Bear!

2010-06-14 14:30:15.000 – Hanna Brewer,  Summit Intern

Life on the summit isn’t quite as hard as I expected it to be when I applied for this internship. Don’t get me wrong, there is always a lot of work to be done while on the clock, but unfortunately most of this work involves sitting at my computer. The sedentary work day combined with the baked goods and feasts our volunteers prepare for us… Well let’s just say I definitely won’t be wasting away during my time here.

In hopes of balancing out the meals we eat with some exercise, I’ve taken to going on walks in the evening before dinner and it’s been wonderful to remind myself of what drew me to this job in the first place. The views are beautiful, and there’s always an opportunity to see something exciting or different. Just last night, Ryane and I were walking down from the observatory and saw a baby bear running across the auto road towards the summit. I tried to snap a picture but he was spooked by us and out of range by the time I pulled my camera out of my jacket. We notified the State Park employees once we got back, because when a bear is seen this close to the observatory they have to be driven out back down the mountain for safety reasons. It was still so cool to see though, it’s amazing how much life there is beyond humans and being able to see it up close.

I’m hoping to get to see more animal and nature sightings while I’m here, especially because there’s no better place to do it. I love that my surroundings here in the Northeast are always changing and I never look out the window and see the same thing twice. Not to mention the fact that seeing bears or strange weather phenomena are great incentives to keep going on walks every night. I’m still on a mission to see a moose before I go back to Florida!

Hanna Brewer,  Summit Intern