It actually wasn't all that cold...relatively speaking of course. Some of us in the video aren't actually wearing that much to begin with. We learned a long time ago not to wear a lot of layers when shoveling, even if it is really cold out!
Ya, I'm with smilingcheshire on the use of a snowblower. If yours won't handle it, you don't have a Honda. My Honda HS1132 would eat that drift in no time, and you could do it from the top down like you did with shovels, since it is track drive. Then you could fire 4 guys! ;-)
@assmunch1 It all comes down to the density of the snow. Because of the wind, the snow packs in very tightly, making it difficult to nearly impossible for a snowblower to handle. Chances are that unless you have been on Mount Washington in the winter, you have never seen snow as dense as this.
@MWOObserver Hondas have a downpressure setting so the auger angles into the ground for scraping... if you can shovel it, it can gouge into it...
I live close enough to the mountain to drive my snowblower up there on a couple of tanks of gas... let me know when you get drifted in again, I'll be up to give it a shot... ;-)
I will have to take your word for it since I've never used that snowblower, or any snowblower for that matter. However, I would be extremely surprised if it could eat through the density of snow that we sometimes see, with any sort of speed.
Unless you own a snow tractor, you won't be making it to the summit when we're seeing this amount of drifting!
You are correct that the Sherman Adams Building is closed in the winter (usually October to May). But there is at least one NH State Park employee residing on the summit at any given time. Their shifts are usually three days unlike the observatories Weds to Weds schedule.
If you had snow melt cables in the concrete, everyone would have come to work in a clear, safe environment and been productive instead of wasting time shoveling snow.
Although the sort of thing you bring up (heat tape, heated concrete, etc.) seems like a good idea, in reality it simply doesn't work in a place that sees the kinds of extremes that Mount Washington does. Heat tape would not be able to keep up with the incredible amount of snow blowing in (the 8 foot drift in this video formed in less than 24 hours). Instead, it would get buried, turn the snow underneath the drift into water, and then that water would freeze, making things even worse.
Also, we do work in as safe as an environment as is possible in such a place. We take safety very seriously on the summit. Also, we are not wasting our time shoveling, it is simply part of the job, and part of the reality of working on Mount Washington.
NH State Park does have a snowblower up there for light snow removal for this entrance. The problem with this drift is the density of the snow and the location. In similar type drifting events, we have made a competition between the blower and shoveling and have found that by the time the blower warms up and then trudges over the same snow numerous times to get it out the entrance, a team of shovelers can get the job done quicker.
here in newfoundland on sunday we got 3 feet of snow
phazerrazer 1 year ago
Were getting it tomorrow and Wednesday 4-8 foot drifts are expected!
696969Brian696969 1 year ago
victoire? you mean victory?
WeeDan3 1 year ago
@WeeDan3
Victoire is French for victory. It's also the name of a really good soccer movie from the 80's starring Sylvester Stallone and Michael Cane :-)
MWOObserver 1 year ago 2
@MWOObserver haha ok cool
WeeDan3 1 year ago
What is amazing is that during the time lapse you guys never shed a layer! It was that cold egh? Even shoveling that much! Totally nuts!
MEGSIMONEVIDEO 1 year ago
It actually wasn't all that cold...relatively speaking of course. Some of us in the video aren't actually wearing that much to begin with. We learned a long time ago not to wear a lot of layers when shoveling, even if it is really cold out!
MWOObserver 1 year ago
Ya, I'm with smilingcheshire on the use of a snowblower. If yours won't handle it, you don't have a Honda. My Honda HS1132 would eat that drift in no time, and you could do it from the top down like you did with shovels, since it is track drive. Then you could fire 4 guys! ;-)
assmunch1 1 year ago
@assmunch1 It all comes down to the density of the snow. Because of the wind, the snow packs in very tightly, making it difficult to nearly impossible for a snowblower to handle. Chances are that unless you have been on Mount Washington in the winter, you have never seen snow as dense as this.
MWOObserver 1 year ago
@MWOObserver Hondas have a downpressure setting so the auger angles into the ground for scraping... if you can shovel it, it can gouge into it...
I live close enough to the mountain to drive my snowblower up there on a couple of tanks of gas... let me know when you get drifted in again, I'll be up to give it a shot... ;-)
assmunch1 1 year ago
I will have to take your word for it since I've never used that snowblower, or any snowblower for that matter. However, I would be extremely surprised if it could eat through the density of snow that we sometimes see, with any sort of speed.
Unless you own a snow tractor, you won't be making it to the summit when we're seeing this amount of drifting!
MWOObserver 1 year ago
You missed a spot! :-)
The Sherman Adams Building is closed during the winter and I believe there are no state park employees on duty.
ejwerme 1 year ago
You are correct that the Sherman Adams Building is closed in the winter (usually October to May). But there is at least one NH State Park employee residing on the summit at any given time. Their shifts are usually three days unlike the observatories Weds to Weds schedule.
MWOObserver 1 year ago
Darn Global Warming!
elvinpw 1 year ago 2
If you had snow melt cables in the concrete, everyone would have come to work in a clear, safe environment and been productive instead of wasting time shoveling snow.
L7drive 1 year ago
Although the sort of thing you bring up (heat tape, heated concrete, etc.) seems like a good idea, in reality it simply doesn't work in a place that sees the kinds of extremes that Mount Washington does. Heat tape would not be able to keep up with the incredible amount of snow blowing in (the 8 foot drift in this video formed in less than 24 hours). Instead, it would get buried, turn the snow underneath the drift into water, and then that water would freeze, making things even worse.
MWOObserver 1 year ago
Also, we do work in as safe as an environment as is possible in such a place. We take safety very seriously on the summit. Also, we are not wasting our time shoveling, it is simply part of the job, and part of the reality of working on Mount Washington.
MWOObserver 1 year ago
Jeez, I didn't see any State Park employees out there, what's up with that?
hwemyss 1 year ago
Boy that sure does bring back memories. Well done!!! Now for some hot chocolate!!!
haikushawn 1 year ago
What? No Snowblower? :-)
sogned,
Obs member since 2005, hiking the whites since 1993
smilingcheshire 1 year ago
NH State Park does have a snowblower up there for light snow removal for this entrance. The problem with this drift is the density of the snow and the location. In similar type drifting events, we have made a competition between the blower and shoveling and have found that by the time the blower warms up and then trudges over the same snow numerous times to get it out the entrance, a team of shovelers can get the job done quicker.
MWOObserver 1 year ago