A cat, a wedding, and a view.

2012-08-18 18:26:33.000 – Stephen Lanciani,  Summit Intern

6,288′ Wedding

Describing my first week as a summit intern is slightly difficult, especially to those who may not love the weather as much as I do. To make this easier, imagine your dream job, put it in the most beautiful and unique place you can think of, then add 6,288′ of elevation and a cat. Yes, the greatly beloved Marty. Having just graduated with my B.S. degree in meteorology, you can understand how awesome this job is to me. I have all this knowledge fresh from school, just waiting to be put to use. I write forecasts, help take observations, and go through 80 years of hourly data (which I find fascinating) all while sitting in front of what is by far the world’s best office window. Who else can say that the visibility is 130 miles from their cubicle? For the record, I don’t work in a cubicle, but you can see the point I’m trying to make. On a clear day, I get to see 5 states, 2 countries, and the Atlantic Ocean all in a day’s work.

I arrived here on Wednesday in the fog, which is nothing new considering the summit is covered by fog 60% of the year. Though there wasn’t a view, there were 40-50 mph winds with gusts up to 64 mph that I thoroughly enjoyed. This type of wind speed isn’t really a big deal up here, but for a newbie like me, it WAS a big deal. I can’t wait to step foot out on the tower and observation deck when they’re pushing 100 mph, what a rush it will be. I went outside Thursday night to star gaze, but could only see them during small breaks in the fog. One of the breaks was long enough for me to see two shooting stars in a matter of 4 or 5 seconds though, which made me happy enough. Today has definitely been my busiest day, as the 40th annual bicycle hill climb, 50 degree temps, and partly sunny skies all occurred. This brought flocks of people to the summit and I was called upon multiple times for museum help, as well as tour after tour after tour (which I highly encourage Observatory members to take, it’s a perfect opportunity to share our experiences).

Tonight, my plan is to have another wonderful dinner with the staff and volunteers, then get some shut-eye. Tomorrow morning looks to be the first clear(-ish) morning since arrival, so I will most likely get up to see the sunrise then take a jog down the auto road and back (no, not the whole thing). My internship runs until just about Christmas, so I look forward to all the great times that have yet to be had. This opportunity is not one that I will take lightly, and it promises to be both rewarding and unforgettable. Also, on a side note, there was a wedding on the observation deck today which definitely caught me off guard while giving a tour. To those who may have been considering one of their own, I don’t know how to go about it, but apparently it can be done. Congrats to the happy newlyweds!

Stephen Lanciani,  Summit Intern