Starting work on the 5 Mile

After the snow of late last week, it seemed like we might never see the end of winter. But, thankfully, the snow at the base melted quickly, and the story was much the same on the portions of the Road already cleared. The even better news was the state of the culverts: clear. With that bit of luck, the Road Crew has made steady progress this week. Today, I headed up to see just what things looked like.

Starting up from the base, you would never have any idea that there could be any snow left on the Road at all. You don't see anything white until the shaded snowbanks at Mile and a Quarter Park. But, as you travel upward, you're reminded you're on Mt. Washington. By 3 Mile, the snowbanks on either side are fairly significant, and the snow is encroaching on both sides. In fact, in many places, the Road is still only one lane wide. However, we were able to travel to Winter Cut Off, about 4.25 miles, without chains or 4WD. And, the snow is melting quickly. Above that: it's a whole different story.

As soon as you make you way through the S Turns to the base of the 5 Mile, you encounter snow, slush, ice and winter. It's a totally different world. Today, the bulldozer was working near the top of the 5 Mile taking care of the top layer. The grader is also up there smoothing the way for the backhoe and steam drill. The backhoe was searching for culverts and making good progress. The crew working steam drill wasn't working too hard today as they needed only a bit of shoveling to open up the ends of already flowing culverts. That's great news because that means less ice in the culverts, so we can move more quickly up the mountain. Well, once we get all the snow out of the way. The snowbanks are still quite substantial: at least 15 feet in many spots along the 5 Mile.

Good progress to this point, and the Road Crew is feeling very good about their work so far. This week's weather has certainly helped, and more sunny, warm weather will help the melting below Halfway.

Now, I know what you're thinking, and we're starting to think about an opening date, but, right now, it's too early to make any definitive plans. We need to watch the weather, monitor the road conditions and hope. As soon as I know, you'll know. I'm planning to make another trip up the Road next week to get a look at the Crew working on some culverts.

Be sure to check out the full photo gallery on our Facebook page. Video coming soon, too!

- Ryan

Halfway...Sort of...

It's a classic good news, bad news scenario here at Mt. Washington right now.

First the good news: the Road is cleared to halfway, and all the culverts below that point are flowing. Aided by warm, dry weather, the Road Crew has done a great job on the first 3.8 miles of road. We can even get vehicles without chains to that point. All good news.

Here's the bad news: it's snowing. As I type this, it's currently 17° at the summit. It's only 34° at the base. Winter is back, and that's not exactly conducive to getting the Road open.

What does it all mean? Well, we won't really know until the weather clears. We could get 6 inches of new snow or more above 4000 feet. We could have a number of culverts refreeze. We could have to clear large sections of the Road again. We could have a lot of icing. It's all a guessing game right now. Fingers crossed that it doesn't get too nasty.

All that being said, we are right about where we hope to be at this point in the Spring. It's rare that we aren't forced to take a couple steps back due to mountain weather, but it wouldn't be Mt. Washington if it was smooth sailing the whole way. Depending on how much snow we do get, the bulldozer will be moving up to Winter Cut Off and onto the 5 Mile on Monday. If the Crew doesn't need to tackle too many refrozen culverts, look for them to be right behind.

My plan is to head up the mountain late next week and get some pics and video of the Crew working on the 5 Mile. I could have gotten some shots of them working this week, but the Road would basically look just like it did last week...just a different section. And, those guys don't want me in the way! So, look for more pics late next week, but I'll have a culvert update on Monday or Tuesday.

- Ryan

A First Look at the Auto Road This Spring

Work has begun in earnest on the snow and ice that buries the Auto Road each winter. Spring is a busy time for the Road Crew as they clear not only the Road itself, but they also clear the 114 culverts of ice.

On April 8, I took a trip up the Road to check on their progress. And, so far, it's all good news. We're able to drive to 2 Mile Park without chains, which is nice because I took our Smart Car! Above that point, chains are a necessity. The bulldozer has moved up above 3 Mile Post and is making good progress. The best news is that there are only 2 frozen culverts below the 3 Mile Post. Chris should be able to clear those out this afternoon.

I've posted a couple photos below, but there's a full gallery on our Facebook page. Be sure to become a fan!











My next trip up the Road will be mid next week. I'll have a 4WD vehicle with chains, so I'll be able to get some video of the bulldozer in action and the crew working the steam drill. Reports are that Signal Corps (4.25 miles) is buried in a huge drift, so not sure how long it will take them to get through that point. Then it's onto the marquee locations of 5 Mile and Cragway. Hope for continued warm weather, so those culverts keep flowing!

- Ryan

Bring on Spring!

It's that time of year, when our thoughts turn to steam drills, culverts and bulldozering. Don't yours? Well, they should because it's time to start getting the Mt. Washington Auto Road open for the season.

We had a terrific winter on the mountain as many, many guests joined us aboard the SnowCoach. Some of our visitors had never been to Mt. Washington. Others had been up the Auto Road in the summer and were amazed by the changes that winter brings. But, now it's time to clear away the winter snows and get ready for summer. Each spring, the Road Crew works diligently to clear the Road, so we can open in mid-May.

The Road Crew's first foray up the Road will be on Tuesday, April 6. This will allow for more melting down low and give the Crew the time they need to get all the equipment ready. Be sure to check back here for all the latest on the progress. We'll also be posting pics and video of the opening process.

For a look back at what it took to open the Auto Road last season, be sure to check out the blog archive at left.

Again, we're aiming for a mid-May opening, but it all depends on the weather. We'll have a better estimate as we start working.

Weather on Mount Washington

They say the weather on Mt. Washington can be unpredictable...Well it has been a couple of days since we have been able to open the Auto Road to our guests. Ice, snow, blistery cold temperatures and fierce winds have created unsafe conditions for vehicles to travel on the Auto Road at this time. On the other hand these same conditions have created a beautiful contrasting backdrop to the vibrant fall colors that are still trying to shine in these last days of fall. Here's a few shots of what we (the staff) got to experience over these last couple days. Let me tell you, it was nothing less than spectacular...

Check out the rest of the photos on our Facebook Page!

Fall is here...

...and so are our Pumpkin People! Pumpkin People is an event of the Jackson Chamber of Commerce. If you haven't checked this event out, prepare for a unique drive through the Mount Washington Valley! Get your map here and begin your Pumpkin People adventure at TD BankNorth in North Conway or at the Mount Washington Auto Road, Pinkham Notch (that's us)! And if viewing these unique creations is not enough then don't forget to vote! Ballots are located at each participating business and at the end of October awards will be given to People's Choice, Most Difficult, Overall Winner, etc. Enjoy your Pumpkin People adventure!

Josh the Camel Honored by Senator Shaheen

After his ascent of Mt. Washington on July 8, 2009, Josh the Camel received a special Certificate of Appreciation from U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen.

On Wednesday, July 8, Josh became the first camel to ever ascend Mt. Washington. Josh and his entourage, which included a dog, two horses and two humans, took five and a half hours to reach the summit of the Northeast’s highest peak via the Mt. Washington Auto Road.

Senator Shaheen presented Certificate of Appreciation to Josh, which reads:



The certificate includes the Senator’s signature and the official seal of the United States Senate. Along with this honor from the Senator, he also received a “This Camel Climbed Mt. Washington” bumper sticker.

Josh was not immediately available for comment, but members of his entourage report he has recently only been requesting the highest quality feed and not sharing any of it. Apparently, his success has gone to his hump…er, head.

The Mt. Washington Auto Road is open daily to cars, not camels.

To relive Josh's historic climb, click here for the photo gallery.