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Mount Washington, New Hampshire | |
| Mount Washington, highest peak east of the Mississippi, in New Hampshire's White Mountains, offers spectacular views and some of the world's worst weather. | ||
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Mount Washington, with its summit at 6288 feet (1917 meters), is the highest peak east of the Mississippi River. The mountain is renowned for its severe weather, which claims the lives of numerous hikers and climbers every year. I've hiked up Mount Washington into a blizzard, in a temperature of 14°F (-10°C) and winds gusting to 100 mph (161 km/h) at the summit, on the last day of August! You can check current weather conditions at the summit on the Mount Washington Observatory website. The Mount Washington summit is the centerpiece of Mount Washington State Park. The Tip Top House and Sherman Adams Visitor Center at the summit provide for visitors needs from Memorial Day through Columbus Day. There are three ways to reach the summit: —Hiking along any of the numerous alpine trails maintained by the Appalachian Mountain Club —Driving your own vehicle, or riding in a tour van, up the Mount Washington Auto Road (even in winter) —Riding in a coach of the historic Mount Washington Cog Railway But any visit depends on the weather. New Englanders delight in exchanging horror stories of the latest report: winds of 150 miles per hour (the record for wind recorded by humans, recorded here on the summit, is 231 mph/372 km/h!). Temperatures of -47°F/-99°C are not unheard of. The wind-chill factors don't seem earthly. Regional news media often carry the reports even though they don't really affect anyone but the eager climatologists at the Mount Washington Observatory who volunteer to sit through the storms on the mountaintop. This does not mean you will hit impossible weather when you visit the summit, but it does mean that you must be prepared. The Mount Washington weather is no joke. People die here every year! If you plan to hike up, you should—absolutely!—check with Mount Washington State Park rangers (tel: 603-466-3347) and Appalachian Mountain Club personnel, and have warm clothing—even in high summer—, food, good equipment and a knowledge of hiking and camping (and, if necessary, winter camping) before you attempt this climb. If you need to be rescued, you will bear the cost, probably in the tens of thousands of dollars.
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Above, Mount
Washington.
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