RV Trippin'

[aigheadish]

Tonight, after what felt like a billion hour drive, we made it to Piseco Lake, in the middle of New York. Little Sands Campground. Also very pretty, we're just here for the night then off to New Hampshire tomorrow. I didn't have a camera on me when it was still light out.



 

[Old Greenhorn]

OK, after reading this and yesterday's text messages, I had to go look it up. Yeah, when you said you like to stay off the beaten path you weren't kidding. No wonder it took a lot of driving. You must have gone right through Booneville! Too bad it's not 2 months later.
 OTOH, you did see a lot of nice country. :D Now you're going to have another long one to get down to the Thruway this morning. You have a long drive today too.
 It will be interesting to hear your stories when you get here. If long drives and lost wallets are the only issues, you are doing well!

[aigheadish]

We left Piseco at about 1030 this morning and finally arrived in New Hampshire at about 830p. That was after a lunch that took about 2 hours and hitting the laundromat. Not bad but I'm exhausted.

Our view, but again it's dark. 



 

[Old Greenhorn]

I hope you guys have warm clothes and the heater in your rig works. The high for tomorrow is 35° up top if I read it right. I see they are calling for snow showers also. It only hit 60 here today with a lot of wind. Tomorrow might hit 70 with more wind.
 Enjoy the ride!

[aigheadish]

I'm not sure if the kids packed well enough but we'll see! It'll be neat if we get snow! Heater does indeed work very well, it's on now! 

[Southside]

Are you driving the RV up Mt Washington? 

[aigheadish]

No, Southside, they won't let us. We are taking The Cog, a little train that goes up 38 degree incline (presumably it goes down that too).

Sounds like the road up the mountain is pretty serious and I'd like to drive it but not this time, I guess. 

[snowstorm]

i have driven up there a couple times. its not that bad. coming down its low gear and keep the breaks cool. are you going on the steam train? while up there look at the old wooden building and the size of the chain going over it to hold it in place. it will be cold and windy at the top

[aigheadish]

Lots of pictures incoming... 

We made it! It was an incredible experience! I thought 70 bucks per ticket was high until we did it and other than some annoying tourists (as with anywhere) it was almost as good as it could have been. At the base we were looking at around 50 degrees and overcast. Make note of the clouds in the second picture. 



 


 

We hung around for a while after getting there early to see what was happening, couldn't see the top of the mountain. 

We hopped on the train and got ready for the journey up. 



 

As we went, slowly, it started getting noticeably colder and cloudier. 



 


 


 


 


 


 

Making it to the top the weather was nuts. They've got a computer monitor showing the weather over the past 10 minutes, average of 55 mph winds with gusts in the 84 mph range, not sure of the temperature but cold as the dickens, looks like with the wind chill it was 9 degrees. 



 



 

These lunatics climbed up to this spot, I was too scared to fall off the mountain. I think OGH's mention of 100' visibility was generous. You couldn't see any of this stuff until you were right up on it. There was a giant building and some towers you couldn't see until you were within maybe 50'.


 


 

Notice how much ice was growing on the tower! 



 

We did not pay extra for the steam train but it did pass while we were on the way down. It was neat and you could see the smoke/steam billowing out for quite the distance at this point.



 



 



 

By the time we'd returned to the base the weather had cleared up and you could see the top. As we drove back to the campsite you could clearly see the buildings and stuff that you previously couldn't until you were practically in them. 



 

All in all it was a very cool trip and highly recommended for anyone to check out. I'm kind of sad that it didn't clear up while we were up there but it was great to experience how crazy the weather could be (though from what I understand a gentler weather than some). 

The Cog was finished in 1869, and I can't imagine the trouble it took to do it. It's looney tunes in today's standards and apparently people would stay in a hotel up top. Nuts.

Oh yeah, the Cog is an actual sprocket that engages the track so you aren't using the wheels but to keep you going the right way, the sprocket notches your way up. Pretty slick. 



