Life on the summit for two weeks

2008-01-19 20:38:55.000 – Lindsay Ventura,  Plymouth / Summit Intern

My first undercast sunset

Well I have been up here on the summit for eleven straight days now and it has been an incredible experience to say the least. The first day that we were up here, winds gusted up to 110 mph followed by 106 mph the day after! That following Sunday, I was woken up at 6:30 in the morning to watch the sun rise. At first I was a little upset about getting up and out of bed at such an early hour (for me at least) but my mood quickly changed as I stepped outside and was able to see the sun reflecting off the ocean 85 miles away. Later that day, due to the calm winds and sunny sky, a few of us were able to take a hike down the Alpine Trial. Even though it took about half a mile to get used to walking with crampons, it was a beautiful hike.

Over the past week and a half, I was also able to see an undercast sunset or two. It was nothing like I have ever seen before. Experiencing rime ice and freezing fog was another couple of “firsts” for me as well. The arrival of Marty, the new summit cat, was very exciting as well. He is a very nice distraction when working on a research project all day. I have never met such a curious cat and it is very intriguing to just sit there and watch him.

It is sad to think that in a few short days I will be back down with the rest of civilization. I am extremely lucky to be given this opportunity and I would never trade it for anything. The people that I have met up here and taught me so many things really made this internship one that I will never forget.

Lindsay Ventura,  Plymouth / Summit Intern