Mount Washington Tanning Salon?

2013-03-11 16:48:51.000 – Mike Dorfman,  Summit Intern

Rime Covers the Stage Office on the Summit

Although this week’s weather started off under the influence of a coastal storm that dropped over 2 feet of snow in the Boston area, it seemed as if finicky Mother Nature decided to spare outdoor enthusiasts this weekend. The summit cleared for the first time in 5 days on Friday, revealing thick rime ice covering everything on the summit. With a building ridge of high pressure, skies cleared, temperatures warmed, and winds dropped off allowing the Rockpile to look more like an outdoor tanning salon than the site of the world’s second fastest land wind speed. It seemed as if over one hundred people made it to the summit and were enjoying the beautiful weather on Saturday.

It is important to remember that even with a spring-like feeling creeping into the valleys, winter still has a strong grip in the mountains. A hike through beautiful, calm weather can quickly turn into a terrifying crawl through hurricane force winds with little visibility and bone-chilling cold. Be sure to check the higher summits forecast before you head into the mountains, and if you’re heading into avalanche terrain visit the Mount Washington Avalanche Center’s website for an avalanche forecast for Huntington and Tuckerman Ravines.

Mike Dorfman,  Summit Intern