Mount Washington, New Hampshire
Sep 2, 2023 09:16:16 #
My wife, son and I took a ride up the Mt. Washington Auto Road, this past week. No mean feat as the road runs at about a 25% slope for 8 miles going up to 6,300 feet. The road is just barely 2 lanes wide with a deep rain gully on one side and a multi-thousand foot drop, off the other. No guard rail or even boulders to prevent you going off either side.
Mt. Washington may not compare with the Rockies but it does boast the world's worst weather with the fastest wind speed in the world ever measured, at 231 mph. It's an interesting ride because one goes from lush valley foliage, through upland fields and hardwoods, past temperate pine forests and up into what is essentially an arctic environment consisting of granite and lichen all within the half hour drive.
Mt. Washington may not compare with the Rockies but it does boast the world's worst weather with the fastest wind speed in the world ever measured, at 231 mph. It's an interesting ride because one goes from lush valley foliage, through upland fields and hardwoods, past temperate pine forests and up into what is essentially an arctic environment consisting of granite and lichen all within the half hour drive.
Mt. Washington is the tallest of the Presidential Range, members seen below.
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The weather station/observatory atop the mountain.
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My wife and son. Anyone with a hat takes my wife's pose as the constant 30 to 50 mph wind would otherwise quickly remove it for you.
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The road down has numerous turn-offs with a sign suggesting you stop to let your brakes cool. Good advice as even though I kept the car in low gear, so much heat bled off the brakes that I burned my hand on them, checking to see how hot they were.
Sep 2, 2023 09:25:27 #
Sep 2, 2023 09:28:46 #
By the way, try one car wide road in the Pyrenees. Two lanes? A breeze. I am not impressed, at all.
Sep 2, 2023 09:29:02 #
Nice photos.
Hiked to the top Columbus Day weekend in 1953 when I was fourteen. I remember it well to this day.
Hiked to the top Columbus Day weekend in 1953 when I was fourteen. I remember it well to this day.
Sep 2, 2023 09:30:38 #
Sep 2, 2023 09:35:01 #
Neat shots.
Yes, brakes get hot, real hot if one is not careful.
I saw a car at a campground in the Smokies one time where the center part of the plastic hubcap was melted out on one wheel.
When I come down from Cadillac Mountain in Acadia National Park I use low gear, tap the brakes when required (speed limit 25, about 3.5 miles). Been behind SO MANY people whose brake lights are on the entire trip down...
Yes, brakes get hot, real hot if one is not careful.
I saw a car at a campground in the Smokies one time where the center part of the plastic hubcap was melted out on one wheel.
When I come down from Cadillac Mountain in Acadia National Park I use low gear, tap the brakes when required (speed limit 25, about 3.5 miles). Been behind SO MANY people whose brake lights are on the entire trip down...
Sep 2, 2023 10:30:59 #
Rongnongno wrote:
By the way, try one car wide road in the Pyrenees. Two lanes? A breeze. I am not impressed, at all.
Big deal! Ever had a Colt 45 Malt?
Sep 2, 2023 10:51:50 #
Sep 2, 2023 11:25:52 #
Sep 2, 2023 12:15:35 #
Sep 2, 2023 12:22:04 #
Rongnongno wrote:
All this travel to end in the gallery...
Not everybody knows where the "Photo Gallery resides.
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Sep 2, 2023 12:32:55 #
Nice photos, thanks for sharing.
Yes I have done that trip up and down Mt. Washington in a car, a bit scary with the narrow road and the dropoffs, but a real adventure and worth it. The museum at top is cool and the weather station and other exhibits and buildings, and the railway up and down too.
My best bud Charles Libros, that did the trip with me, has sadly passed away since that trip. But we had a great time vacationing in that area, years ago.
Mine photos are somewhere, can't find them right now.
Cheers and best to you.
Yes I have done that trip up and down Mt. Washington in a car, a bit scary with the narrow road and the dropoffs, but a real adventure and worth it. The museum at top is cool and the weather station and other exhibits and buildings, and the railway up and down too.
My best bud Charles Libros, that did the trip with me, has sadly passed away since that trip. But we had a great time vacationing in that area, years ago.
Mine photos are somewhere, can't find them right now.
Cheers and best to you.
Sep 2, 2023 12:34:15 #
Sep 2, 2023 12:35:33 #
flyguy wrote:
Nice photos.
Hiked to the top Columbus Day weekend in 1953 when I was fourteen. I remember it well to this day.
Hiked to the top Columbus Day weekend in 1953 when I was fourteen. I remember it well to this day.
Yes Mt. Washington is along the extensive 2190+ mile-long Appalachian trail . Completing the entire 2,190+ miles of the Appalachian Trail (A.T.) in one trip is a mammoth undertaking. Each year, thousands of hikers attempt a thru-hike; only about one in four makes it all the way. A typical thru-hiker takes 5 to 7 months to hike the entire
A.T.
When we were at the top of Mt. Washington years ago we met two AT thru-hikers. More power to them.
https://www.nps.gov/appa/index.htm
Cheers
Sep 2, 2023 14:32:29 #
kmpankopf
Loc: Mid-Michigan; SW Pennsylvania
Thanks for sharing. Kudos for making the trip, more importantly getting to it on nice day.
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