We will hike a 4.3 mile (1060ft total vert) loop starting at the Blue Hills reservation, make a stop at the Blue Hills weather observatory, and heading back in a different route that will cover four more hills in the reservation.

We'll do a guided tour of the weather observatory that has been continuously operational since the 1890s! There is a tour fee that will be covered by MITOC! We'll learn about how the weather observatory functions and go to the top to look at the views. The observatory will also serve as a rest stop: there are restrooms and snacks for purchase.

Weather and Gear

It will be cold! Current forecast for Saturday is -2°C / 29°F with 15mph winds.

• Please follow winter school clothing recommendations: a non-cotton base layer, a fleece/insulating layer, and an outer shell for the windy observatory deck.
• You should plan to wear warm socks, hiking or winter boots, a warm hat/buff, and gloves. Consider bringing hand warmers if you tend to get cold hands and extra socks.
• Plan to bring 1L of water (which you can refill at the observatory).
• Traction: We expect ice on the trails, so microspikes (rentable from MITOC at office hours after the trip meeting Thursday)

Itinerary

We plan to leave from MIT student center around 10am and return by 3:30pm.

Trivia

1. What is the Neponset river named after?
2. Why are the Blue Hills called the Blue Hills?
3. When was the Blue Hills observatory constructed?
4. How far can you see on a clear day? What if you are at a height? What's the furthest you can see from the Blue Hills?