Arctic Wednesdays 2026: Week 4 Post-Trip Blog

 I have been on the mountain in all the months of the year where I have seen perfect weather, scary weather, and everything in between. I have seen rescues, injuries, and loss in the Presidential Range. This place holds a special place in my heart. The only time I have taken the Auto Road to the top was when my wife and I got married just below the summit. A new opportunity to experience a place that holds a lot to me is something worth pursuing. To combine my love of the mountains with enriching student experiences through science is a dream. 

I was very excited that the day was here. As I headed north at the start of my day, there were snow covered roads and I knew that visibility would be limited. This turned out to be true as we headed up in the snowcat as visibility was limited. Over time, we were told that we were approaching the summit (as there was minimal visibility) and I was eager to see what was coming. We exited, went inside, and it felt like I was on the set of my favorite show as I had seen the space through pictures and video over the years. Everything that followed exceeded my expectations. 

When I shared with my class that I was going to be out the room for the day, there were some sad children. However, when I shared that we could see each other online there was a lot of excitement. Seeing how humans (and Nimbus) adapt is something that I am easily connecting with future teaching. I left with a much better understanding of the types of weather instruments, their uses, and what it takes to communicate all of this information that is generated. 

My biggest takeaways from this experience was seeing how the staff have to adapt on the fly to fix various issues that arise. I took great joy in being able to knock off some rime ice off of the top of the tower. Hearing that this can be an hourly task to keep all the instruments running when their heating elements are working will be helpful as my class starts an engineering and design unit this spring where they will be asked how to problem solve when something doesn’t go to plan. My students thoroughly enjoyed seeing me from the classroom and were disappointed as I hadn’t yet met Nimbus. When I returned to the classroom, all they wanted was to see my pictures of Nimbus. 

This is truly an experience to remember. I would encourage anyone that thinks this is something they might enjoy to consider this. 

Andy Stevenson

First Grade Teacher

Samuel Morey Elementary

Fairlee, Vermont