Volunteer Comments

2014-05-07 13:06:16.000 – Stephen Crossman,  Summit Volunteer

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My volunteer week at the Mount Washington Observatory is coming to a close. This was my second time here as a volunteer; my first during a winter week. Yes, it’s still considered winter here on the summit. The other volunteer and I spent the week cooking for the Observatory staff, keeping the living quarters clean, and helping with a few small odd jobs (based on what we saw during one of them, the new Summit Museum is going to be amazing).

During our free time, we took daily walks around the summit to experience and enjoy a wide variety of winter weather conditions from fog and sleet to high winds and heavy snow. Every day was different in some way. Studying the rime ice formations and growth on the buildings and towers was especially interesting. We got the opportunity to watch the Observers in action, going about their wide range of tasks including taking weather observations, keeping the outdoor instruments free of ice, and doing a remote multimedia interactive classroom with some elementary students.

Living up here for a week during winter conditions gives me further respect for the mountain and those who live and work here. I’m looking forward to my next volunteer next winter. I can’t think of any place I’d rather spend my vacations.

Stephen Crossman,  Summit Volunteer