New Hampshire - View from the top

When discussing mountain ranges, I often hear people comparing them with remarks such as “compared to the mountains out west, these are just foothills” or “these are nothing compared to …”.  I object to remarks such as these.  We have explored a number of major mountain ranges and smaller chains and I have come to one conclusion – they are all beautiful and majestic and unique.

Today, we are exploring the White Mountain National Forest in New Hampshire.  Specifically, we are interested in exploring Mt. Washington, the tallest peak in the northeast.  Rising to 6288 feet, this majestic peak experiences some of the most severe weather in the United States but offers views of three states up to 90 miles away on a clear day.

We are camping in the near-by town of Twin Mountains, NH.  Our first views of the mountains were spectacular.  The beautiful green slopes towered above the road on both sides.  Peak after peak, overlapping each other with an endless shades of green.  The trees are so close together that nothing else is visible except an occasional rugged rock face jutting out.  At ground level is a lush covering of Boston ferns and wild flowers, growing between the rocks and along the banks of the creeks which babble along, tumbling over rocks worn smooth by the passing of waters over time.  Occasionally, there is a break where the peaks give way to waterfalls carrying the mountain waters to feed the creeks and streams.

We spent our first morning here acclimating to the area, enjoying the drive at the base of the mountains.  But the afternoon was reserved for Mount Washington.  There are only 3 ways to experience Mount Washington.  For the highly skilled, experienced hiker, there is a hiking path.  Originally mapped out in 1819 and in continuous use since then, it is the oldest mountain hiking path in America.  Obviously, that was not for us.  There is also an Auto Road.  It is an arduous drive, taking about 35-45 minutes, traversing a 12% grade with no guardrails.  The main disadvantage is that the driver does not get to enjoy the views.  So we opted for the third option – the cog railroad.

The Mt. Washington cog railroad was originally built in 1869 by a wealthy businessman who nearly died while hiking to the top of Mt. Washington.  At the time, the TipTop house was a lodge built at the Summit of Mt. Washington to provide accomodations to hikers, and it was this destination that saved his life and while there, he conceived the idea of the railroad.  A cog railroad has the traditional tracks and wheels that are common to most railroads, but it also has a third wheel with cogs, much as the teeth in a gear.  The cogs catch in the teeth built in the railroad tracks, providing a way for the cars to the pushed up the mountain without the wheels slipping on the tracks (which is why a typical railroad is limited to a 3% grade, I believe).

Originally the engines which pushed the railcars were steam-powered locomotives, fueled by wood.  In time, these were replaced with coal-fired burners, and in the early 2000’s, eco-diesel engines were added.  But some steam-powered locomotives were retained, and this is the option we chose for our trip to the summit. Our locomotive was originally built in 1874, but the engine has been rebuilt and maintained meticulously through the years.  The railcar we rode in was just built in 2024 – a beautiful car with handmade wooden details uncharacteristic of modern day construction.

We boarded the train and with a nostalgic whistle we started to move.  The cogs chugged along and was amazingly reminiscent of “The little engine that could”.  While a very nostalgic ride, it was not created for creature comforts.  Each clog would catch and the train would lurch forward.  Occasionally, cinders from the coal-fueled smoke would be blown in the windows.  But in just a few minutes, we acclimated to the trip and began to see the magnificent landscape we had come to explore.  At first, we traveled along quiet streams with beautiful wildflowers and ubiquitous ferns. About half-way up the mountain, we saw a station utilized by the railroad company during the winter. We stopped here so the steam engine could take on more water. As we slowly climbed (with speeds of between 1.5 and 4 mph), the peaks of the White Mountains came into view.  The higher we climbed, the most spectacular the views.  Our conductor also served as narrator, and pointed out the mountains of Vermont in the distance.  Close to the summit, he pointed out the foothills of Maine.  The beauty and majesty were indescribable.

At the top, we disembarked to explore the summit, which has a visitors center, an observatory for the US weather service, and the remains of the original TipTop house. 

The temperature had dropped about 20 degrees and it was windy, which made me thankful for the hoodie I had brought along.  We climbed around the gravel paths surrounding the visitors center, admiring the mountain views and taking tons of pictures, none of which begin to capture the untouched beauty of the mountain vistas.

After a snack and a visit to the gift shop for the requisite souvenir t-shirts, it was time for our descent.  The backs of the seats in the train car had been flipped over so we were also forward-facing for the trip back down the mountain.  The trip down was quicker (about 5 mph) but more noisy, due to the constant braking required to keep the car under control.  About half-way down, we could feel the temperature was quickly rising and the hoody had to go.

The entire trip took about 3 hours – one and a quarter hours up, an hour at the top, and 45 minutes back down.  It is not a thrill ride—it’s a safe trip that is not the least scary, and even the children and baby on board quickly settled in. But the noteworthy comment I have is this – the view at the top is worth the trip.

Back on ground-level, we went looking for somewhere for dinner (since it was about 6:30 by this time).  We found a local place called the Muddy Moose.  It reminded us so much of a place in Jackson Hole, Wyoming called the Mangy Moose, with its log cladding on the walls and fun moose décor.  As we sat out on the patio, watching the sun start to set and enjoying our dinner, it was hard to remember that we were not out west, but instead in New England.  On the way back to our camper, we stopped for some final sunset photos.  We were glad to finally be back in Twin Mountains and climbed into bed, filled with wonderful memories of the day.