frjack Loc: Boston, MA

Thanks for commenting. Great autumn weather.

frjack Loc: Boston, MA

Thanks for commenting. One trip last year in the snow was a bit anxiety provoking. Hope to get some snow photos this coming year.

frjack Loc: Boston, MA

Thanks for looking and the feedback.

frjack Loc: Boston, MA

Thanks for commenting. The silence up there is complete. No traffic noise or anything else. Sounds of nature only.

frjack Loc: Boston, MA

Thanks for commenting. Driving up to the summit is quite a chore for the car. The Sports Car Club of America has an annual race to the top (five miles). There is also a once a year bicycle race. Couldn't get there this year. Will plan better for next year. There are no spectators along the course and the bicycles must be transported down. No riding down. The mountain will be closed to the public in a few weeks. It will remain closed until Memorial Day weekend. The road is only plowed as far as the break where the road to the left leads to the monastery (gated) two miles away on unpaved roads and the road to the right to the summit.

Monastery overlook gives a good view of the Charterhouse (as Carthusians monasteries are called). The layout is unique among all monastic orders.

The building at the top is now a small information center that includes a mannequin dressed in the Carthusian habit, a lot of history and photos and four observation decks. On Columbus Day weekend, the usual time for peak leaf peeping there can be up to 2000 cars going to the summit.

David in Dallas Loc: Dallas, Texas, USA

frjack, the building at the top were fenced off and closed when I was there in 2005--I think they had originally been an inn and restaurant, but I could be mistaken. Forgive my intrusion here, but this is my photo of the monastery from the road (someone had corrected the sign):

Trip2005F 211.jpg by David Casteel, on Flickr

frjack Loc: Boston, MA

There was a restaurant. Apparently Equinox was used for skiing before the Charterhouse. Oddly enough I know a cloistered nun who grew up very affluent and skied Equinox. The sign has been replaced. There are a few signs that indicate what the viewer is seeing e.g. the Catskills, Adirondacks, etc.

sailorsmom Loc: Souderton, PA

So beautiful, Fr. Jack!

frjack Loc: Boston, MA

Thanks. As beautiful as Pennsylvania is, Vermont wins the beauty part of the competition. Of course Pennsylvania has better college football than all of New England, to say nothing of Vermont.