Aug 13, 2024 – The Windiest Spot in America

It was our intention to spend a few days in New Hampshire’s White Mountains, do some hiking and visit the Mount Washington summit. We did both of those things, but with only one day to do them. As it were, our plans to be in New Hampshire for a few days were thwarted for the same reason we’ve altered our travel plans numerous times in the past – to keep an appointment in Elkhart, Indiana at the Grand Design Service Factory.

Luckily, we had near perfect weather for our one-day visit. At the top of our list was Mt Washington’s summit and there were four ways we could reach it. Two of those were not an option. Hiking to the summit was possible but not logical. Another option was to drive our 21-ft full ton truck to the top. That too was not logical.

That left us with two choices – a tour van or the Cog Railway. Now the Cog Railway would be a good choice for the novelty of it – although a bit pricey. However, it ascends in a straight line up the mountain without stopping along the way, which sounds less interesting than a tour van that can make a stop or two and wind along the auto road allowing more views. Factoring in the high probability that any view will be blocked by heavy fog, the tour van choice seemed the best one.

So we booked a tour van to the summit with no regrets and yes, there was plenty of fog. At 6288 feet, Mt Washington is the highest peak in the northeastern states and the 11^th highest east of the Mississippi River. On the day we visited the summit, the temperature range was 42 to 49 with an average of 46, 3 degrees below the norm. Wind speeds maxed at 56.1 mph from the north with an average speed of 28.1. The number of minutes of sunshine was 100 and I figured about 2 minutes of that was during our 60-min visit.

Speaking of wind speeds, for 60 years Mt Washington’s summit held the world record for the highest. To record and observe the weather on top, the Mt Washington Observatory came into existence in 1933. A heated anemometer was put in place to measure wind speeds. Connected to a telegraph, the device created audible clicks with every rotation, thus recording wind speed. On April 12^th, 1934, a wind speed of 231 mph was observed and recorded, a world record that stood for 60 years.

On top of Mt Washington, wind speeds of 150 mph are common, and the summit receives an unusual amount of precipitation compared to most regions with similar cold weather. On average, the summit endures hurricane force winds 110 days per year. In short, Mt Washington is considered to have some of the worst weather in the world. Location, location, location!

Nevertheless, the summit is a popular destination and has been for a long time. In fact, during the mid-1800s, it became one of the first tourist destinations in the country with the construction of bridle paths and two hotels. One hotel did not survive a fire in 1908, the other is now a historic site in the state park. A coach road was built in 1861 and is now the Mt Washington Auto Road. And In 1869, another tourist attraction was built, the Cog Railway.

During our short time on the summit, the view of the White Mountains came as quickly as it disappeared. In a blink of an eye, a gray haze engulfed blue skies. Meanwhile, Appalachian trail hikers waited in line to take selfies next to the Mt Washington summit sign, proof that they reached the top. The cogwheel train showed up at some point and soon after, tourists in shorts were competing with appropriately dressed hikers to get a quick shot of themselves on the summit.

We got back in our warm van and within 30 minutes we were shedding a layer of clothing in the parking lot. For the remainder of our time, we hiked the Tuckerman Ravine Trail to the picturesque Crystal Cascade, and later spent a quiet evening at our campground preparing for the next three days of travel that would cover 1100 miles. And with that, our time in New Hampshire was over.