Guest of the Taliban Dan Harris '93, ABC News, leads press corps into Kandahar.
	Alumni Trustees Nominated
	It's the Faculty, Stupid Survey of Colby alums yield informative and positive results.

ALUMNI PROFILES
William '51 and Ellen Kenerson Gelotte '50
Star Gazing

Susan Monk Pacheco '67
Doctor in the House

Allen Throop '66

Nancy Heiser '75

Don McMillan '84

Thomas Warren '82
Something Fishery

Brian Post '97
A Natural Observer

Clay Surovek '98

Brian Post '97 has always liked the freedom of "putting everything in my truck and moving across the country." And he's done it more than once.

In the last five years Post has worked for the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) in New Hampshire; as a ski patroller in Utah; at a Connecticut insurance company; in an Oregon outdoors store; and at the Mount Washington Observatory in New Hampshire. "I've had some fun and interesting jobs and seen some incredible landscapes," said Post.

Throughout Post's journeys the one constant has been his camera. "I love taking pictures," he said. This past summer Post left a position as weather observer at the Mount Washington Observatory to start WildRays, a freelance photography company. Based in Jackson, N.H., Post specializes in scenic and outdoor sports photography.

"I've always been searching for something I love to do," Post said. "Taking pictures is something I love to do and it's something I can make a living at, if I work hard enough."

His long-time interest in photography deepened in 1995 while he worked at an AMC hut on Mount Washington. The scenery inspired him to take countless photos and experiment with technique; he continued shooting rolls of photos while skiing, climbing and traveling with friends. "It started out as scenic photography and outdoor sports photography, because that's what I love to do," he said.

Post's break came in January 2000 when he returned to Mount Washington to work as a weather observer for the nonprofit observatory ("I love just being out in winter weather") and was asked to take over photography duties. "We had incredible scenery and some really crazy weather," Post said of his job at 6,288 feet. The highest wind speed he experienced--145 mph--"blew me down and slid me about 50 feet across the observation deck," he said. Because the summit building is specially configured, Post says, by staying low you can crawl back and not get blown off the mountain.

Weather observers work one week on and one week off at the summit and record temperature, wind speed and cloud formation hourly during each eight- to 12-hour shift. "There is a big scientific aspect to it," said Post. "A lot of research goes on up there, especially in the winter." Post's photography skills were used to record weather conditions and for images on the observatory's popular Web site.

While at the observatory Post realized he wanted to pursue a photography career and left to start WildRays. "A big part of making money is being able to market yourself," he said. Now he gives slide shows for the AMC ("Scenes from the Summit," "Tanzania" and "Skiing Adventures"), and his images appear on AMC T-shirts and on the observatory's Web site as well as on climbing and bouldering Web sites.

In addition to the usual difficulties encountered in running a business, Post's interest in climbing photography presents unique challenges. "Photography is something you have to concentrate on and climbing is something you have to really concentrate on," he said. "It's difficult to do a good job at both. It's easier to hop out of your car and put your camera on a tripod. It's more difficult when you're carrying it up a cliff." But he does, and he loves it.

"None of my jobs have been high paying, but I've also tried to make a point to live pretty low key," said Post, who still doesn't feel tied to any one place. "I feel like I could hop in my truck and drive anywhere right now." Camera in hand.

--Alicia Nemiccolo MacLeay '97