Southerner’s Investigation of Mud Season

[SawyerTed]

 :DWe tried to bring some with us! :D

[Southside]

Does the cog go all the way to the summit this time of year? 

[thecfarm]

I drove up Mt Washington once. Being a tree guy, as we all are, I was amazed by how the trees started out looking like what I am use too seeing.
Then as I drove up the Mt. how the trees changed. 
Most times it was as if someone had drawn a line!!! 
This was when the leaves were out.

[SawyerTed]

The Cog train went about half way and stopped.   They said track were clear to the summit.   

Their agreement with the state park is they only go to the summit when the park is open.  It's probably 2 more weeks before they open. 

[aigheadish]

So you didn't get to the top? That's a bummer, it looks like the weather was pretty clear, would've been a great view. From your picture there, we couldn't see the top on the way there (in mid-June) but could on the way back. Uh, here was my experience for anyone following along... That Cog, and the angle it climbs, is nuts! Mt. Washington seems like the kind of place I could go to a bunch if I lived nearby.

[peakbagger]

The cog only started the halfway trains a few years ago in winter. The current owner bought his partner out about 10 years ago and has been aggressively expanding the operation. They now mostly run diesel electric locomotives fueled with a blend of mostly diesel and a small percentage of biodiesel. These diesels have a much faster cycle time than the old coal fired steam engines (which are still run during low volume periods for steam buffs). They assemble the new locomotives and passenger cars in a "high tech" maintenance facility at the base of the mountain. The problem is the summit operations are run by the state of NH and the summit is not currently equipped for winter condition operations. The state uses the autoroad for access and that will not be open for another month (typically). The cog is trying to get permission to change summit access to the summit building but from a fire and EMS perspective, with the autoroad closed, there is no way to quickly get fire trucks, ambulances, supplies and workers to the summit.

The cog is trying to gain permission to build accommodations adjacent to the summit and the question of summit access will come up again as currently it is a daytime operation not staffed during the evening or overnight. It is very controversial Petition · Protect and preserve the fragile alpine zone on Mount Washington from harmful development. · Change.org The cog owns a strip of land from the base to near the summit with the state of NH owning a circle of land at the summit that is shared by numerous users with the balance of the land owned by the national forest. There are also some issues with human waste disposal as the "septic system" (actually a custom designed waste water disposal system) at the summit is not designed for winter condition operation as the ground is too cold for biological activity until the summit thaws out. If the cog were to get approval for accommodations at the summit they plan to run a sewer line from the top of the mountain to the autoroad base station for liquids and carry the solids down off the top. There was at one point a hotel on the summit owned by the prior cog owners but that was in a different era where raw sewerage reportedly was dumped into a drainage on the side of the mountain.

The cog is actively lobbying anyone that will listen including guests of the cog on their plans.

The only way to get to the summit in winter currently is very limited snowcat runs of small groups that visit the Observatory at the summit or hiking up. On a nice day with the proper gear its a 6 to 10 hour round trip. In bad weather people die doing it year round. Winds were gusting in the 70 to 80 MPH range when Sawyer Ted got his trip to the half way point. Windchill would have been quite low and most folks would be serious trouble trying to walk abbove treeline. I have hiked up in winter several times over the years. 

[Southside]

Ray - please, we all know you were looking at the rocks and not the trees.  It's OK, we understand.  :D

[SawyerTed]

The Cog Train Company built a little station at the 1 mile mark.  We rode up, had hot chocolate and took in the views for half an hour.   

As we were loading for the return trip, a group of a 19-12 skiers (cross country?) emerged from the woods near the little station.  Of course we have no idea how far they are going but they appeared equipped for an overnight experience. 

We had a good time.  


 
Today we might go searching for frost heaves!  We are driving a rental after all.  :D

[GRANITEstateMP]

peakbagger, I forgot about Pollys, I haven't been there since I was a kid!

[SawyerTed]

Currently at Woodstock Inn...

[thecfarm]

Southside, I did notice the rocks. That's the only place that has more rocks than my place.  :D
But I talk about the trees more.

[SawyerTed]

Enjoyed a good meal and a couple of local brews.   Woodstock Inn and Brewery is a big building!  It's an old fashioned inn in the front and restaurant, bar and brewery in the back.  

Emily says the lasagna is great!  

I didn't take a photo of the bench backs in the booths which appeared to be spalted maple slabs.  

[PoginyHill]

Any of the Common Man restaurants are top notch in my book. They are in several stops along I-93, mostly north of Manchester, but many go by different names, such as the Tilton Diner and Foster's Boileroom.

[peakbagger]

peakbagger, I forgot about Pollys, I haven't been there since I was a kid!

Its a lot different looking place these days, same family owns it but they built an entirely new restaurant to handle the crowds and are open. They still go through barrels or maple syrup. 

[peakbagger]

I was down there today on the Franconia ridge. It is the ridgeline on the east side of parkway across from the Franconia Notch cliffs. Lafayette is 5249' high and Lincoln 5049'. Hard to beat the day, no wind up on the ridge, It was a mix packed snow and occasional ice all the way to the ridge. I switched to shorts half way up and then a T shirt about halfway down the ridge. Hard to beat for April. Coming down I took a trail that follows a series of waterfalls (Falling Waters trail). The trail crosses the stream in several places and it was definitely cranking. Looks like the temps go back to normal next week.

[SawyerTed]

Had to escape the White Mountains and add a state to the list.   Drove to Ogunquit, Maine to see the coast.  

Went to Wells Beach, Ogunquit and Perkins Cove.  Had a lobster roll and a local lager with my bride.  


 

 

 

 

[Southside]

Technically that's north Boston FYI  :D

[SawyerTed]

 :D Yep.  But it doesn't take many miles going west to not be North Boston.  

The Saco River is beautiful!  We followed it coming back.  

[Magicman]

We love Maine and also love da Lobstah Rolls too !!! 

[SawyerTed]

We wish we had time to explore more of Maine.   

Heading to Vermont for the day in the next couple of days.  

Scoping out the digs for an extended RV trip.  

[Log-it-up]

What part of Vermont are you heading to

[SawyerTed]

Not sure.  Reasonable driving distance from Lincoln, NH. 

[SawyerTed]

One very interesting thing we've noticed in Eastern New Hampshire and SE Maine are the "connected farm houses".  

Apparently, the main house has the living quarters, a connector contains the kitchen. The kitchen connects to a "wagon house"/garage and the garage connects to the feed barn.  

The buildings are very large for homes.   The best done ones have rooflines that "work."  The worst ones appear to be cobbled together by toddlers.  

Practicality and New England frugality made these structures common here.  

[Log-it-up]

Well if you head about 2 hrs west you'll end up in our capitol wich I believe it's the smallest capital city in the US 
On the way if you happen to get on to 302 you will find the frost heaves you have been longing for but there are abundances of good place to stop
Morses sugar house 
A lot of local owned bars and breweries
A couple more exits north on I89 (10) 
There Ben and Jerry's ice cream
Cold hollow cider mill 
Just ideas

[Log-it-up]

Addition on top of addition and lack of maintenance on most it's like that all over New England