Mount Washington, New Hampshire, is known to climbers and weather observers as "The Home of the World's Worst Weather," and rightfully so. The Mount Washington Observatory, established at its summit in 1932, measured the world record wind speed of 231 miles per hour two years later. The summit is the highest point in a region where three major weather patterns intersect. There, unsurvivable power and tear-inducing peace often mingle within the same day, sometimes in the same hour.

Safe within the protection of concrete walls two feet thick and windows designed for 300-m.p.h impacts, weather observers and meteorologists work (and play) in alternating, eight-day shifts, around the clock, to measure the deadly yet beautiful meteorological phenomenon.Winds reach 100 miles per hour several times each winter. Temperatures dip below zero, and have gone as low as minus 42 degrees F. Blowing snow and fog can make it impossible to see past arm's length. In clear weather, visibility can surpass 100 miles, allowing the lucky observer a view of the Atlantic Ocean in one direction with Vermont, Quebec, and New York State in the other.

On several occasions since 1994 I've joined the summit crew as a volunteer. This is some of their daily work.

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Crew unloads the snowcat after arriving at the top