Order of Visit: High Point #2
Date Visited: August 12, 2018
Route Taken: Tuckerman Ravine Trail from the AMC Pinkham Notch Lodge (8.2 miles roundtrip)
Type of Terrain: This trail includes steep trails and rock scrambling near the summit. The trail gains approximately 4,300 vertical feet in just 4.1 miles.
Elevation: 6,288 feet
Ancestral Lands: Wabanaki, Abenaki
What’s in a name?
The Abenaki people originally called this mountain Agiocochook, which loosely translates to “Home of the Great Spirit.” Henry David Thoreau would also use this name in 1841 when referring to the mountain in his poem, Stanzas.
However, this isn’t the only name New Hampshire’s tallest mountain has held over the years. Other monikers include Waumbeket Methna (“Mountain of the Snowy Forehead”) and Christall Hill (first used in 1628), Sugarloaf, and simplest of all “The White Mountain.”
The lineage of the name Mt. Washington is uncertain, but is usually traced back to 1784, when Rev. Manneseh Cutler and Rev. Jeremy Belknap ascended the mountain. Neither man referred to the peak it as Mt. Washington in their contemporaneous written diaries or maps (and George Washington wouldn’t become our first president for another five years). Nonetheless, the Cutler-Belknap expedition is considered the catalyst for the current name.
In 1820, several other nearby mountains in the New Hampshire’s White Mountains would be re-named after early U.S. presidents, including Mt. Adams, Mt. Jefferson, Mt. Madison, and, Mt. Monroe, and the 13-mountain range would eventually come to be referred to as the Presidential Range.
Trip Summary
Climbing to the summit of Mt. Washington was the first thing on our “to do” list of during our weeklong visit to the White Mountains in August 2018. And knowing this mountain’s reputation for danger and unpredictable weather, we packed plenty of layers and our hats/gloves.
We didn’t arrive to the Pinkham Notch Visitor Center until around 9 am, but the parking lot was nearly full. And it was only a Monday!
Before setting off, we went inside the visitor center to look at their model of Mt. Washington and use the bathrooms. The visitor center has a very robust gift shop that sells everything a day hiker might want. There was clothing, hiking accessories, books, souvenirs, and even food.
Once we finally set off, we noted signs re-routing us due to trail closures early on. The designated alternate required hiking up an insanely steep muddy slope during the first ½ mile of our trip. To be honest, this had me a bit worried we’d bit off more than we could chew. But, soon it turned back into a manageable trail (though still quite steep) as it ascended.
White blazes marked the way as we made our way up rocks. But everything was slick with moisture from days upon days of rain. Consequently, we chose to ascend slowly so no one slipped.
It didn’t take long before the mist started falling, and a light rain descended that day too. That gave us all a chill, so we broke out our rain jackets while we continued to climb.
There were several areas that were extremely challenging to ascend, particularly when we encountered descending hikers, as there was very little room to pass.
We were befuddled to see one group descending with two fairly unhappy dogs. The dogs had to jump off slick rock ledges, and you could see the apprehension in their eyes as they searched for a safe landing spot. It was definitely a teachable moment to show Finn why some hikes are less suitable for 4-legged companions than others.
After several hours of navigating the rocks and trail, we finally approach the summit parking lot shrouded in fog. We could barely see 20 feet in front of us as we made our way to the Mt. Washington sign to take a photo. Once that was complete, we hurried quickly inside to the snack bar to escape the elements and eat our lunch.
Lots of other wet visitors had the same idea. There were even groups of people in the bathrooms trying to dry their soaked clothes with the hand dryers. Luckily we’d put our rain coats on early enough, so we only had to deal with wet pants. Nothing a few cups of hot chocolate and coffee couldn’t distract us from.
After less than an hour break, we headed back down the trail again. I noticed there was a hiker shuttle parked at the summit for those who either didn’t have the desire or remaining daylight to hike back down. But we had plenty energy left and walked quickly by it.
As with other big hikes, the descent was nearly as hard as the climb up because of the additional impact on our knees. So we took a rest (and bathroom) break at the AMC lodge at Hermit Lake. The sign in the bathroom reminding dayhikers of Leave No Trace principles was priceless, and kept me in good spirits for the remainder of the hike.
Details
When to Visit: If hiking to the summit, late summer is best. However, if you’d prefer to drive to summit via the Mt. Washington Auto Road, it’s only open from mid-May to mid-October. And if you’re looking for a truly unique experience, the Cog Railway and SnowCoach can get you to the summit too!
Getting There: Mt. Washington is located approximately 15 miles southwest of Gorham, New Hampshire.
Entrance Fees/Permits: Hiking up is free. However, the other less strenuous routes will cost you a pretty penny!
- Auto Road. Drivers using the Mt. Washington Auto Road must pay $31, plus an additional $9 for each adult passenger (ages 13 and up), $7 for child passengers (ages 5-12), and children under 5 are free.
- Train. Tickets for the Cog Railway run between $41-$78 during the regular season and $50-$81 during the peak season. Advance ticket purchases are strongly encouraged.
Parking: Hikers can park at the Pinkham Notch Visitor Center, which is run by the Appalachian Mountain Club. There are bathrooms just behind the visitor center.
Accessibility: A remote hike for adventurous hikers. This strenuous climb requires an elevation gain of 4,000! Definitely bring lots of water. There’s a snack bar at the Mt. Washington Observatory that sells food, snack, hot chocolate, and coffee.
Bonus: Mt. Washington is known as the most dangerous small mountain in the world. The highest surface winds observed by man (231 mph) were recorded at the Mt. Washington Observatory, despite the fact that the summit is only 6,288 feet above sea level.
The weather at the summit could be drastically different that what you experience below, so bring lots of layers, gloves, and a rain jacket.
Blog Post: What’s So Great About the White Mountains?
Resources:
- Appalachian Mountain Club
- Mt. Washington Auto Road (Rates for driving to the summit)
- Mt. Washington Cog Railway (Info about the train)
- Mt. Washington SnowCoach (Info about winter summit options)