Happy Birthday Elvis

2010-01-08 16:51:24.000 – Drew Hill,  Summit Intern

The a-frame greets a sleepy intern.

So, I didn’t sleep through my alarm this morning. And good thing; 6:30 found me on the observation deck, fighting off frostbite and snapping pictures of a glorious sunrise.

Picture this: Undercast to the west. Overcast to the east. A sanguine sun rises slowly in between. The Wildcats, dappled with iridescent fog and coated in an unreal sheen of rime, snake their way along the horizon. Along the southwestern flank of the Presidential ridge, Lakes of the Clouds floats on a strato-cumulus ocean. It was the first spell of mild weather since our shift climbed (read: rode the plush snow cat up) the Rock Pile on Wednesday, and boy was it appreciated.

These past three days have been pretty busy– chock full of shoveling, deicing, forecasting, and, of course, feasting. I even took my first solo “fog obs” yesterday. Exhilarating! Like Ryan said: it’s the small things.

In other news, today is Elvis’s birthday. Al and Marion, our wonderful volunteers, helped us celebrate in style. After a smorgasbord of ham and tuna, cheeses and vegetable trimmings, fudge and cookie bars, Al grilled up some “Elvis” sandwiches. Ever had one? Me neither. Well, until today. You and I, my friend, have been missing out. First, Al takes a buttered slice of bread– butterside down, naturally– and lathers the top with peanut butter. Then, atop the PB, he lays several thin slices of banana– length-wise slices work the best. A drizzling of honey helps to sweeten things up a bit. And, in what can only be described as a touch of genius, Al adds a few slices of bacon. Yup. Bacon. The “Elvis” is finished off with a final piece of PB-&-butter-coated bread, and grilled.

I think I need a nap… or maybe a food coma. Happy birthday Elvis.

Drew Hill,  Summit Intern