I have been fortunate enough to experience climbing the highest mountain in the Northeast, as well as one of the most beautiful areas in the Northeast.
Mount Washington is one of the most breathtaking spots in New England. It is a perfect fall getaway for a day of hiking of a day of shopping and lunch at the summit. Located in Sargent's Purchase, NH, it is the Northeast's highest peak surrounded by the extensive 750,000-acre White Mountain National Forest also part of the
Apalachian Trail, a 2,000-mile footpath that extencds from Main to Georgia trail that runs On a clear day visitors can stand at the 6,288-foot summit and see beyond New Hampshire as far as 130 miles to Vermont, New York, Quebec, Massachusetts, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean.
If visitors do not choose to hike the mountain, they can drive their own cars to the summit or ride in one of the many vans that provide guided tours for visitors.
The Mt. Washington Cog Railway, the first rack-and-pinion mountain-climbing cog railway with a three-mile route, which is one of the steepest railway tracks in the world. When I visited Mt. Washington, I hiked up the mountain and road the train back to the bottom, which was relaxing with a beautiful site to see.
It is important to remeber when visiting the Mount Washington is the summer that the summit will be much colder and windier than at the base and snow can fall any month of the year. There are about fifteen hiking trails up Mt. Washington. When planning your hiking trip is it important to be aware of Mt. Washington's spontaneous
weather, which is considered to be the "worst in the world". Mt. Washington holds the highest wind velocity ever measured on earth, which was 231 miles per hour in April. Wind on Mt. Washington can exceed hurricane force, but the average is 35 mph with an average temperature of 27.1 F. The weather on Mt. Washington is so sever because it is located in the midst of a major storm track routes that affect the entire Northeast.
One of the most interesting features to Mt. Washington is the several distinct ecological zones. When I hiked the mountain, I remember vividly passing through several very distinictly different ecological areas. First I hiked through a forest of northeat redwoods, then a forest of spruce and fir, and as I got higer in elevation trees become small and stunted. Soon they looked like short and narled, which meant I had reached the sub-alpine zone. Eventually I hit the tree line, the elevation above which trees do not grow (about 4,400 feet) and still nearly 2,000 feet below the summit of Mt. Washington. Once the hiker reaches the area above tree line, they have reached the alpine zone. This experience, to me, was unforgettable.
Mount Washington was made in 1642 by Darby Field and was feared to climb. In 1852 the first summit house was built, and shortly after the Carriage Road and Cog Railway were completed on opposite sides of the mountain, which made New England's highest peak accessible to visitors of all ages. With an increasing amount of structures buily at the summit, Mount Washington was deemed the 'City Among the Clouds'. In 1932, four men pioneered the Mount Washington Observatory, which has since kept a daily record of the summit's ever-changing weather. On April 12, 1934, the scientists recorded a wind gust of 231 MPH, the highest wind speed ever observed on the surface of the earth.
Built in 1979, the Sherman Adams Summit Building serves as the central visitors' center atop Mount Washington. In the best weather, visitors can see up to 130 miles from the rooftop promenade or inside the Summit Building where through large windows, visitors can see the magnificent views to the north and east. If you don't want to hike to the top, the view is beautiful while riding the cog railroad as well.
The large indoor facility at the summit of Mt. Washginton has telephones, restrooms, gift shops, pack rooms, a post office, food courts, exhibits, and a museum run by the Mount Washington Observatory. Weary hikers seeking a fun ride down can also purchase Cog Railway tickets near the main entrance. Also, next to the Summit Building is the Mount Washington Observatory, whose trademark weather tower can be used as a variety of meteorological and scientific gauges and instruments.
A trip to Mount Washington is an unforgettable experience. You can hike to the summit or take the train: you can hike in the summer or fall, on a clear or foggy day. Not matter what, New England's highest peak will seem a different place with every visit.
