Volunteer Notes

2014-10-23 19:47:00.000 – Don Hayes & Mike Ward, Summit Volunteers

Our week atop the rock pile has come to an end.This was my third time volunteering at the Observatory and I was happy to bring a longtime friend with me to experience a week of cooking for the crew and getting out and around the mountain experiencing all kinds of weather.He found the time at 6288 feet fun and very informative.The crew was a fun, hardworking group who were very happy to share their interest in meteorology with two novices.

Each time I have been on the summit I am amazed at how quickly the weather can change.The day we arrived, the temperatures tied the all-time daily record high however, two days later, the summit was covered with rime ice with the temperatures and winds occasionally making wind-chills feel like it was 14F below zero on exposed skin.

I would recommend this adventure to anyone who would like to experience all kinds of weather, enjoy cooking and eating, and learning from the friendly and informative crew.We came to respect the very challenging physical aspects unique to working at this station – like banging off rime ice from weather instruments in 50mph winds in freezing conditions.

It was interesting to watch the crew in action over a wide range of additional tasks from live interactive broadcasts with school classes to tours of the facilities for Observatory members and answering all kinds of questions about “Marty” the resident cat.

If you aren’t already an Observatory member, we would strongly suggest you become one so you can take advantage of the “inside” tour of the Observatory on your next trip up to the top.

Don Hayes & Mike Ward, Summit Volunteers