 

[Walnut Beast]

Very cool! Great pictures 👍

[Spike60]

Thanks for the tour. Fantastic job with the pics. I don't owe you $70, do I?

[Old Greenhorn]

Very cool little tour and pretty much what I would expect for your day. Really pleased you enjoyed it. This is @peakbagger 's home turf and he is one of those hikers and I also know a lot of those 'crazy folks' who make the climb and I used to be one of those types in a previous life. ;D
 I watched the weather there today and saw the opening which it turns out was as you were on your way down. Yes, today was a mild day as things go. I'm just tickled you had a good experience and will be interested to hear the tale tomorrow. How did the kids enjoy it, I wonder, or did they spend the entire time freezing? :D
 Your phots are great! Nice tour.

[aigheadish]

Thanks y'all! It's hard telling how much I'm spoiling the place by posting too many pictures. I expect there are a lot of places that you see a handful of pictures and say, yup, I've been there. This shouldn't be one of them. This is kind of a wonder of the world.

This was a neat experience if you haven't done it. Several times, through the wonder of it all, I was giggling like a little kid. It's amazing they can get that much stuff up a hill like this. In the late 1800s.

Then the Devil's Shingles... Basically, 2x8s strapped to the receiving end of the Cog and a race to see who can get down the hill the fastest. If my math is close they were probably doing about 65 mph down the hill.

I think the kids liked it and will like it more as the days go on, but I think it was a shock to us all, in a perfect way but this was really neat and crazy! 

[Old Greenhorn]

Something like that, absorbing the phenomenal capacity of the natural world up close and personal, takes a bit of time to absorb. These things are in many ways perspective changing. I will be interested to hear what your kids can tell me of the day tomorrow.
 I once got caught in a whiteout on top of the continental divide in July. I was wearing cut off jeans and a tank top (I had been trout fishing in a stream) and was standing on the side of the interstate with a trucker and neither  of us could see the road, so we just sat there. It was surreal.

[thecfarm]

Glad you enjoyed The Mountain. 
It's not clear at the top too often, meaning seeing for miles.
It's kinda odd how the weather can change in just about 15 minutes. You don't realize the change in elevation.

[21incher]

You have picked  some great points  of interest  to visit on this trip. My wife's aunt lives a couple  miles  away  from mt Washington and we would never travel  up there until August.  There  are some great  mountain  streams running over the granite boulders and pools that are off the beaten  path and warm by mid August we enjoyed also. Some great fishing  in that area if you fish. Are you headed for Cadillac mountain in Arcadia to see the sun rise? Can't  wait  to see your  next pics. 

[SawyerTed]

What a great adventure!

Kids are funny about trips and adventures.  They act all unimpressed and half bored.  Then you will hear them later telling their friends how cool the whole thing was.

[peakbagger]

I only go up there in good weather with a good forecast and this weekend was definitely not good weather for hiking. It's supposed to be 40 and sunny at the summit today. Looks like you got one of diesel Cogs, they only run the coal fired steam ones during off peak hours as they are slower and tie up the track for longer. The owner of the cog is trying to permit hauling up custom sleeper cars and leaving them there for the summer and early fall for overnight accommodations just below the summit. They are making lots of improvements.  I actually avoid the actual summit as it tends to be a zoo. Still rehabbing from a broken ankle so I havent been up there this year, but have been up on the summits on the east side of the Franconia Parkway. Hopefully you had a chance to hang around and visit the Notches, Franconia, Pinkham, Dixville and Evans along with the Kancamangus Highway are all nice drives.  

Sad to say someone did not pay attention to the forecast and got caught on Saturday on Mt Clay which is just to the left of the track before the final run up to the summit. Hiker's desperate text to wife prompts 'high-risk' mountain rescue, NH officials say (yahoo.com) No news if the person survived. 

[Dan W]

Aigheadish, Thanks for sharing your adventures on Mt Washington!  It brought back memories of August 1951.  Was touring out there in a new 1951 Chevy w/a power glide tranny.  Not allowed to drive up.  So we were driven up in a 1946-7 or 8 Ford woody station wagon! 

