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Published: October 15th 2012
Wiley Pond
Out And About In Northern New HampshireI left Maine with a heavy heart on Tuesday, September 4, 2012 for I had not seen a moose during my six-week visit (except for the mounted “albino” specimen and that was in Errol NH). Kidding aside, but admitting there was a hint of disappointment, I had had a great time in Maine and hope to return. According to MapQuest, the trip from Farmington ME to Lancaster NH was 99 miles and would take 2 hours and 21 minutes. That’s more in line with my overall approach to travel during The Great Adventure. I already had driven over the first 1/3 of the route while getting to the scenic drives I enjoyed so much in west central Maine; however, after I made it to Newly ME, the scenery was all novel to me. West of Bethel ME, the pockets of civilization became more and more interspersed, and mountains became the dominant features. I reached the turnoff for Mountain Lake Campground in Lancaster NH even before I had reached the town proper.
I’ve been bragging about/complimenting the weather Gods for the great weather I’ve had for almost my entire 2012 trip. As my Kentucky-born mother might have said, “Well, Larry, it’s
time for those chickens to come home to roost.” Out of my week in northern New Hampshire, only two days had precipitation predictions of less than thirty percent. Unfortunately, the forecaster was spot on.
On Thursday, I set out for a tour of the countryside by heading north on US 3. For the most part, the scenic highway follows the Connecticut River as that waterway provides a natural demarcation between New Hampshire and Vermont. My first stop was in Groveton NH where a steam locomotive with caboose and a covered bridge provided a welcome to all. The 1852 Northumberland-Groveton Covered Bridge once accommodated the vehicular traffic of US 3 over the Ammonoosue River but was bypassed in 1939 and now serves the community as a pedestrian bridge over the river and as a protected picnic area. A kiosk in the small park tells us this part of the Ammonoosue River is part of the Northern Forest Canoe Trail and relates that a lumber mill once occupied the site.
I saw a roadside sign advising, “Sweet Corn Ahead.” I stopped and learned that the unoccupied vegetable stand was operating on the honor system and paid ¼ of the per
I’m Sure Glad I Stopped To See The Covered Bridge
Clarksville/Bacon Road Covered Bridge - Pittsburg NH dozen price for ¼ of a dozen ears of corn. A sign leaning against the barn encourage shoppers to, “Eat local sweet corn, 50,000 raccoons can’t be wrong!” The sweet corn was the best I’ve had to date in 2012. Continuing north on US 3, I happened upon the non-vehicular Clarksville/Bacon Road Covered Bridge in Pittsburg NH. Even though it was not a “covered bridge day,” I had to stop. Several trout fishermen were testing the waters on the upstream side of the bridge. I watched for a few minutes but didn’t see any success.
When I approached the Canadian border, I made a U-turn and headed south until I reached Colebrook NH, a few minutes south of Pittsburg. There I turned onto NH 26 and drove southeast into Errol and turned south on NH 16. When NH 16 reached US 2 near Gorham, I headed west to the RV park. Both of the state highways were very scenic and “less travelled” than the US highways – makes sense to me – and both were in a good state of repair for the most part. Stretches of each had asphalt that appeared very new and stretches that (I hope)
are on the project board for next year. That’s not much different than most of the roads I’ve travelled all over in this great country.
Friday was the marquee day according to the weather forecaster, and the prediction was dead on. I have heard about the terrible weather conditions on Mount Washington for years; however, there is something about the highest peak in the Northeastern United States (6,288 feet) that makes it a major tourist attraction. Mount Washington is most famous for its dangerously erratic weather, and it is WINDY. The
Mount Washington Observatory on the summit of Mount Washington holds the record for the highest surface wind gust ever recorded by man at 231 mph on the afternoon of April 12, 1934. Several factors cause winds exceeding hurricane force to occur on an average of 110 days per year. Mount Washington is COLD. During a 71-hour stretch from January 13 to January 16, 2004; the wind chill on the summit never went above −50 °F. Snowstorms at the summit are routine in every month of the year with annual snowfall averaging 311 inches. Temperatures above 72 °F at the summit have NEVER been recorded, and the summit of Mount Washington
is shrouded by clouds over 60% of the time.
