1st Day: Mount Washington Observatory Volunteer 3-11-15

vftt.org

Help Support vftt.org:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Kevin Judy and Emma

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 8, 2007
Messages
1,641
Reaction score
430
Location
Kingston, NH.
You may have not seen or heard from me for awhile, Have not been hiking much due to a needed hip replacement, but I do need my mountain fix!

Quiet day with just myself and friend Mark Truman and the crew. VIP trip tomorrow who we will serve lunch. We'll be feeding up to 18 people Friday when hikers arrive, after breakfast next morning they will hike down, then 12 more will show up by snow cat to spend Saturday night-lunch, dinner,breakfast and lunch before they leave... we will be busy!

20150311-0032.jpg

Arriving at the Glen House/Auto Road at sunrise, cloud cap on Mount Washington

20150311-0034.jpg

Jefferson Ravine

20150311-0041.jpg

My pal Slim who drives the short bus

20150311-0043.jpg

Climbing into the clouds at 4000'

20150311-0051.jpg

Pan-seared Scallops for 1st night dinner-it's all down hill from here...

20150311-0053.jpg

Observer at sunset.

20150311-0056.jpg

Sunset over Bretton Woods

20150311-0072.jpg

Sunset from Trinity Heights

20150311-0091.jpg

Looking east at sunset

20150311-0094.jpg

Stage Office at sunset

KDT
 
2nd Day: Mount Washington Observatory Volunteer 3-12-15

Had a group of folks come up for lunch today, two were friends we made through our shared love of this mountain. It was great to see them get up here!

20150312-0008.jpg

My partner Mark

20150312-0010.jpg

Rime Ice on the summit cairn

20150312-0021.jpg

Rime ice on the chains which hold down the Stage Office

20150312-2846.jpg

Shadow of Mount Washington in the east at sunset

20150312-2852.jpg

Sunset on the top of New England

20150312-2853.jpg

Northern Prezzies

20150312-0072.jpg

Sunset behind the Yankee Building

KDT
 
3rd Day: Mount Washington Observatory Volunteer 3-13-15

20150313-0090.jpg

Our first views this AM from the rotunda

20150313-0106.jpg


20150313-2869.jpg

Frosted windows...

20150313-0111.jpg

Self portrait

20150313-2863.jpg

Awaiting the sunrise…

20150313-2875.jpg


20150313-2885.jpg


20150313-2887.jpg

A little windy. Note outward bow of heavy chain…

20150313-2894.jpg

Stage Office at sunrise...

20150313-2898.jpg

Riming on the Stage Office

20150313-2907.jpg

Marty is resting up. A black cat has much to do on Friday the 13th!

20150313-2971.jpg

Incredible lower sun pillar created from sunlight and falling snow…

KDT
 
Day 4: Mount washington Observatory Volunteer 3-14-15 Pi Day!

We fed last night's 11 guests breakfast before they began their descent on foot, great group of folks led by Mooney Mountain Guides. Soon after an Edu-trip arrived and we served them lunch and dinner and will feed them again in the AM. It is possible they will be stuck here longer than expected as the Obs snowcat needs a new water pump, not something you can stop by NAPA and pick up on a Saturday afternoon, but driver Slim has the connections and may save the day! We had pork roast and potatoes for dinner along with some great pies, all prepared by Mark as we celebrated Ryan's birthday, happy birthday Ryan! A big shout out to Chris who located and purchased a battery charger for me, then managed to find a way to get it to the top of Mount Washington! I owe you big time my kilted brother!

20150314-2983.jpg

First light

20150314-2987.jpg

Nelson Crag

20150314-2989.jpg

Southern Prezzies

20150314-2991.jpg

Boott Spur

20150314-2994.jpg

Partner Mark

20150314-2995.jpg

It warmed up considerably today… 19 degrees! Yes, that's me...

20150314-3000.jpg

Can't experience MW in winter without taking this slide in front of the Yankee Building!

