Meow. 2008-11-27 13:19:15.000 - Jordan Scampoli,  Summit Intern Hitchin a ride. Yesterday was my introduction into the winter commute to work on Mount Washington. Since the summit and the valley have seen snow and ice in the past few days, the only way we could reach the summit was via the snowcat. Luckily everything went off without a hitch (except for the cat-to-cat jumpstart), but I think my first ride has given me the impression that riding in the cat is comfortable, easy, and fun – which I have been assured, it is not. Our cat is parked part of

Volunteer notes... 2008-11-25 16:34:41.000 - The Weeks,  Summit Volunteer A shot of the tower from earlier in the week. The weather, the people, the food, the photos...My third volunteer week on the summit... Typical Mount Washington weather - everything from temperatures in the teens, relatively clear, sunny, and calm, to below zero temps, double-digit below-zero wind chills, zero visibility, and gusts over 100mph. One of the reasons that I always enjoy coming up here.My third shift with Brian and Ryan... (plus Intern Mike!) Typical Brian and Ryan - everything from helping Brian install new test equipment on the tower, in

Life with Marty 2008-11-24 17:08:08.000 - Mike Carmon,  Summit Intern Marty taking a load off When I came to the Observatory in August, I was expecting many new experiences. High winds, lots of snow and freezing cold temperatures, and long weeks living in close quarters. But I was not expecting the antics of the resident feline at the Observatory, Marty.Many times my wake up call in the morning is Marty scratching at my door. I’ll walk to the door, open it, and all I see are two eyes staring up at me, because the living area is completely dark at

Scrat and I... 2008-11-23 21:30:43.000 - Ryan Knapp,  Staff Meteorologist NULL One of my favorite movies of all time is “Ice Age.” It is an animated movie that is about a bunch of prehistoric animals that are trying to return a lost baby to it parents. I know it is not realistic but it is funny every time I watch it. My favorite character is Scrat, which is a saber tooth squirrel like creature that is always getting into trouble as he seeks out his favorite food, acorns. So why do I mention all this? Because, working on the summit,

Good or Bad? 2008-11-22 17:20:08.000 - Mike Carmon,  Summit Intern The end of the good weather shift? Good things come to those who wait. This shift has been a perfect example of that statement. Before I continue with the rest of my comment here, I should probably clue you in that there is a difference between “good” in the typical sense and “good” in a meteorological sense. I’ll be using both throughout the rest of my comment. Our shift has been dubbed the “good weather shift” (in this situation I mean “good” as you would normally think of it—sunny skies,

Cold Weather and Media Attention 2008-11-21 17:56:25.000 - Brian Clark,  Observer A brief break in the fog today As expected, the unseasonable cold has continued on the summit today. So far, we have reached a maximum temperature of 0.9 degrees above zero and we certainly aren’t going to top that this evening; the temperature has been falling the last 5 hours or so and will continue to do so through the night. In fact, there is a good chance that by tomorrow morning we challenge the record low for November 22. Right now, that record is 11 below zero set

Big Changes 2008-11-20 15:45:44.000 - Brian Clark,  Observer Anyone that is even somewhat familiar with Mount Washington knows that the weather can change drastically in relatively short periods of time. This has certainly been the case over the last few days. Four days ago, temperatures were in the mid 40’s and it was raining. Five days ago, the daily record high for November 15 was broken (the previous record was 45 degrees set back in 1993). However yesterday, upon arriving on the summit for the start of a new shift, my crew was greeted by temperatures just below zero with

Stacey's going to Hawaii 2008-11-18 16:55:37.000 - Stacey Kawecki,  Observer Can you say mai tai? For those of you who don’t know, I will be taking a vacation, my first since beginning my stint as Educational Observer in August of 2007. Now, some would argue that I get a vacation every other week. I beg to differ. I get my weekends every other week. One of the great advantages of working 80+ hours per week is that when you finally take your vacation, you get a whopping three weeks without work. I’ve decided to take that time to visit my

Casey's first week on the summit! 2008-11-17 16:33:40.000 - Casey Taylor,  Outreach Educator First (and only) sunset Having worked with the Appalachian Mountain Club at Pinkham Notch for much of the past year, I had grown accustomed to Mount Washington being a part of daily life. I would wake up every morning and would immediately check to see what the weather on the summit was, and would constantly explain to school groups about the extreme weather found “on the rockpile.” Now, as the new Outreach Educator for the Observatory, I have been lucky enough to gain a new perspective on

adjusting back to the valley 2008-11-16 13:35:29.000 - Jeff Wehrwein,  Summit Intern The only blue sky we've seen all week. Living on the summit of Mount Washington brings many new perspectives to the rest of one's life. In many ways, it is like living on another planet, especially in the wintery months. For more than half the year, traveling to and from the summit is a strenuous activity, and it is nearly impossible at times. The climate is starkly different from the area around us, and one must hike at least a mile to see trees, lakes, ponds, or rivers