In addition to its extreme weather, Mount Washington has a storied history. It was first noted by a European in 1524 and first ascended by Anglos in 1642. The Crawford Path, laid out in 1819, is the oldest mountain hiking trail in the United States and remains in use today. The rationale somehow escapes me; but in the mid-19th century, it was developed into one of the nation’s first tourist destinations as more hiking trails were blazed and two hotels were constructed on the pinnacle. The Summit House, which opened in 1852, is gone today; but the Tip-Top House has survived and today is a state historic site. With the completion of the Mount Washington Carriage Road (now the Mount Washington Auto Road) in 1861 and the Mount Washington Cog Railway in 1869, accessing the summit became much easier. The 7.6 mile road, with an average gradient of 11.6%, climbs 4,618 feet (from 1,527 feet at the bottom to 6,145 feet at the top).
Most of the mountain is in the White Mountain National Forest; but the summit, including the weather observatory, is within Mount Washington State Park. I
Crawford Path – Option #1 Ruled Out Immediately
Mount Washington Cog Railway - Bretton Woods NH learned there are several ways to get to the top of Mount Washington. 1) Hike – perhaps in the early years of my next lifetime! 2) Drive my truck up the Mount Washington Auto Road – Vehicle and Driver $25.00. 3) Take the guided tour up the Auto Road in a van where “your ride will be complete with stories, anecdotes, legends and history delivered by one of our accomplished drivers. Learn about the unique names and places along the Auto Road and get the inside information on how they came to pass.” - Seniors $25.00. (They drive, I sightsee and use their gas! Hmmm. That was a short decision tree.) 4) Take the Mount Washington Cog Railway – one of only two in the United States (the other being at Pike’s Peak) – Seniors $57.00. I had to decide, “Was the cog railroad experience worth $32.00?” You betchya!
In 1852, the year the Summit House opened and nine years before the completion of the Mount Washington Carriage Road, Sylvester Marsh got lost near the summit of Mount Washington and believed that there had to be a better way for people to reach the highest mountain peak in the
Northeast. He returned home and began working on plans for the world's first mountain-climbing cog railway. Marsh was a native of Campton, NH and had made his fortune in the meat-packing industry in Chicago. He was considered by his contemporaries to be a creative and innovative thinker; however, when he presented his idea to the New Hampshire Legislature, they laughed at him and said that he "might as well build a railway to the Moon."
Marsh proceeded with his dream anyway and along with Herrick and Walter Aiken, a father-and-son team of inventors from Franklin, NH, began the task of engineering and building the cog railway. Equipment and materials had to be hauled by oxen some 25 miles to Bretton Woods and then another six miles through the forest to the base of Mount Washington. But on July 3, 1869, 'Old Peppersass' (Now, just where are the syllable breaks in that word?) became the first cog-driven train to ascend any mountain in the world when it climbed the 6,288 feet to the summit of Mount Washington. President Ulysses S. Grant and his family were passengers during first few weeks of operation. The Mount Washington Cog Railway (MWCR) is now
Two Trains Ready To Conquer The Mountain
Mount Washington Cog Railway - Bretton Woods NH designated as a National Historic Engineering Landmark. Although used sparingly since biodiesel locomotives were introduced into the line-up in 2008, all six coal-fired locomotives have been restored.
I noticed two trains were staged at the boarding area as I approached the ticket booth. Each train has an engine and only one car. I procured my ticket and went directly to the boarding platform for Train A where I learned there was a wedding party that had reserved and filled Train B. Quite a unique wedding!