20150314-3002.jpg

Stage Office

20150314-3003.jpg

Southern Prezzies

20150314-3005.jpg

Northern Prezzies

20150314-3007.jpg

Adams & Madison

KDT
 
Last edited:
Day 5: Mount Washington Observatory Volunteer 3-15-15

As expected, the Edu-trippers are again benighted on Mount Washington with us due to the Obs Snowcat needing a water pump. The current plan is for Slim to come up and get them 1st thing tomorrow, descend with them and return to the summit with the day trippers. We fed then lasagna, salad and bread, and finished off the chocolate banana pie and cheesecake with berries. We never came out of the clouds today, but took a couple of strolls around summit where they got to experience wind gusts over 65mph and feel the stinging snow pellets even through several layers of clothing.

20150315-0001.jpg

Marty

20150315-0013.jpg

On the deck in the wind

20150315-0021.jpg


20150315-0034.jpg


20150315-0050.jpg


20150315-0055.jpg


20150315-0059.jpg


20150315-0004.jpg

Marty has great taste in books

20150315-0010-2.jpg

Kaitlin has Marty in the palm of her hand

KDT
 
Day 6: Mount Washington Observatory Volunteer 3-16-15

Awoke to a beautiful sunrise this morning… great day on the Rockpile. Served lunch to a great group of folks who came up on a Day Trip… very quiet now, with just 5 of us here. Sigh of relief…

20150316-0049.jpg

Pre-dawn Stage Office

20150316-0074.jpg

Waiting for the sun

20150316-0125.jpg

Sunrise on Mount Washington

20150316-0163.jpg

Franconia Ridge

20150316-0123.jpg

Sunrise

20150316-0117.jpg

Boott Spur

20150316-0102.jpg

At sunrise

20150316-0193.jpg

Southern Prezzies at sunrise

20150316-0041-2.jpg

Ravens over Mount Clay

20150316-0020-3.jpg

Beautiful end to another great day

KDT
 
Day 7: Mount Washington Observatory Volunteer 3-17-15

There hasn't been a lot to photograph today, gray and dismal, but the winds have been exciting with a peak gust of 124mph! As things look right now we will be here for another night instead of leaving during regularly scheduled shift change tomorrow morning.

20150317-0003.jpg

Instrument tower of the Mount Washington Observatory

20150317-0011.jpg

Drifted snow in the windows of Tip-Top House

20150317-0012.jpg

Tip-Top House

20150317-0001-2.jpg

Hayes Chart measuring windspeeds, peak gust 124mph

KDT
 
Day 8: Mount Washington Observatory Volunteer 3-18-15

Sustained winds in the 80 and 90+mph range stranded us here on the summit today when normally we'd have descended during a regular shift change. Again, there was little to photograph, rime is not forming because it's too cold. However, we spent some time playing outside in the winds, -14* temps and -60 windchills. Sadly, we will most likely return to the real world tomorrow…

20150318-0003.jpg

An observer clears rime and frost from some instruments…

20150318-0004.jpg


20150318-0009.jpg

Mark returns from the deck…

20150318-0015.jpg

Bet you never had this much frost on your windows...

20150318-0020.jpg

Marty shows us how it's done on an "inside" day...

KDT
 
Day 9: Mount Washington Observatory Volunteer 3-19-15

As you know we spent an extra night on the summit due to the extremely high winds over the past 48 hours. As we awoke this morning the winds chased away the clouds which had blocked any hopes of seeing the aurora the past two nights. We made the descent in bluebird conditions while the winds continued to blow and fill the air with snow and ice. While descending we stopped to check on some instruments along the auto road. Many thanks to the Obs for allowing me another great week on the summit, and even more thanks to friend Mark who went above and beyond in helping me keep the crew and guests happily well-fed! I couldn't have done it without him!

20150319-0014.jpg

Awoke to an awesome sunrise...

20150319-0101.jpg

A stop to check an Auto Road Vertical Temperature Profile (ARVTP) Station

20150319-0109.jpg

Jefferson's Knees

20150319-0115.jpg

Cool Lenticular forming

20150319-0118.jpg


20150319-0122.jpg


20150319-0126.jpg


20150319-0131.jpg

How windy WAS it on Mount Washington?

20150319-0133.jpg

Last look

20150319-0138.jpg

Bluebird Day!

KDT
 
Top