[aigheadish]

We were told the hiker died...

SawyerTed, I think you are exactly right about the kids. 

Peakbagger - they talked about "race the Cog" which is runners seeing if they can beat the Cog up the hill. It looks like they have an opportunity to make some money doing neat stuff as there seems to be increased interest in getting back to nature. We won't hit any of the places you mentioned, our time in NH is short and we're on the way to OGH's today. 

Thanks for the kind words and stories gang! 

[Old Greenhorn]

Further reading indicates there were at least 3 other rescues executed that same day for folks who got in over the heads in that area. Peakbagger will tell you this is a regular occurrence in that area and happens way too often. The weather conditions are not to be trifled with and they give no quarter. Doing a climb like that alone is foolhardy for anyone who has not hiked that path several times in varying weather before. Even then....
 We have similar issues here in the Catskills but of a MUCH smaller scale, summer snow almost never happens after June 1st but the wind, rain, and especially hail can put a hurtin' on ya quick. I used to hike quite a bit and would often find myself coming down from a days climb to see folks headed up that trail that shouldn't be. You just know they are setting themselves up bad experience. I would see it in all seasons

 Once coming down from an 8 mile loop I ran into a couple dressed in shorts and t-shirts with sneakers (sorry, Running Shoes). They each had a shirt tied around their waists and a small bottle of water for the two of them. I asked where they were headed, and they said 'the top of course'. I mentioned it would take them a few hours and some spots required use of the hands to climb. I told them it was colder up there too, with a stiff breeze and advised them to turn around.  The said "We'll be fine." The male asked what they would find on the top. I told him a great view, one of the best in the area. He said "no, what I meant was, is there a restaurant up there, or at least a snack bar or something?" I knew they were in trouble and I was only 10 minutes from my truck. So I got back, grabbed a notepad and wrote down their descriptions. I checked the trail log and they had not signed in. There were only a few cars in the lot, so I wrote down the license numbers and vehicle types. Then I looked up the Ranger's number for that area. I planned to call him with the info as soon as I got a signal. Just as I was pulling out, I saw them coming back down the trail.
 Stuff like that would happen all the time. Once or twice I got myself in a tight spot, but I was properly equipped and clothed and recognized my (our) situation early and made adjustments to get out safely. Once was downright scary, but we survived on our own and nobody died so it was a good day. ;D

[WV Sawmiller]

   Sounding like a great trip. I had never heard of a cog railway till we took the one to Pikes Peak last August while out at a family wedding. I think it was 25% at places and I can't imaging a 38% one. Stay safe. Remember you're welcome in WV when you get the chance.

[Southside]

Ran into a couple like that one time OG, well more than once but this time was unique. They were headed to a Phish concert and took a very wrong turn. We were only about 6 miles up gravel roads when I spotted their Jaguar heading west, next stop on that road was Daquaam Quebec, and it was 90 miles of nasty gravel road to get there, but there is a locked gate at the border and fuel is about 4 more miles past the gate. That's assuming they stayed on the right gravel road. 

Got them turned around and pointed in a better direction, which was better for me as I would have been the one searching for them when they made one last call for help after realizing they were lost. 

[wisconsitom]

Speaking of being a dumb flatlander, I once went up to the summit of Sandia Peak outside Albuquerque, on a warm May day (down in the valley).  Once we were at the peak, at nine or ten thousand feet, whatever it was, me in my shorts, t-shirt, and of course, sandals, found it hard to enjoy the place as I shivered.  I wouldn't do it like that again.

[SawyerTed]

It doesn't even have to be poor weather or changing weather.  

We were campground hosts last September in Hanging Rock State Park.  One Saturday night we were sitting outside, a woman walked up and asked, "Where the 4311 am I?  I've been hiking seven hours and haven't seen Tory's Den (a cave on a trail) yet."  

She parked at a parking area 200 yards from Tory's Den - she hiked the wrong way on the trail which is apparently a seven hour hike. :D :D :D