The conductor/brakeman/docent/entertainer on my train told us we were very fortunate because the weather at the summit that day happens only 12-15 days per year. He related many of the statistics I outlined earlier and added that the mountain claims an average of one human life per year. Three people have been killed on the mountain so far in 2012. Although falls are the most common killer; hypothermia, drowning, falling ice, avalanches, vehicular accidents and natural causes have also been cited as causes of death. One man died of hypothermia only a few hundred feet from his destination, and shelter, when he became lost in the fog (clouds). The sources vary, but the
death toll for Mt. Washington is approximately 130 people on and around the mountain.
About half way up the mountain, the track bifurcated to allow passage of opposite-bound trains. A water tower sits between the two tracks which, in the days when only steam locomotives were used, allowed each steam engine to take a drink simultaneously. As we approached the summit, our conductor related that we were nearing the famous Jacob's Ladder – a 300' long trestle that contains the steepest portion of the trip with a grade of 37.41% (the average grade of the MWCR is 25 percent). He invited passengers to experience the phenomenon. The unusual opportunity provided most passengers with some fun and many tourists with a Kodak moment by standing vertical with the floor of the train at the severe angle. Boo-Hoo, I should have asked somebody to take my picture. I guess I was too busy experiencing the incline or watching others doing the same.
Since the trip from the previous hour had taken only one train of passengers to the summit, only one of our pair of trains was needed to return them to the base. That left our train, the conductor
and the engineer stranded on the summit of Mount Washington for the hour we were given to look around. Even on this “Chamber of Commerce” day, the summit was stark and foreboding. What I experienced there might well prepare me for a nice day in Antarctica. I visited the Tip-Top House which is furnished to portray its heyday, walked out to the observation deck for a few photos, visited the museum in the Mount Washington State Park Visitor Center and happened upon our conductor. Might you guess what transpired at that juncture!
Back on the train (with the seat backs reversed so we were again facing the direction of travel), we made the descent to the base. As with most round trip excursions, the return trip is filled with less awe in the passengers and less commentary from the docent. A few people who had not stood vertical on the steep ascent of Jacob's Ladder did so on the descent and others made an encore performance. Many, including myself, had missed photos on the trip up the mountain because the subjects (like the water tower) had passed by the viewfinder too quickly. We adopted a new photographic technique for
the trip down. That technique amounted to sticking the camera out of the passenger car window and taking several blind shots hoping one would be acceptable. It worked.
After returning to the depot, I looked at and photographed some of the outdoor displays and then went into the museum. The museum is small but very well done and has exhibits that graphically convey the principles of the cog engine as well as interesting artifacts and historical information. I would suggest arriving early and purchasing a ticket for a trip that allows time to visit the museum before the train ride. Although I believe the Mount Washington Cog Railway is slightly overpriced, it makes my list of “must do” experiences. Now, for the weather! I doubt many people will be as fortunate as I. Make sure to have layers of outer clothing in your vehicle when you arrive. Determine what the conditions are like at the summit, and bring along what you think you will need. It costs nothing to be over-prepared.
When I returned to US 302, I headed east to take a scenic route back to the RV park and turned north when I reached NH 16
One End Of The NH 16 Business Loop
Honeymoon Covered Bridge - Jackson NH in Glen NH. A short distance up the highway I happened upon the Honeymoon Covered Bridge in Jackson NH. The bridge carries highway traffic into the village business district and is heavily travelled. Capturing photos from various angles without automobile “clutter” was challenging to say the least, but my perseverance prevailed!
Four of my six days (the afternoon I arrive and set up and the morning I pick up and depart constitute the seventh day) kept me inside by my choice, but the two days I had nice weather were great. Even though I visited a couple of less-than-spectacular waterfalls/cascades that were located close to the highway, I didn’t goad Mother Nature by venturing too far from my truck. I had a nice day to see the northern reaches of this picturesque state and had a marvelous day to experience a truly unique piece of American history. This summer I spent three weeks in New Hampshire but still have not seen the central or southwestern portions of this diverse, beautiful state. Never fear, Uncle Larry has a plan!
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Helen
non-member comment
New Hampshire sounds like a place I would have enjoyed. Thanks for the great secondhand experience. I took the railroad trip at Pikes Peak and enjoyed it.