Perfect day for our hike

[BlkHawk73]

This had been our year's goal and with Saturdays committed to the boy's marching band competitions and weather getting colder, I was thinking we wouldn't get it in. The pieces fell into place and an unseasonably warm Friday gave us an unbelievable hike up Mt Washington, the highest peak on the northeast @ 6288'. Also the lace where some of the highest wind speeds ever recorded have blown through - 231mph! We only has a breeze of 20mph with some higher gusts now and then. Made for about a 45-50º day at the top - very nice.
It started out with the usual woods trail at about an easy grade before we faced the head wall of Tuckerman's Ravine and the final assent to the peak over a boulder field. Happy to have made it and not added to the list of those that perished on the mountain and in the ravine. More than a few spots where a simple side step was a looooooooong ways down. :shock:

The start:

From the 1/3 way caretaker station:

The headwall we faced climbing:

Looking up at our route:

From atop the ravine. The white spot is the caretaker's cabin.

Looking down the final scramble:

The Cog railway making a decent has been operating since 1869:

Just to prove we were really there:

 

[Cholo]

Nice! Did you hike from the bottom to the top, or start somewhere in between?

It's so beautiful around there. I went in the early 60's and my Ma went to pieces because of the lack of guardrails. Talk about a meltdown! We descended and I went up to the top with only my Dad. I went back in '74. Nothing had changed as it was still as gorgeous as I'd remembered it. I have a pic of that sign somewhere. They also has a sign for Wall Drug at the summit :roll:

People from down here have no idea the size and vastness of mtns. in the NE. Great pics that brought back a lot of memories. Isn't it peak color at the lower elevations, now?

 

[BlkHawk73]

Nice! Did you hike from the bottom to the top, or start somewhere in between?

Hiked it bottom to top. Little over 5 miles. Having lived here I'm still amazed with the foliage.

 

[JPGLSG]

Beautiful, just beautiful scenery. Wish I had been there with you, nothing better than reaching the top.....

 

[WendyZXZ]

Those are great pictures and country and looks like a fine time out for a hike!

 

[pruger45]

I drove up there in 1987!

 

[eric conrad]

Great pictures. Outstanding scenery.
Thank you Eric

 

[don44]

Thanks for the nice pics!

 

[JOHNNY WACKO]

Sure is beautiful country.Thanks for the pictures Love the view.

 

[Mike Armstrong]

Great post!

The Northeast is glorious in spring, summer, and fall. Of that other season, I will not speak, but it does contain bird and small game seasons, which makes it bearable. Barely.

I'm always amazed at the number of people who go up into the White Mtns. (and a lot of NE mtn. ranges) totally unprepared in spite of plenty of warning signage and don't come back on their own boots.

 

[BlkHawk73]

The Northeast is glorious in spring, summer, and fall. Of that other season, I will not speak, but it does contain bird and small game seasons, which makes it bearable. Barely.

I'm always amazed at the number of people who go up into the White Mtns. (and a lot of NE mtn. ranges) totally unprepared in spite of plenty of warning signage and don't come back on their own boots.

Nah, that other season has it's own beauty. Just takes hearty folks to enjoy it.

None this time of yr, but they do post warning about avalanches. There's a couple plaques memorializing a couple that perished along this ravine in those snow tumbles. What makes the weather so unpredictable is it's at the point where three weather fronts merge making for some turmoil in the sky. Had we gone last weekend, we'd have had snow and 40-50mph winds for a wind chill in the single digits. Makes for less than desirable hand & foot holds.

 

[Ferdinand]

I love the White Mountains. I hiked up Mt. Washington in 1989. Rode the cog up with my kids about 5 years ago. Awesome place.

 

[Rick Courtright]

They also has a sign for Wall Drug at the summit :roll:

Hi,

Where the he(ck) is Wall Drug?

Rick C

 

[SPBhawk]

Great pics !! My father (Passed away) has been up there a few times. I have never done it. I should someday.

 

[cubrock]

Awesome! I think the boys and I will add this to our bucket list of hikes. We've never been to Maine, but have wanted to see it in the fall for years.

 

[COWTOWNER]

"Perfect day for our hike", is very misleading for this Texan. Thats not a hike, its mountain climbing, here in flat lands of my part of Texas. Excellent photos by the way. I've not been to Maine, so the scenery is outstanding.

Thanks

Mike (flatlander)

 

[Joe S.]

Glad yall didn't perish too!

Congrats! I have a cousin that lived somewhere in Washington for a little while. He was always posting pictures of the beautiful foilage in the spring.