Never The Same

2013-02-16 16:51:37.000 – Michael Kyle,  Summit Intern

Commute Up On Wednesday

No two days on Mount Washington are the same. This might be hard to believe since the summit can be in dense fog for days at a time and many of the daily tasks on the summit have not changed much over the years. While I might be new to the summit, I’m constantly hearing the other observers say things like “This is new…” or “I’ve never seen that before…” leading me to believe it’s not just my opinion. There are a plethora of differences that keep the days from being the same up on the summit. Whether it is hosting EduTrips, DayTrips, or Partner Led Climbing Trips, connecting for a Distance Learning program, or just monitoring changes in the weather, every day is different. The summit’s environment brings unexpected twists and turns.

An example of this can be seen in last weekend’s snow storm. The storm allowed for the formation of large snow drifts that blocked sections of the Mount Washington Auto Road, causing our weekly commute up the mountain to be slow going. Along the way, we opted to get out of the snowcat and walk ahead to avoid motion sickness until a path was cleared. Another example was back in January when we started a shift week with recorded high temperatures and ended the week with bitter cold. However, not every difference is weather dependent. Sometimes it’s just little things like talking with guests on trips and learning that one of them lives in the town next to where you grow up; or writing an Observer Comment while Marty the cat decides to take a nap or your keyboard. With the constant changes, it really makes every day at the Mount Washington Observatory an adventure. Seeing and experiencing these changes firsthand makes working here so enjoyable, and I am truly grateful.

Michael Kyle,  Summit Intern