And This is Where it All Began

2017-08-26 20:13:32.000 – Sam Webber, Summit Intern

As the summer comes to an end, it’s time for another intern blog post about how we don’t want to leave this place and how unbelievable this experience has been… but it’s true… and its time! This internship opportunity has been nothing shy of amazing. I can say that I thoroughly enjoy waking up in the morning to start another day at the Observatory and see what the mountain has in store; every day is unique. Not to mention, the people that I have worked with for the summer have made the experience that much better. Living up here for a week at a time has its way of making the crew feel like your second family, and I’m really fortunate to have worked with them. I have made friendships that will last a lifetime and I know that this will not be the last time that I see them.

 

And what is there to be said about the famous, Mary Kitty? I do not consider myself to be a “cat person”, but Marty has certainly helped make the Mount Washington Observatory feel like home. However, he is not like the cat that I have at home and is not your average cat that gets all snuggly. If Marty had a human personality he would be a grumpy old man that has been up on the mountain for quite some time and has had to deal with way too many weather station tours in his lifetime, kind of how I’m feel during this last week of the internship. He has been an exception to the short list of cats that I actually like and I never thought that I would say this, but I’m going to miss that cat.

 

Aside from the sappy comments about the cat, this place has let me explore the mountains that I’ve been familiar with for so long. Hiking is one of my many passions relating to the outdoors, and living on the summit has been like heaven on Earth. There are so many hiking trails that surround the summit cone and I have had the pleasure of being able to explore just about every one of them… once my shift was over of course. It’s been quite a different experience starting hikes going down the trail, and then finishing by coming back up. Nevertheless, getting outdoors and hiking around the summit has both helped me keep my sanity in check and has really helped me appreciate the breathtaking views that we have here right in the White Mountains.

 

And lastly, I can be proud of research that I have conducted whilst begin on top of this mountain. I have been working on a research project for the Observatory for the past year and half that relates to the tracking of low pressure systems and their climatological averages in order to update the current storm track map used in weather station tours. I started my research as the PSU winter intern last January and have finally finished what we set out to do, which has been one of the most accomplishing feeling I have had to this date… yes, even more than graduating with my Bachelor’s degree.

 

Sam Webber, Summit Intern