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2011-04-21 16:47:23.000 – Gisela(Gigi) Estes,  Summit Volunteer

an icy summit

Observer Note: We are currently experiencing technical difficulties with our Current Summit Conditions page. We are working to correct the problem, so please bear with us, and check out the Current Summit Conditions in the center of this home page for the latest weather conditions on top. Thank you!

Being a volunteer in the Mount Washington Observatory is a most wonderful, unique adventure. There are many exciting and exhilarating experiences like the gorgeous sunset and full moon rise we saw during our week. We had a few clear times when we had stunning views over the mountains. But for me the most special are the fog, the winds, the rime ice and the clouds. When the fog swirls around me and the wind howls and the rime ice builds up on everything, including on my clothes, I feel like I am part of the elements. I love dancing with the wind. I never tire of observing the clouds. A new experience for me this time was a cap cloud. The cloud was above the summit and pouring over the east side of the mountain like a wide waterfall. Truly awesome. Another day there was a ring of clouds circling the summit like islands of an atoll. The clouds were floating on the air, at an elevation of about 5000 feet. They were dark gray on the bottom, white and fluffy on the top. Another cloud was trying to become a lenticular cloud but didn’t quite make it. And then a long gray cloud shaped like an anvil seemed to be resting with one end on Mount Adams.

Our week flew by much too fast. My friend Kay and I enjoyed all the excitement while cooking for the observers and the two groups that visited. It will remain a treasured memory.

Gisela(Gigi) Estes,  Summit Volunteer