I am now the majority of the way through my internship and I cannot believe it has gone so quickly. This internship has been an incredible experience on so many levels. I have learned about this mountain, its history, and the geological development of the Appalachians; I have learned about forecasting weather, instrument maintenance and calibration, and have been able to hone life skills like public speaking. I am learning so much and am so appreciative of this opportunity I have had to explore myself further and make great friends here at the Obs. I know it will not be easy to leave here come September.

 

Last shift I stayed an extra day on the summit to hike. Wednesday afternoon I hung out at the Lakes of the Clouds Hut and then hiked back up to the summit via the Tuckerman Ravine Trail. I had a blast down there and even got to help out with dinner.

 

 

 

 

Thursday I attempted a Northern Presidential Traverse. Thai came with me for the first part of my journey, and we witnessed a beautiful sunrise while we hiked down toward Gulfside Trail.

  

 

 

 

 The day was absolutely perfect for hiking. Temperatures were mild, winds were calm, and skies were clear. I would periodically stop and listen to the birds chirp. I took a particularly long pause on top of Jefferson to enjoy the peace and quiet of a more remote peak on an unusually calm day. It was a wonderful way to wind down after a busy week on the summit. The early morning lighting made the views all the more breathtaking.

 

 

 

 I made it to Sam Adams and decided it would be best to return to the Rockpile. I now know better what’s in store for the next time I attempt the traverse.

 

 

 

 It’s been an eventful week up here on the Rockpile. We started the week off with awesome clouds and beautiful sunsets.

 

 

Saturday was Seek the Peak so the past couple days have been filled with tours, cookies, and reunions. There were a number of former observers and volunteers up here helping to make sure the Seek the Peak festivities went smoothly. In spite of the weather, we saw a decent number of hikers up here yesterday and several who decided to hike up a day early to take advantage of the beautiful weather Friday. Though we were in the clouds with extremely low visibility all day, we were fortunate that storms held off yesterday and hikers were able to safely reach the observatory. We provided tours in stations. I was stationed on top of the tower and managed to grab a quick selfie between groups.

 

 

 

 Friday morning, Matt Zidle from WMTW News 8 in Portland came up to the summit and featured our Seek the Peak team, the Cirrus Contenders. Thank you, again, to everyone who helped support my team by making a donation to the observatory!

 

 

 After a successful Seek the Peak, we were able to settle back into our typical routine, and found ourselves in the midst of a severe thunderstorm! What a week!