the Northern Presidentials, partially obscured by clouds. I'm not sure why, but it brought a wave of reflection for me. I suddenly became aware that I have now been atop the summit for every month of the year. This brought back some intriguing memories.It took me back to a muggy mid-July day in South Plainfield, NJ. I had just returned from an evening jog, and decided to check my

Newton's Revenge Bicycle Race 2009-07-11 17:08:50.000 - Scott Wehrwein,  Summit Intern Newton's Revenge Today was Newton's Revenge, one of two annual bicycle races held on the Mount Washington Auto Road. I spent the morning outside watching the racers finish and marveling at their athletic ability. The course is a brutal one, a 7.6-mile road that twists, turns, and skirts nauseating cliffs as it climbs 4723 vertical feet to the 6288-foot summit. In the portion of the race I was watching—just when the end is in sight—the course turns onto the handicap access road, a short stretch of about 50 meters

NULL 2009-07-10 07:28:59.000 - Amy Terborg,  Summit Intern NULL On my off shift this past week I decided to fly back home for the Fourth of July. It was raining and cloudy as I drove to Manchester, and it was raining as my flight took off. When I got to Michigan it only rained the first day, but then it was warm and sunny for the rest of the time. It was quite a nice surprise to have this bright thing shining in my eyes and warming my skin. Then early Tuesday morning I returned to New Hamsphire and, what