NH - Mount Washington

Mount Washington is the highest peak in the Northeastern United States at 6,288.2 ft (1,916.6 m)

The mountain is notorious for its erratic weather. In 1934, the Mount Washington Observatory recorded a windspeed of 231 miles per hour (372 km/h) at the summit, the world record from 1934 until 1996. Mount Washington still holds the record for highest measured wind speed not associated with a tornado or tropical cyclone.

Often called the most dangerous small mountain in the world, hiking up Mount Washington is not for the fainthearted: elevation gain 1293m and 12 km out and back. So not for us!!

Hence we took the easy route and chose the
Cog Railway, the first mountain-climbing cog railway in the world. With an average grade of 25% (some sections approach nearly 38%), it’s also the second steepest!

"The second greatest Show in Earth" - that’s what showman P.T. Barnum proclaimed in 1869 as he stepped down off the train and marvelled at the view from Mount Washington’s rocky summit. High praise indeed from the man whose grand circus occupied the primary spot.

So, definitely good enough for us 😉
Really enjoyed the ride - apart from when the engine stopped unexpectedly on a very steep slope and the driver telling our guide that he had a warning light and needs to check it out 😳😳😯
Certainly not routine and it did get my heart beating. But all went well.

It's an amazing sight coming out of the low hanging cloud ("Undercast") and seeing the mountains of the Presidential Range almost next to you.

The highest mountains in the Presidential Range are named principally for U.S. presidents, with the tallest mountain (Mount Washington) named for the first president and the second tallest (Mount Adams) for the second president. Others include for example
Mount Eisenhower — after Dwight D. Eisenhower
Mount Franklin — after Benjamin Franklin
Mount Jefferson — after Thomas Jefferson
Mount Adams — after John Adams

A few little titbits to finish things off
👆 Search & Rescue and Coast Guard helicopter crews use the helipad on Mount Washington for training sessions to land in strong winds
👆On the way down, the carriage is actually not connected to the engine but has independent breaks. In fact, the engine is only being used to push the carriage up the hill.

A long post that can be summarised in a very short statement.

It was amazing!!Read more