New Hampshire, Part 4 - September 15 & 16, 2006 (Re-run)

 At 6228 feet, Mt. Washington is the highest mountain in the Northeastern U.S. and is infamous for its extremely variable weather.  The weather observatory and other structures at the summit are chained or cabled to the ground due to frequent high winds.  The record wind speed not caused by cyclone was set here in 1934 at 231 MPH.  The mountain gets heavy precipitation, with its highest snowfall in a year being 566 inches.  The highest temperature ever recorded here is 72F, while the lowest wind chill was set at -102F.

Hiking on Mt. Washington is popular since the Appalachian Trail crosses the summit.  The auto road to the top and the Cog Railway have been in operation since 1869.  I've driven the road and ridden the shuttle service, but never have taken the Cog Railway.  Next time.  The auto road is somewhat scary, mostly due to the speed of the vans providing shuttle service.  Those drivers are crazy.

In Franconia Notch State Park, a gondola ride to the top pf Cannon Mountain provides great views of the surrounding territory.

Back at the bottom, the park offers hiking trails to its outstanding scenery, including lots of beautiful waterfalls.