Some of you will remember that we rode The Cog to the top of Mt. Washington, the highest point in New England. Long before we had heard of the cog we had heard of the road to the top of the mountain. Tom & Julia (my sister) had regaled us with tales of their harrowing ride to the top in wind and rain. Mt. Washington boasts of having the worst weather in the world. However, my sweet husband was determined to get the This Car has Climbed to the Top of Mt. Washington bumper sticker so we went on Labor Day weekend.
At first it was an easy climb to the top.
A little harder.
At the ticket booth there were signs warning that the wind was blowing at 65 mph at the top, but undaunted we continued. It was a lark for the driver to whose arm I was clinging for dear life. I couldn't even look down--I pointed my camera in the general direction of the window and clicked. My heart was hammering as we continued to climb and the conditions worsened.
At the top, visibility was zero or next to it. The parking lot is about 100 ft below the observatory and you have to climb up--and I do mean up! Garth was hurrying up the stairs because the wind and rain were so bad and I wasn't far behind. To say it was a breathtaking experience is a gross understatement. I finally made it into the observatory, but had to sit for nearly fifteen minutes to get my breath back. Of course, we couldn't take any pictures because of the thick fog. The ride down was a breeze--I kept my eyes closed.
This view at the bottom reminded us of our adventure.
Bumper sticker in hand, we treated ourselves to lunch at the historic Mount Washington Hotel built in 1902. A very formal wedding was taking place and we felt a little out of place. Not for long, however, because there were others in the dining area who were also in jeans. We felt transformed to the 20s and the view of the White Mountains was spectacular. This was a day to write home about.
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