National Geographic Article

2009-01-15 08:54:10.000 – Scot Henley,  Executive Director

National Geographic photographer Jose Azel

Today is a big day for all of us here at the Mount Washington Observatory.You see, today is the day that the February 2009 edition of NationalGeographic Magazine is released, which includes a fantastic 12-page featureon Mount Washington.

Through impressive photography by Maine-based photojournalist Jose Azel andthe first-hand accounts of the author, Neil Shea, the article illustratesthat New Englanders and visitors need to look no further than their ownbackyard to find Arctic conditions that rival any other extreme location onthe planet. Hey, we already know that. However, nearly eight million peoplewill read about Mount Washington’s incredible extremes and learn about thework of our organization, in the English language version of NationalGeographic or in one of 31 local-language editions of the magazine.

Shea does an excellent job of describing the awe and wonder that MountWashington’s winter conditions inspire. He also documents how easy it is toget into trouble on the mountain. It happened to him not once, but twice.

Azel’s collection of photos in the magazine are nothing short ofbreathtaking. I’ve seen a lot of photographs over the years of our crew atwork and of the Observatory’s iconic tower on the summit, but the imagesthat were chosen for the article are the best I’ve ever seen. Through morethan a dozen overnight trips to the summit over the last two winters, Azelwas successful in capturing the essence of being a Mount Washington weatherobserver, living and working in one of the most forbidding locations on theplanet.

We are proud to be a part of this project and we thank National Geographicauthor Neil Shea, photojournalist José Azel and communications director BethFoster for their roles in putting together a great story and helping uspromote our involvement in it.

Click the magazine image at the top of the page to learn more about how itcame together and to navigate to the story on the National Geographicwebsite.

Scot Henley,  Executive Director