volunteer comment

2008-07-16 07:37:07.000 – Patti and Deidra,  Summit Volunteers

Sunrise

Fog. Fog. Fog. Fog. Fog was the operative word this week. We had fog Wednesday after we got here. We had fog Thursday. We had fog Friday. We had fog Saturday during the Newton’s Revenge bike race. We had fog Sunday and Monday. Today? Today the summit of Mount Washington was blessed with sunshine and light winds. So, we experienced it all- our first magnificent sunrise at 5:06am, our first long hike off the summit down to Lakes, over to Boott Spur, and then back up to the summit cone via Tuckerman’s, our first breathtaking sunset this week and our first opportunity to stargaze in a clear sky with a splendid moon. In between all of today’s exciting events, we cleaned the Observatory living quarters for the new crew tomorrow, cooked dinner (thanks for the help, Dennis and Jeff!), made cookies, and shopped at the Observatory museum store. What a day! But, despite the aforementioned foggy days, the summit of Mount Washington and the Observatory do not disappoint. The crew is always friendly, the cooking is always appreciated, and there is always something to learn or do. On Saturday, standing at the finish line of Newton’s revenge, chatting with the spectators, and watching the bikers pedal (and sometimes walk!) up the last 22% grade hill was enthralling. Our nightly Scrabble competitions were entertaining, as were the dinner conversations. Playing in the strong winds on the obs deck made us laugh uncontrollably. And of course, we enjoyed bonding with Marty, the Observatory mascot! We’re so happy to be members of this great organization and we thank the Observatory for the opportunity to volunteer a week on the summit, Patti for the fifth time, and Deidra for the first. We’ll be back!

A public service announcement:

This Wednesday, July 16 at 7 PM, don’t forget to stop by the Weather Discovery Center and be a part of our kick off to Subaru Science in the Mountains: A Passport to Science, when we take you to Alaska! We’ll transport you through video conferencing technology and talk to educators at the Alaska Sealife Center who will inform us about volcanoes, glaciers, and climate change in South Central Alaska and the Kenai Fjords. Admission is FREE! Seating is limited so please arrive early. Refreshments will be served. Thanks to the support of Subaru of America, New Hampshire Charitable Foundation – North Country region and 93.5 WMWV.

Subaru Science in the Mountains: A Passport to Science offers programs on six consecutive Wednesday evenings from July 16 through August 20.Our other presentations include:

July 23: Space Center HoustonTake a trip back in time to the beginning of space exploration with the staff of the Official Visitors Center of NASA’s Johnson Space Center.

July 30: University of Rhode IslandDr. Isaac Ginis, Professor of Oceanography, will offer a general overview of hurricanes, examining the tools used at the National Hurricane Center and emphasizing the use of hurricane models in forecasting.

August 6: South Pole, AntarcticaLance Roth, a meteorologist and science technician at the South Pole, will introduce you to life at the South Pole and his work examining the Aurora Australis.

August 13: National Baseball Hall of FameWhat do the red stitches on a baseball have to do with aerodynamics? Why do some hitters choke up at the bat? Why do some players wear batting gloves? Hall of Fame educators will dig into the science of baseball.

August 20: Seacoast Science CenterThe series concludes with a trip to the coast of New Hampshire for a live look at the ecology of Granite State’s rocky shores, from above and below the ocean’s surface.

 

Patti and Deidra,  Summit Volunteers