June 2022
On Monday, we hit the road deeper into New Hampshire. We drove a few hours to the Mount Washington Cog Railway. This wasn't our first cog railway since we went to the top of Pike's Peak a few years ago, but it's still amazing to see these engineering marvels climb a steep mountain. We knew the weather at the summit can be wild. They actually have an observatory up there because the weather is the craziest in the nation. When we arrived at the top, it was 22 degrees with wind gusting to 69 mph. That's my kind of summer weather! There had been snow up there the day before so we lucked out. After coming down off that mountain, we went up another. This time it was Cannon Mountain by aerial tram. We hiked a bit up there. Thankfully, the weather was cool (not Mt. Washington cool), so it wasn't a bad hike, but it was definitely rocky. We came across one more covered bridge on the way back and then started looking for something to do on the way home the following day.
Passing beautiful scenery everyplace we go
The Carroll Memorial Bandstand in Breton Woods, NH is now a tourist information booth.
This is just like the cog railroad we're going to take to the top of Mount Washington
This is just like the cog railroad we're going to take to the top of Mount Washington
Peppersass was the first cog railroad engine at Mount Washington Cog Railway.
While they were building the cog railway, the workers road these slideboards, known as devil's shingles, down the mountain at breakneck speeds
The water tower at the base station of the Mount Washington Cog Railway
Looking up the tracks from the base station
These tracks that the cog railway climbs are an engineering marvel.
The trip starts out at an elevation of 2700 feet.
Ferns grow abundantly around here
They now use these bio-diesel engines to climb the mountain. This is M4, Agiocochook.
Another cog railway train ready to climb Mount Washington
The cog railway tracks wind straight up the side of Mount Washington
There's a lot of old cog railway equipment on display at the base station
Another cog railway train begins its climb up Mount Washington
The cog railway trains climb Mount Washington at a seemingly impossible incline.
The cog railway trains climb Mount Washington at a seemingly impossible incline.
Another cog railway train ready to climb Mount Washington
That's where we'll be headed a little later, the snow dusted summit of Mount Washington.
One of the cog railways trains comes down the mountain to pick us up for our climb.
We'll be pushed up Mount Washington by bio-diesel engine M6, Laprade.
Aboard the cog railway train for our trip up Mount Washington
Passing over a mountain stream on our way up the mountain
This waas the only moose we saw. Just pretend it's not made of plastic.
These trees aren't actually crooked, we are!
Passing the Waumbek tank at 3800 feet.
Up to 4724 feet at Jacob's Ladder
The views are getting good as we enter the alpine tundra
We can finally see the summit as we pass over the alpine tundra.
There's the summit building.
The building isn't crooked, we are!
Another of the bio-diesel engines that push cars to the top of Mount Washington, M6, aka Kenison
The view from the top of Mount Washington is incredible on a clear day
The view from the top of Mount Washington is incredible on a clear day
The summit is part of Mount Washington State Park
The rime ice that coats everything is a result of the moisture from passing clouds freezing onto cold surfaces.
The Tip-Top House is, appropriately, at the summit.
Rime ice forms everywhere
The rime ice that coats everything is a result of the moisture from passing clouds freezing onto cold surfaces.
The view from the top of Mount Washington is incredible on a clear day
Panorama from the summit of Mount Washington
The rime ice that coats everything is a result of the moisture from passing clouds freezing onto cold surfaces.
The observatory at the top of Mount Washington studies some of the wildest weather in the country.
The view from the top of Mount Washington is incredible on a clear day
The rime ice that coats everything is a result of the moisture from passing clouds freezing onto cold surfaces.
This anemometer recorded the fastest wind ever recorded anywhere, 231 mph!
Mount Washington has the most dangerous weather in the country
Our ride back down the mountain has arrived
A cog railway train begins its descent
Crossing the alpine tundra again as we descend Mount Washington aboard the cog railway
This reflection in a window shows exactly what a steep decline we're at!
Passing another cog railway train on our way down
Passing another cog railway train on our way down
The track that the Mount Washington Cog Railway runs on is an engineering marvel.
The track that the Mount Washington Cog Railway runs on is an engineering marvel.
We did not have to brake as we saw no moose.
This was the site of the famous Old Man of the Mountain rock formation until it collapsed
The New England Ski Museum at the base of Cannon Mountain
Looking back down as we leave the Cannon Mountain aerial tram station
View of Echo lake from the Cannon Mountain Aerial Tram
View of Echo lake from the Cannon Mountain Aerial Tram
One of the towers keeping us from coming crashing to the ground
The views are already spectacular and we're still on the tram heading up Cannon Mountain
The views are already spectacular and we're still on the tram heading up Cannon Mountain
We've reached the upper station of the Cannon Mountain Aerial Tram. Now it's time to hike to the summit.
Starting the hike to the summit of Cannon Mountain
We picked a good day to visit Cannon Mountain. The views are incredible.
We picked a good day to visit Cannon Mountain. The views are incredible.
We picked a good day to visit Cannon Mountain. The views are incredible.
The Cannon Mountain Aerial Tram runs 2 cars, affectionately known as ketchup and mustard.
The Cannon Mountain Aerial Tram runs 2 cars, affectionately known as ketchup and mustard.
Aerial tram car at the upper station
The view on the way down is as good as the way up!
Crossing the Bath Covered Bridge
We made a stop at the Bath Covered Bridge on the way back to Vermont.
We made a stop at the Bath Covered Bridge on the way back to Vermont.
There are quarries everywhere in Vermont
These fried clam strips and native shrimp from Weathervane Seafood in West Lebanon, NH were the best I've had anywhere.