Hermit Lake plug 2009-06-02 06:11:11.000 - Cara Rudio,  Marketing and Communications Coordinator NULL It's not every day that an accomplished scientist welcomes the general public to tag along on a research expedition, but this weekend that is exactly what we're inviting you to do.Join Biologist Scott Smyers and Mount Washington Observatory Educator Casey Taylor June 6-7 for 'Hermit Lake Adventure,' an overnight exploration of this high alpine pond. Located about halfway up Mount Washington at the base of Tuckerman Ravine, Hermit Lake is one of the few high-altitude bodies of water in the White Mountains.Smyers has studied the behavior and

Winter returns 2009-06-01 05:25:04.000 - Mike Carmon,  Observer and Meteorologist Winter Returns! Stubborn is a word that comes to mind when I think of winter. The most cold and callous season of the year has decided once again to rear its stubborn head, making a (somewhat unwelcome) return to the summit yesterday. For most of this week, we had been enjoying temperatures in the 40s and experiencing weather more indicative of summer (wet and soupy fog, thunderstorms, hail, etc.). However, a nasty cold front blasted its way through yesterday, bringing about some dramatic changes.At 4:45 p.m. EST yesterday, the temperature

Hailstone Ice Cream 2009-05-31 09:14:34.000 - Amy Terborg,  Summit Intern Aftermath of the Hailstorm Yesterday was my first chance to see a thunderstorm from the summit. We were literally inside the storm! One minute it was raining the next there was lima bean seed sized hail bouncing off the side of the tower. It was an amazing sight to see as the hail piled up all around the summit.The fun didn't end there though. Unbeknownst to me there was an ice cream maker ball downstairs in the kitchen. Stacey decided we should make good use of the piles of hail

An undercast morning gives us a brief break from the fog. 2009-05-30 11:44:34.000 - Scott Wehrwein,  Summit Intern View to the Northeast Undercast! In addition to the joy of being able to see further than 100 feet, which we hadn't since we got here on Wednesday, I got the extra thrill of my first real undercast viewed from solid ground this morning. I had seen a layer of clouds below me from an airplane, but it's different to be standing on a land mass that rises up through the clouds. Watching the clouds tumbling over the Northern Presidentials and slowly

Friday, May 29, 2009 2009-05-29 07:16:25.000 - Amy Terborg,  Summit Intern NULL Today started as another day in the fog. I woke to winds whistling outside my window, a sound which is fast becoming a familiar one. For this afternoon it looks like more intern training is on the agenda for me. That, and trying to get Marty to show some affection (though I'm told that it is an impossible task). I still can't believe that I'm living on Mount Washington, though the view (fog) could have something do with that. It's hard to know you're so high up when

NULL 2009-05-29 07:10:59.000 - Cindy L. Terry,  Summit Volunteer NULL As I close my 7th season on the mountain as a volunteer, I am reflecting upon skier safety and how this mountain demands that extra care be taken by all that have the pleasure of using it recreationally. Yesterday I was out and about making my way from the summit cone down Lion's Head Trail. Scanning Tuckerman's Ravine I was shocked to see two skiers making their way up the headwall of the Ravine. They picked a path about two hundred feet to the right of the waterfall that always

Thursday, May 28 2009-05-28 07:12:56.000 - Amy Terborg,  Summit Intern NULL It's my second day as summit intern and I've decided I am a pretty lucky person. This morning I looked out the window and could see the mountain tops peeking up from the clouds and even a sliver of blue sky way off in the distance. Yesterday I got to climb all the way to the top of the tower, tag along on observations, and even met Marty. Being a Meteorology major I am really in paradise right now. It doesn't matter if it's raining or blowing so hard

Nothing gold can stay 2009-05-26 20:51:01.000 - Ali Boris,  Summit Intern Final sunset Tomorrow I will join the ranks of the many talented and accomplished former interns of the Mount Washington Observatory. Despite my esteemed company, however, I really don't want to go.The intern experience has clearly been different for each person who's passed through here. For me, it's been a learning experience not only with respect to my research, but also in enjoying life to its fullest. I traveled across the country for this internship not knowing what to expect, and am now seated here on a boulder overlooking

Memorial Day thoughts 2009-05-25 17:18:11.000 - Brian Clark,  Observer and Meteorologist Happy Memorial Day! It has been brought to my attention that the first sentence in the following comment has caused some confusion. I had every intention of honoring those that have died fighting for our country and its freedom, but now realize that the words I chose to express that may not have been the clearest. I also figured that, although it is not necessarily the main intent of the Memorial Day holiday, it is never a bad idea to thank those that are currently serving our country. My

Sunsets and Fireworks 2009-05-24 17:35:52.000 - Mike Finnegan,  IT Observer A Sight Worth Hiking Down For Yesterday was a very nice day to go out and hike. Really, most days are if you approach them with the open mind of experiencing something new. It just takes a bit less planning when it's not blowing 70 mph and wicked cold or the fog isn't limiting visibility to 25 feet. As it turns out, yesterday started off pretty sunny then went into the fog in the afternoon, so I guess it was somewhere in between. With the holiday weekend, the summit has