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Reports: Summit of Mt. Washington

Mike Theiss

Mike Theiss

EF0
Joined
Dec 25, 2005
Messages
39
Location
Key Largo, Florida
Documenting Nature's Fury from 6,288 feet into the atmosphere was no easy assignment to say the least ! I wanted to share a 7 minute short video taken on the summit of Mt. Washington from Feb.1rst-6th. I had an extremely tough time keeping the video gear working on the day with winds up to 118mph and wind chills as low as -38 degrees. I was able to get some shots during the extreme conditions and included them towards the end of the video I posted on YouTube. Please visit the link below to see video.

http://www.ultimatechase.com/chase_accounts/mount_washington_summit.htm

Mike Theiss
UltimateChase.com
 
Mike - Those are some amazing photos! I particularly like the one with an incredible view of the night time sky. I would imagine that the viewing conditions (weather permitting) are some of the most pristine in the country.

I'm curious, what prompted you to take this trip?
 
Andrew,

I would say the title of the summit "Home to the Worlds Worst Weather" helped sucked me in and the challenge of getting good photography in these extreme conditions.

As far as viewing conditions the summit is statistically in the clouds something like 6 out of every 7 days.
 
Me too....maybe

Mike:

Did you take one of the Educational 2-day trips up, or was there another way you spent time at the summit.

I too was thinking of heading up to the summit, but later in Mid-March. I thought of doing the week long volunteer bit, but one requirement is to be able to cook, I'm not the best cook unless I can run to the store everyday. But then I discovered the Educational trips. Rather expensive for a two day affair, but some of the programs and events are quite unique.

I've been a few times during the summer. 2000 and 2001 were part of the Ham Radio VHF contest. The first year, we started at the base of the mountain when it was 85 degrees. By the time we ascended the auto road to the top it was around 32 degrees and snow and ice was falling. We encountered 80+mph winds around the entrance to the Sherman Building....very hard to unpack all the gear. This was summer, can't image the efforts and restrictions of being on the summit in February.

BTW
Aaron, notice your pictures of the auto road looked paved.....since you just went up, was the road paved all the way to the summit now?
 
A couple of pictures

IM000196st.jpg

Above is the Auto Road when in was still extremely risky dirt path
IM000238st.jpg

This is me at the microphone working VHF station all over the East Coast
IM000241st.jpg

This is the antenna array we had to set-up for the June VHF contest
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Jason,

Yea, an EduTrip is probably the only way to go in the winter. It's the only way I know to get a ride on the snowcat. I'm told it costs Mt. Washington $1000 each time the snowcat goes up and down the mountain so that the main cost of the edutrips. Now, if you hike the mountain that's a different story. I think the rate is less but then again who wants to hike in these conditions ?

As far as the road being paved I'm not positive since it was covered in snow but I think it is paved now except for one streach where they can't keep it paved becuase when the snow melts each spring the rushing water washes away the road in this area so I think the guys said they don't bother paving this section.
 
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