Comments from a Volunteer

2016-08-31 09:52:02.000 – Laura Pickett, Summit Volunteer

Wow, the week evaporated! It’s Wednesday morning and my time on Mt Washington summit as a volunteer is about to end. You see Wednesday is shift change day. We arrived a week ago to early morning fog that quickly became clear skies. We will depart in the clouds and rain.

When I signed up for this adventure last March, the visibility of what to expect was poor, maybe a 1/16th of a mile. I leave knowing this opportunity has unlimited visibility and was beyond my expectations.

First off our duties as a volunteer include cooking dinner and treats for the staff and any guests of MWOBS tours as well as cleaning of the living area. These tasks are shared with a co-volunteer and for me this week it was Mickey. I truly enjoyed her company and had fun planning and sharing the work. The pantry is well stocked so dinner options are many and since I enjoy being in the kitchen, cooking and baking for others was a delight for me. And the staff and guests truly appreciate your efforts.

So once you plan and complete the above, the remaining free time is yours to enjoy the mountain, the views or a book. I chose to hike on the good weather days and found the trails an inspiring challenge.

Now to the reason everyone comes to the summit of Mt Washington, the weather and views. I have to say I saw a lot of what is possible: awesome sunrises and sunsets as well as clear skies and a view to Camels Hump, 79 miles, in the Vermont Mountains. At night the stars and Milky Way were ever so clear. We even saw fireworks down below at the Cog Railway and waited for the sound to reach us after seeing the explosion. And on the extreme weather side, I experienced 70 mph winds with a peak gust to 91 mph and wind chills below freezing. A thunderstorm slightly to the north one of the evenings was a cool light show.

As I end this week, I wish all others who chose to take this journey clear skies and unlimited visibility (KMWN 185329Z 03003KT 130SM SKC 08/M01). But then again, you may prefer thunderstorms and high winds (KMWN 185329Z 29078G91KTS 0SM +TSRA VV000 05/05 RMK PKWND 290101/47).

Thanks to the staff, Mike C, Adam, Caleb, Ryan and Jan along with Mickey for making this time such an elevating week.

Laura Pickett, Summit Volunteer