Vote for best Mt Washington Photo

Vote for best Mt Washington Photo

January 29, 30, 31, February 1, 2, 3, 4
Vote at the Met or the Framed Art Superstore for one of 5 amazing panoramic photos of Mount Washington. Jan 29-Feb 5th - winner to be awarded on Feb 5th at a party at the Met from 6-7pm.
603 356 8278
Click for more info: www.framedartoutlet.com

Global Climate Change - A View from the Rockpile

Mount Washington Observatory Summit Adventure: Global Climate Change - A View from the Rockpile

January 29, 30
Mount Washington Observatory Summit Adventures offer the exclusive opportunity to experience Mount Washington in winter without a technical mountaineering ascent. Travel to and from the summit is made possible by snow tractor transportation, and cozy overnight accommodations are provided at the summit weather station. The educational value of the visit is enhanced by expert instruction in a variety of subjects, ranging from mountain photography to meteorology, climate change to cooking.

On this trip, Mark Van Baalen (geologist at Harvard University) and Tim Allen (geologist at Keene State College) will explain recent developments in the science of climate change. Today the data supporting the fact of ongoing climate change are unassailable, yet our ability to predict future climates is not as robust as we would like. The Mount Washington Observatory is a proud contributor to the instrumental record documenting our climate, while the mountain itself stands as a living example of the interplay between geology and climate over longer time periods. This workshop will investigate these issues.

NH Sanctioned Snow Sculpting at Black Mountain

NH Sanctioned Snow Sculpting at Black Mountain

Location: Black Mountain
Date: Friday, January 28, 2011
Time: 12:00pm
About NH Sanctioned Snow Sculpting at Black Mountain

Expect to see 15 sculpting teams at Black Mountain for the ONLY NH Sanctioned Snow Sculpting & Jackson Invitational Competition this year. The teams will begin sculpting on Friday January 28th many who will continue to sculpt throughout the night into the wee hours of the morning and through all the cold.

Teams work wonders by taking 8' high by 4' round cylinders of snow and making them into perfectly formed art frozen in time for all to enjoy. The winners of the Jackson Invitational event will represent the entire state of New Hampshire in the 2012 Nationals held at Lake Geneva WI where more than 1/4 million people will visit.

Want to get to meet our sculptors and learn more about this event and what it takes to complete one of these impressive pieces of art... then join us at the Shovel Handle Pub on Saturday evening at 6 PM, we would love you to join us (Priced Accordingly).

With the sculpting beginning on Friday the pieces begin to take shape mid morning Saturday and they have to be completed by Sunday at Noon... If you are planning on coming Friday you will want to make some time for a return visit on Sunday to see their finished art.

We encourage all visitors to vote for their favorite "People's Choice" award... votes can not be cast until Sunday morning... you need to see the pieces really take place before you can tell which one you will like the most. This award is the coveted award that each team really - really wants to win and only you can help them take it home! The public is encouraged to join us at the awards ceremony also being held at the Shovel Handle Pub at Whitney's Inn at Jackson located on Route 16B in Jackson just next to Black Mountain Ski Area (Priced Accordingly). Winners of all competitions will be announced at the Awards Ceremony.

Special guests ... dear friends ... just like family!

Special guests ... dear friends ... just like family!  Two of our favorite guests are back here this week, two sisters named Gene and Eloise. We have come to cherish their annual January visits, when they arrive with their cross-country skis, their luggage and their indomitable spirits, ready for life's continuing adventures! Gene just turned 90 last month, and it will forever be a lifelong regret of mine that I was not able to make it to her party on Central Park West, NYC on the 22nd. Having just been away from the Lodge for more than a week visiting family, and riding up to NH with my son Noah as he returned from college, it was nigh on impossible to get back to NY two days later for the big 90 bash.  But I have seen photos, and it was a party to remember for sure! Famous artists, writers, dancers and more are Gene's lifelong friends. They travelled the world over to celebrate her milestone birthday. Both she and Eloise are role models for me, and I talk about them admiringly the rest of the year!

All Good Things Come to an End

Unfortunately, all good things eventually DO come to an end ... but I suppose their transitory nature helps make them that much more precious.  A week before Christmas I flew down to Baltimore, MD to spend a few days with our son Noah at  Johns Hopkins University, where he is a student.  While he was finishing up with finals, projects and research papers, I was in my glory, keeping myself busy by going to museums and book stores. Heaven!! I slept on his dorm room floor each night and had a thoroughly fantastic time.  We broke up the 12-hour drive back to New Hampshire by spending a few days at my mom's house in New York. There were Christmas parties to attend, my brother's birthday to celebrate, and a visit from my sister who lives in Florida. Since our return back to the Lodge, Noah has been home with us as 'part of the family', just like in the old days (before college!). And for the last month he has been working at his old job, the facial recognition company where he is a software engineer. But today the inevitable happened as he left for his return to college. I was up at 5:00 making him sandwiches and snacks for the long drive, helped him pack up his car, and at 6:30 am stood waving in the dark as I watched his taillights drive out completely of sight. Sigh!  It has been a wonderful interlude of having Noah back. It won't happen too many more times before his worklife and future marriage intervene, but until then,  I always cherish every moment!

Pretty cold here this week ... fortunately no wind!  Both thermometers read -20 degrees ... but when you get down that far, what's the difference?  It all pretty much just feels cold!!   Our son Josh made snow ... lots of it ... by throwing a cup of boiling water into the air.  It created voluminous blankets of snow ... who would've thought that THAT much potential snow would fit into such a little cup!!

Today's Pick:  Nordic Meisters

Location: Great Glen Trails
Date: Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Time: 9:00am
About Nordic Meisters
The series runs every Tuesday for eight weeks. Skiers of all abilities challenge themselves on a 5km course with prizes awarded in age categories and through a raffle. Awards party on March 12.

To the Top of the Rockpile in Winter

Mount Washington Observatory Day Trip

Mount Washington's summit is visited by a quarter-million people in summer, but its winter secrets are known only to a hardy few. When the Cog Railway and Mt. Washington Auto Road close for the season, the only way to access the peak is via a technical mountaineering ascent or a trip with the Mount Washington Observatory. Made possible by snow tractor transportation, these guided trips include informal educational sessions with an expert Observatory educator, a behind-the-scenes tour of the Observatory's weather station, a hot lunch, and all the famous weather extremes of this legendary mountain during its most demanding, most alluring season.     603-356-2137