Week 2: Post-trip Blog
Katrina Carus, Molly Ockett School, Fryeburg, ME
Two weeks before my departure date, Will Broussard visited my classroom and talked with my students about the observatory and the challenging conditions that the meteorologists face. He inspired lots of questions from my students and got them excited for the prospect of me struggling in harsh conditions. I was excited too. I had visions of traveling to the top of Mount Washington in the middle of a blizzard and battling ferocious winds. My students requested that I get a video of myself being blown across the deck.
I admit that I was not even a little disappointed when the conditions were very different the day that I went up. The sun was shining and winds were blowing steadily around 20 mph. Breezy, yes. But more refreshing than menacing. I could not have asked for a more beautiful day.
I met Jen Frederick, the other teacher on this adventure, as well as the Observatory staff and a volunteer at the base of the Auto Road Wednesday morning. We loaded the snow cat with some gear, lots of food for the people who would stay for the next week, and ourselves. The ride up was beautiful The recent mild weather meant that the ride up was smooth, without drifting snow to contend with, and the clear skies made for beautiful views. We made one stop on the way up where we were able to get out and look around a bit.
Once we arrived at the summit, Jen and I were treated to a tour by Chloe, one of the Observatory’s interns. With the mild weather, we were able to spend a lot of time outside. We stood on the observation deck enjoying the relatively mild weather, while Chloe educated us about the history and current workings of the observatory, We climbed the observatory tower, where we stayed for a bit to enjoy the 100 mile visibility. We could even see the glint of the ocean off to the east.
The thing that I found most intriguing, was the rime ice. The light, feathery ice coats almost everything exposed to the air. I know that the ice is one of the challenges that the meteorologist contend with - it can grow up to a foot an hour, covering the instruments, and must be removed regularly. With the clear weather we had that day, no new ice grew on the instruments. Jen and I had a good time observing the rime that covered the ground, railings, rocks, and almost everything else. Long feathers would break with a tinkling sound when we touched them. I returned to school with a video of my feet as I walked across the rime ice, so that my students could hear the sounds that it made. It gave off such a satisfying light crunching sound. They loved it and had me play the clip several times.
I was excited to return to my 6th grade science class at Molly Ockett School after my trip up Mt Washington. As a science teacher, it is always great to spend time with real scientists. My students loved the stories, pictures and videos that I brought them and they always appreciate seeing the connection between what we do in the classroom and how it relates to their own world. It was a perfect introduction to the Snow Science unit that we are starting this week.
Two weeks before my departure date, Will Broussard visited my classroom and talked with my students about the observatory and the challenging conditions that the meteorologists face. He inspired lots of questions from my students and got them excited for the prospect of me struggling in harsh conditions. I was excited too. I had visions of traveling to the top of Mount Washington in the middle of a blizzard and battling ferocious winds. My students requested that I get a video of myself being blown across the deck.
I admit that I was not even a little disappointed when the conditions were very different the day that I went up. The sun was shining and winds were blowing steadily around 20 mph. Breezy, yes. But more refreshing than menacing. I could not have asked for a more beautiful day.
I met Jen Frederick, the other teacher on this adventure, as well as the Observatory staff and a volunteer at the base of the Auto Road Wednesday morning. We loaded the snow cat with some gear, lots of food for the people who would stay for the next week, and ourselves. The ride up was beautiful The recent mild weather meant that the ride up was smooth, without drifting snow to contend with, and the clear skies made for beautiful views. We made one stop on the way up where we were able to get out and look around a bit.
The thing that I found most intriguing, was the rime ice. The light, feathery ice coats almost everything exposed to the air. I know that the ice is one of the challenges that the meteorologist contend with - it can grow up to a foot an hour, covering the instruments, and must be removed regularly. With the clear weather we had that day, no new ice grew on the instruments. Jen and I had a good time observing the rime that covered the ground, railings, rocks, and almost everything else. Long feathers would break with a tinkling sound when we touched them. I returned to school with a video of my feet as I walked across the rime ice, so that my students could hear the sounds that it made. It gave off such a satisfying light crunching sound. They loved it and had me play the clip several times.
I was excited to return to my 6th grade science class at Molly Ockett School after my trip up Mt Washington. As a science teacher, it is always great to spend time with real scientists. My students loved the stories, pictures and videos that I brought them and they always appreciate seeing the connection between what we do in the classroom and how it relates to their own world. It was a perfect introduction to the Snow Science unit that we are starting this week.
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