Winter EduTrips Schedule
The schedule for the 2008-2009 Mount Washington Observatory EduTrip season is as follows. Because of the limited number of trip openings – no more than nine participants on any trip – you are encouraged to call ahead (1 800 706-0432 x 203) to check availability before sending in your registration form. We do keep waiting lists for all full trips.
- January 3-4 (Saturday-Sunday) Mount Washington in Winter: Field Aspects of Mountain Meteorology and Climatology.
- David Glidden will lead this non-technical weekend, intended for those interested in exploring the field aspects of mountain meteorology and climatology, and how these may relate to historical climatology and global change issues. It will include comparative wind climatology and some of the challenges with measurement in extreme environments. Comparison of data from Mount Washington and other mountain regions, including the Rockies and the high peaks of Alaska, will be considered.
- January 9-10 (Friday-Saturday) A Special Mount Washington EduTrip for New Hampshire Teachers.
- Steve Roberts, of the New Hampshire Science Teachers Association, will lead this trip, which will introduce participants to several Earth Science topics for which Mount Washington is such an important natural laboratory. These topics will include meteorology, geology, astronomy and climatology. Teachers will learn several lab/classroom activities for use in their classes. This experience will qualify for up to 16 staff development hours. Please contact the Observatory for additional information about this special trip.
- January 15-16 (Thursday-Friday) Meteorology and the Media
- Join WGME 13 (Portland) TV Meteorologist (and former Mount Washington observer) Sarah Long and MWO Education Outreach Coordinator Michelle Cruz in this exploration of meteorology and the media. What are the responsibilities of TV meteorologists? What sort of training do they need for their job? What's life like behind the scenes at the studio – How much of their work is science, and how much is show? How are they involved in public education and information? These will only be a few of the topics discussed in this trip focusing on weather and its treatment in various media.
- January 17-18 (Saturday-Sunday) Implications of Global Climate Change.
- The earth's climate has often changed – but how do we know the details? Join University of New Hampshire scientist Michelle Day in this exploration of an increasingly important topic. What evidence do we have of past alterations in our planet's climate? What can we learn about possible climate change today - and its causes? What are the hints of past changes to regional and global ecosystems that can help us understand the implications for our future?
- January 29-30 (Thursday-Friday) Glacial Geology of the Presidential Range.
- Thom Davis of Bentley College, will serve as leader for this trip, which will investigate the impact that glaciers, both continental and alpine, had on the White Mountain landscape. Learn what glacial features we can visit today, and discover how the study of today's glaciers elsewhere on earth gives us hints about the glaciers that once covered northern New Hampshire.
- January 31-February 1 (Saturday-Sunday) Global Climate Change: A View from the Rockpile.
- Join geologists Mark Van Baalen, of Harvard University, and Tim Allen, of Keene State College, in this investigation of the interplay between geology and climate. Current climate fluctuations are relatively small compared to those of the past. The White Mountain landscape records a subtle, occasionally violent, geologic history, culminating in a period of extensive glaciation. What can the study of glaciers, including the glacial history of the White Mountains, tell us about changes in the earth's climate through geologic time?
- February 7-8 (Saturday-Sunday) Wind and Mountain Climatology in Severe Environments: Field Studies in Rocky Mountain National Park, Denali National Park, Icy Bay and the Saint Elias Mountains and on Mount Washington
- David Glidden will lead this non-technical weekend, which is designed primarily for those who are interested in exploring extreme environments and in mountain field science. We'll look at the dynamics of mountain weather, the special instrumentation required to measure it, and the problems associated with those measurements. A special feature of the weekend will be consideration of how to improve girls' and women's participation in the sciences, so anyone with an interest in such outreach efforts is especially encouraged to participate.
- February 12-13 (Thursday-Friday) Meditations in Light: Alpine Photography.
- A reprise of the popular course by professional photographer (and former Mount Washington observer) Peter Bosco. Topics to be covered include managing a camera and other equipment in harsh conditions and learning to see a scene as the camera sees it. The weekend will include fieldwork and classroom analysis of participants' work.
- March 12-13 (Thursday-Friday) Alpine Photography for the Hiker and Mountaineer.
- A trip for the recreational photographer who wishes to capture the beauty of nature and the excitement of outdoor adventure. Ned Therrien will share his years of experience in photographing mountain scenery, outdoor landscapes, and outdoor recreation, and will consider such topics as equipment selection, photo composition and the special challenges of photography under severe conditions: extreme cold, high winds, blowing snow and omnipresent moisture. Suitable for the interested novice as well as for the experienced photographer.
- March 19-20 (Thursday-Friday) Winter Mountaineering Essentials
- Learn the mountaineering skills you need for travel in any of the mountain ranges of the world, and spend the night on top of the highest mountain in the Northeast. Learn the proper use of crampons and ice axes, self-arrest, and navigation as well as avalanche safety and avalanche transceiver use. In the evening, watch a slide show that will take you from Mount Washington to Pakistan. In the morning put your skills to the test with a dawn hike around the summit. Join Joe Lentini, professional climbing guide for over thirty years (with over four hundred winter ascents of Mount Washington) and Vice President of the New Hampshire Mountain Rescue Service, on a trip you will never forget.
- March 21-22 (Saturday-Sunday) Outdoor Photography – The Challenges of Capturing Nature's Beauty
- Award-winning and widely-published Jerry and Marcy Monkman, of EcoPhotography, will share some of their professional experiences with course participants. They will consider both the technical challenges of working in cold, snowy, wet environments, and the need to understand one's equipment, plus the artistic challenges in creating striking and memorable images. The course will combine indoor instruction and outdoor field experience.
- March 26 - 27 (Thursday-Friday) Implications of Global Climate Change
- The earth's climate has often changed . but how do we know the details? Join University of New Hampshire scientist Michelle Day in this exploration of an increasingly important topic. What evidence do we have of past alterations in our planet's climate? What can we learn about possible climate change today - and its causes? What are the hints of past changes to regional and global ecosystems that can help us understand the implications for our future? We.re offering this reprise of this trip given the great interest demonstrated in the topic this season.
- April 2-3 (Thursday-Friday) Winter Mountaineering Essentials II: "What If...?"
- What do you do if your winter mountain adventure doesn't go as planned? We will cover the potential dangers in winter above-treeline travel, and what you can do if you lose your way or if someone in your group is hurt. We will cover use of crampons and ice axes, as well as emergency snow shelters, and topics such as how to survive an avalanche, and how to search for people buried in the snow. In the evening, watch a slide show and discuss how to make a plan for a winter trip. Join Joe Lentini, professional climbing guide for over thirty years (with over four hundred winter ascents of Mount Washington) and Vice President of the New Hampshire Mountain Rescue Service, on a trip to prepare you for "What if...?".
- April 9-10 (Thursday-Friday) To be Announced
The schedule for the 2009-2010 EduTrip season will be available in the late summer or early autumn of 2009.
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