Volunteer Comments

2014-10-16 17:58:00.000 – Jill Terman Potter, Summit Volunteer

It’s Wednesday morning, and we are packed and ready to leave. One week ago we were at the base of the mountain, enjoying a cool and beautiful fall morning, wondering what the week would be like. This is my second time here, so I had a general idea, and my good friend, Amy, is always game for anything. Luckily, I had increased my abdominal workouts for the past month, preparing for a week of laughing with Amy.

My first week here was July/August. The first day we had heavy fog with nearly zero visibility. Another day, my friend David and I got sunburned. We had two incredible sunsets, sustained winds at 60 mph, and 1-inch hail that the observers swept into the room and measured. This week was no less dramatic. The highest wind speed was 97.4 mph; the rime ice started forming on Thursday and grew to about 12 inches by Saturday, then blew off and melted over the weekend. I saw two incredible sunrises, and the grand finale was Tuesday night when Ryan, the night observer, rushed into the staff lounge and said, “Aurora!” We all rushed upstairs to see the spectacular sight.

Amy and I both grew up in rural Indiana, and have fond memories of occasionally seeing this as children, but watching the glowing lights at New England’s highest peak is a one-of-a-kind experience.

We had no visitors this week, so it was pretty easy just making dinner for 8 each night. Amy and I both love cooking and entertaining, so we made some additional soups for lunch, and prepared a few frozen meals for the staff to enjoy during the month of November when there are no volunteers. The staff was happy to eat everything we made, which was wonderful for us, as we made a variety of dishes including a few nights of curries and other spicy foods. On Sunday night we had a combination dinner with the state park workers, they made nachos and we made quesadilla with fresh salsa and guacamole.

Overall, the week couldn’t have been much better! Thanks to the crew for making this a memorable experience. I look forward to returning again.

Jill Terman Potter, Summit Volunteer