Bicknell's Thrush Tours In June!

The Mt. Washington Auto Road announces six guided Bicknell’s Thrush Tours in 2010. These special opportunities will be offered in June and will provide birders the chance to spot the rare Bicknell’s Thrush.

More often heard than seen, Bicknell’s Thrush is an extremely rare species with very limited breeding grounds. In fact, in the northeastern United States, Bicknell’s Thrush has been found in only two primarily locations: Mt. Katahdin in Maine and Mt. Washington in New Hampshire. The unique yet harsh climate is just what the birds prefer due to the combination of low vegetation and abundant moisture.

Because of the uncommon access provided by the Mt. Washington Auto Road, the new Bicknell’s Thrush Tours will give guests a chance to glimpse these elusive birds. And, they are quite elusive. Even though they are often heard along the Auto Road, they are rarely seen. However, the Bicknell’s Thrush Tours will leave early from the base of Mt. Washington, even before the Auto Road opens to the general public, in order to limit the amount of traffic on the Auto Road and to increase the chances of a sighting.

Bicknell’s Thrush Tour Details:
Dates: June 5, 9, 12, 13, 16, and 18
Time: Tours depart from the base of the Mt. Washington Auto Road at 5:30am. Tours last approximately 2 hours. Please plan to arrive by 5:15am for prompt departure.
Cost: $50 Advanced reservations required.


For complete details or to book a tour, contact Mary Power at 603.466.3988 or email Mary@mt-washington.com.

Photo courtesy Vermont Center for EcoStudies.

All Systems Go!

Great day on the mountain, and the Mt. Washington Auto Road will indeed open tomorrow. A combination of good weather and hard work, and we're ready to go. Thank a member of the Road Crew when you see them! Curtain goes up at 9:00am. See you then.

And, by way of a preview:


That's the view from the turnaround point at Winter Cutoff. Need I say more?

- Ryan

Thursday was a Challenge

Today was a tough day on the mountain. As a consequence, we're feeling less certain about getting open on Saturday morning. We're still trying for it, but it's going to be tough. Here's the story.

Tuesday brought the snow, and by Wednesday morning we had at least 15" of new snow on the ground at the base. More at higher elevations. We had success clearing a lane to Winter Cutoff by early Wednesday afternoon. Now, a clear lane doesn't mean it's down to bare, dry pavement. It simply means that the bulk of the snow is gone, but in most cases it's still a chains needed or, at least, four-wheel drive scenario. We need this lane open so the Road Crew can get back up high to ensure that the work already completed—open culverts, clear water bars—is still intact. Essentially, we need to be in two places at once. It's a bit tricky, but things were moving along. Then, Thursday happened.

We had hoped for a clear, calm day. Sun on the Road would not only shrink the snowbanks, making clearing easier, but it would also continue to dry out the road surface. But, no such luck. On Thursday, the mountain was primarily in the clouds and flurries fell throughout the day. Worst of all, it was windy. Windy enough to cover the Road with three foot drifts in places. The lane we had cleared had to be recleared. It was almost like starting over.

Here's the good news: the forecast for Friday looks good. And, we're not giving up. The Road Crew is going to head back up the Road tomorrow and keep clearing, and clearing, and clearing. Hope for sunny and calm skies. I'll have an update late on Friday with our plans for the weekend.

- Ryan

Mt. Washington Auto Road Set to Open

The Mt. Washington Auto Road will open for its 149th season on Saturday, May 1 at 9:00am for guests to drive their own vehicles. The Mt. Washington Auto Road will be open to 4.5 miles to a turnaround point above treeline, which affords stunning vistas of the surrounding peaks and offers a true taste of the Mt. Washington experience.

The Road Crew has worked diligently this spring to clear the ice and snow from the lower sections of the Mt. Washington Auto Road allowing this early opening to above treeline. In most seasons, the Mt. Washington Auto Road does not open to this point until mid-May. The Road Crew is still hard at work on the upper sections of the Auto Road with a goal to open to the summit by the end of May.

At this time, the Mt. Washington Auto Road will be open weekends only through May 9. Guided Tours are not yet available. Early season pricing is in effect: $23 per safe carload.

Be sure to stay tuned to the blog for updates on continued progress up the Auto Road and details on our plans for opening to the summit.

- Ryan

Beginning Work on the 5 Mile

Here's a look at the Road Crew starting work on the 5 Mile.



Plenty of snow to go around! Work will continue all week as conditions permit.

Look for another video update soon.

- Ryan

First Video of the Season!

Here's a look at the trip up the Road on Thursday, 4/22.



Beautiful day on the mountain, and the lower half of the Road is in very good shape.

Up next is a look at the Road Crew beginning work on the 5 Mile.

- Ryan

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