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2008-10-14 16:27:16.000 – Steve Yenco,  Summit Volunteer

Atlantic Ocean View from the Summit

Can you love two mountains? Being raised in Lisbon Falls, Maine a fell in love with Mount Washington and the surrounding White Mountains through my parents at a very early age. While they were not hikers we still spent a great deal of time in the area and with each trip my love for the mountains grew. As the years rolled along I took up skiing, snowshoeing and hiking. For most of these hikes Mount Washington was always the grand view that waited at the summit. Being a lover of weather too, I always marveled at the mountains high winds and record snowfalls. In the past few years though, I have fallen in love with another mountain, Katahdin. Located in the roughly 200,000 acre Baxter State Park and at over a mile high, its Maine’s Crown Jewel. Having hiked its trails along with many other trails in the park, Katahdin has a raw unspoiled beauty as it rises from the floor of Maine’s North Woods. So in the end, I think you can love two mountains. Mount Washington, highest point in the northeast and Home of the Worlds Worst Weather and Katahdin, The Mountain of the People of Maine. The past week here on the summit working as a volunteer has been the thrill of a lifetime. Walking the deck in 80 mph winds, rime ice, freezing fog, 120 mile views, sunsets and seeing the Atlantic Ocean at sunrise are memories that will last a lifetime. A big thank you goes out to all of the folks at the Mountain Washington Observatory for helping make this dream come true.

Steve Yenco,  Summit Volunteer