First Thoughts on Summit Internship

2013-05-21 19:54:16.000 – Luke Davis,  Summit Intern

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It’s just my third day on the summit as an observatory intern, and it’s already everything I imagined it would be. There is plenty of work, and a lot to learn, but I’m excited about the days ahead. With so many diverse responsibilities, these three days have been hectic. All the technical information that I’ve been shown, between ‘METAR’ meteorological coding, forecast analysis, and observation procedures, is spinning in my head. It’s cool to see the things taught in the classroom in real-world situations, and to get the chance to work hand-on with something I’ve been interested in since I was a kid. Throughout all of the introductions and explanations the staff has given me, everyone has been friendly and patient. I’ll have a great time working all summer with people that are so easy to get along with.

What’s most amazing is how beautiful each and every day is (when we’re not socked in by fog) on the summit. It’s hard to believe that the jaw dropping weather phenomenon occurring over the Northern Presidentials, of which we have a grandstand view from the observatory room, is the norm to the rest of the observatory staff — so much so that the others opted to take a break and watch a movie between our observations instead of heading out as sunset approached. But when I saw it for the first time, I had to check it out. Stepping out onto the windswept, deserted observation deck, the scene was incredible. Banks of cloud tinged gold by the evening sun rolled over the summit from the west, one after another, the summit tower passing again and again into fog. The Great Gulf area was mostly clear, but over to its west, layers of cumuli-form clouds were lapping at the higher summits, streaming over the Great Gulf’s western rim like a river, their edges painted crimson. Overhead were pastel-colored streaks of altostratus and altocumulus clouds. I spent almost an hour wandering around this place before I was reluctantly ushered in by the approach of nightfall.

With a whole summer ahead of me, I’m looking forward to the many more opportunities to see and photograph this rugged alpine terrain to come.

Luke Davis,  Summit Intern