Emily's comment 2009-01-08 11:19:05.000 - Summit Volunteer,  Summit Volunteer NULL I received one of two responses when I told people I was going to be volunteering at the Mt. Washington Observatory for New Year's week: 'Wow! I wish I could go too!' or 'You must be completely out of your mind.' After hearing about my week up here, more people have fallen into the group that thinks I'm crazy. We dealt with such challenges as lost equipment, 138 mph winds, -20 F temperatures (before windchill), cooking for an EduTrip and a day trip, and 3 of the 6 of us

Volunteer notes. 2009-01-07 01:44:04.000 - Lisa Carruthers,  Summit Volunteer NULL Spending the last eight days on the Summit has been an incredible experience for my daughter and myself. Being here for the high winds and low wind chill of New Years Day made it especially exciting. We celebrated New Years Eve on New England's Rooftop, and toasted in 2009 with Brian Clark and Diane Holmes, on duty for the State Park. After a celebratory New Years Day Dinner we were treated to views of the lights in Portland, ME as well as the glow from Montreal on the horizon from

2008/2009. 2009-01-05 17:30:57.000 - Ryan Knapp,  Staff Meteorologist A blank slate. The year 2008 came to a close on Wednesday and I ushered in 2009 the same way I usher in every new day on the summits - changing our recording charts. While the rest of the crew was watching the ball drop, I waited upstairs counting down to midnight (as always) and then quickly switching out the old charts with new blank charts. In the back of my mind though, I looked at the Hays chart and could not help but think of a few metaphors for this particular

PSU Intern. 2009-01-04 22:01:54.000 - Jeffrey Viel,  Summit Intern Outside in the wind. My name is Jeffrey Viel, and I am currently a junior at Plymouth State University majoring in meteorology. As an intern here at the Mount Washington Observatory, I have several responsibilities to manage throughout the week. Not only am I conducting a research project based here at the summit, but I am also contributing to the work of the observers and helping with their daily tasks.I have had a thrilling experience this first week at the Mount Washington Observatory. It all started early Tuesday morning, when we

Back from "Vacation" 2009-01-03 21:16:30.000 - Brian Clark,  Observer What I Partially Tore In My Knee It's good to be back on the summit after a very unplanned "vacation" for my shift previous to this one. On the Monday night before that shift, I was playing ice hockey. As I was trying to get up off the ice at one point, I twisted my knee to the extent that it popped out of joint and then back in again. Not a pleasant feeling, and as someone that is very active in sports that see frequent knee injuries (soccer, skiing, etc.),

2009 In Like a Freight Train! 2009-01-02 14:44:12.000 - Mike Finnegan,  IT Observer It seems the weather is full of surprises this holiday season, saving some of the most extreme for the beginning of the New Year. I awoke yesterday to the comforting sound of a freight train outside my bedroom window and was eager to get up to see just how high the winds were and how cold it had become through the night. Winds were sustained around 100 mph and the temperature was a bitter cold -21F. This was not a day to have any exposed skin! As

NULL 2008-12-31 15:10:39.000 - Peter Crane,  Director of Programs NULL If you are a regular reader of the Observer comments, you already have a grasp of some of the challenges and satisfactions of being atop Mount Washington in winter - a place where both the winds and the views can be in the 100 mile range (sometimes), where rime ice is a near constant companion, and where a three-quarters-of-a-century heritage of scientific work is carried on. At times, it's like a piece of the Arctic (or the Himalayas) that's been transported to New England.For about 15 years, the Observatory has

last comment 2008-12-30 07:42:46.000 - Jeff Wehrwein,  Summit Intern My last sunset When I first started at the Observatory in May, I didn't really have any idea what I was getting into. The idea of living on top of a mountain sounded great, and my interest in weather and computers fit with the criteria for interns. The details of what I would actually do or where I would sleep and eat weren't really my main concern. As I reflect on the experience, I have trouble thinking of many moments that I didn't enjoy. This is thanks in large part to

Volunter 2008-12-29 21:00:15.000 - John and Susan Van Slooten,  Summit Volunteers Sunset - December 29th 2008 When asked 'Why would you drive 900 miles to volunteer on the top of a mountain over Christmas?' We answer, 'It's about the people. It's about the organizations. It's about the weather.' This is our third Christmas on the summit of Mount Washington with the MWO. Did it in 2004, 2006, now 2008. Each time unique. This year, as last time, we first volunteered with the North Conway Believe in Book's 'Polar Express' as elves before coming up to the summit on Dec 23rd.

Century Club 2008-12-28 19:44:44.000 - Steve Welsh,  IT Observer NULL What is going on with the weather? Last Tuesday when we came up to the summit we had a couple of feet of snow and everything was white. Over the week we have seen several periods of rain and temperatures well over 32 degrees. In fact we set a new daily record high temperature of 42 degrees on Saturday and equaled the daily high temperature on Sunday, again 42 degrees. Needless to say the snow pack has suffered terribly and we are down to rocks with patches of icy snow.