The Rockpile 2015-07-28 08:12:20.000 - Peter Purvis, Summit Museum Attendant   Over 200,000 people visit the summit of Mt. Washington in a typical year. While a number of hikers make the climb, many arrive via one of our supporting partners, the Mt. Washington Auto Road or the Mt. Washington Cog Railway. Even if you "catch a ride" to the top, you may want to do a little hiking. Living on the summit, I get a chance to do some shorter hikes in the evening and I’d like to share a few suggestions to consider for your next visit. Tuckerman Ravine

What a Week! 2015-07-20 14:22:18.000 - Elena Weinberg, Summit Intern   I am now the majority of the way through my internship and I cannot believe it has gone so quickly. This internship has been an incredible experience on so many levels. I have learned about this mountain, its history, and the geological development of the Appalachians; I have learned about forecasting weather, instrument maintenance and calibration, and have been able to hone life skills like public speaking. I am learning so much and am so appreciative of this opportunity I have had to explore myself further and make great

Notes About Saturday 2015-07-17 18:02:32.000 - Ryan Knapp, Weather Observer/Staff Meteorologist   Tomorrow is our annual Seek the Peak event. Every year we hope that the weather is going to be spectacular – sunny, calm, warm, unlimited views, etc. In the 14 years of Seek the Peak, some years saw weather that was in fact spectacular. However, for most years, Mt Washington does what it does best and provides hikers with one or two elements of “bad” weather – rain, fog, high winds, cold, etc. But a small handful of years, the weather sets up to live up to our

A Volunteer's Muse 2015-07-07 21:17:52.000 - Keil Davis and Josie Paul, Summit Volunteers     “Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop away from you like the leaves of Autumn.”― John Muir  The high pitch trilled call of the Cedar Waxwing pierced my ear as a flock fluttered overhead on a comfortably cool July morning. They lit in a nearby tree as I was standing there with Josie, my friend and

Reminiscing on Good Memories 2015-07-02 16:25:32.000 - Charlie and Jeanine Kinney, Summit Volunteers   It is now July and the last day of our first summer week volunteering here in several years. A mere two days to go until a significant day in our history. We have enjoyed, as always, the uniqueness of this place including watching the waves of tourists arriving daily. The weather, as changeable as ever, still provided time for a hike to the Lakes of the Clouds hut which I hadn't visited in some time.   The most important aspect of this trip, however, became the

Aurora on the Summit 2015-06-23 17:31:29.000 - Michael Dorfman, Weather Observer/IT Specialist   Last night’s show was absolutely incredible. While we don’t forecast aurora events here on the summit, we were waiting in anticipation for a good chance of seeing an aurora if we cleared. We were forecasted to be in the fog all evening, so we didn’t have high hopes that we would see much. Surprisingly, right around sunset, the fog cleared off the summit, giving us a beautiful view to the North. Staring into the dusky northern skies as the sun set, I was imagining what was happening,

A Busy Weekend 2015-06-20 18:10:14.000 - Kaitlyn O'Brien, Co-Director of Summit Operations   What a perfect day for the Mount Washington Road Race! Year after year it’s still amazing to watch these individuals challenge themselves to the 7.6 mile hillclimb to the summit. This year, the fastest runner made an impressive time of 58:15. Congratulations to all of those who ran today! In addition to the Road Race, there are several additional activities going on this weekend. Later this evening, the Auto Road will hold a private event “MINIs on Top”, when the summit will be inundated with all kinds

Another Week at 6,288 feet! 2015-06-18 10:13:30.000 - Thailynn Munroe, Summit Intern   As my second shift week on the summit comes to a close, I can’t believe how fast the weeks go by. I feel like it was yesterday that I was up here in April for my final interview, when there was snow and ice everywhere and the wind chill was in the negative 30s. Each week I learn more about the summit and its history, as well as meet the most amazing and interesting people. This week, one of our volunteers was related to Bob Monahan, one

Seek The Peak Is Coming 2015-06-16 17:14:19.000 - Michael Kyle, Weather Observer/IT Specialist   As Seek the Peak is quickly approaching it is getting to be the time to start preparing for all the hiking that will be going on that day. Mike Carmon our shift leader and member of “The Watchers on the Wall” has taken it upon himself to start making sure that his teammates are prepared for the hiking that is ahead of us. You can see in our new Seek the Peak video that Mike gets everyone on his shift up and moving around. While some

Feeling Under the Cast 2015-06-16 06:15:25.000 - Mike Carmon, Co-Director of Summit Operations   There’s those mornings of summit life when I wake up to a stubborn fog bank--nothing to see but grey, and nothing to feel but a soupy mist rolling by my face. Then, we have those clear mornings, with some clouds above, and visibility spanning for over one-hundred miles. It's a nice reminder that we're not an island in the fog up here, but just one single part of a grandiose landscape called the White Mountains. This morning's scene, however, consisted of one of the more spectacular