Volunteer Reflections

2009-06-09 17:05:20.000 – Mike Sabia and Chet Wickett,  Summit Volunteers

On Lion Head

A couple days ago, we went for a hike through the Alpine Garden. Up here the hiking is always dramatic with interesting rock formations at your feet and deep ravines almost at your fingertips. There are the beautiful views with layers of mountains in the distance. Add to that the emerging wildflowers lining the trail in the Alpine Garden and you have one of the more magical days we have had the pleasure to spend in the Whites. Even the cairns took on the look of garden sculptures. We had the luxury of taking our time to look and study the plant formations clinging to the rocks and sending up spring shoots. We had lunch of meatloaf sandwiches while sitting on the buttress of Lion’s Head and looking into Tuckerman’s Ravine watching the die hard skiers and bringing up great hiking memories.

It has been so clear that early yesterday morning we saw into Canada to the North and Camel’s Hump and Mt. Mansfield in Vermont to the West. Late in the afternoon there was a stacked lenticular cloud just over our head which looked more like a white sheet rather than a cloud. Yesterday there were bands of clouds at the horizon but we are above them! During the afternoon we hiked almost completely around the summit cone looking into the ravines North of Mt Washington. We stopped to view a portion of the the Cog railway track and saw the train passing to bring riders back down to the valley below. There is still snow in another ravine called the Great Gulf where two of the obs crew recently skied. Viewing the the depth of the Gulf was breathtaking and exhilerating.

Back in the kitchen we are making turkey soup from the remains of a previous night’s dinner for tonight. Another desert (butterscotch cream pie) is being prepared for the final meal together. Tonight we hope to share the dinner with our new friends from NH State Park. We have spent good times with them during the week. Not a bad life in the mountains!

The week spent here on the mountain was a fantastic and memorable experience. It has brought more memories to share with family and friends. More important is what we have learned about the mountain, it’s weather and the great observers who work the weather room everyday with expertise and at times a sense of humor.

Mike Sabia and Chet Wickett,  Summit Volunteers