We are back at it! Another state, another adventure! This time we went to our neighboring state: New Hampshire. We have been trying to go to Mount Washington for almost a year. Originally, aka Attempt #1: it was supposed to be done during the same trip as Vermont, but the corn maze left us tired and since I sprained an ankle during that, we didn't think it was best for us to go up a mountain right after that. Thus began the bad luck. Attempt #2: we wanted to make up for that loss a few weeks later, but we had to cancel due to the weather around the mountain. Attempt #3: this time just Ros and myself, and we even made it an hour and a half on the road but suddenly a bunch of different lights turned on on our dashboard in the car, including the engine light, and since it was a Saturday night, and we had the baby, we didn't want to risk getting stranded on the side of the road in those conditions.
Then came attempt #4. Alekos turned 2 months old and we were going to climb a mountain. We drove up the night before, found a motel about 10 minutes from the base of the mountain, and dreamt of reaching the peak of Mount Washington. The following morning, the sky deceived us with a lovely blue sky and little cloud cover, giving us the first view of the mountains around us. The road had been pitch black the night before and we didn't see anything other than the path ahead, and even that had limited view.
We drove to the base of the mountain just to discover that the road up was closed due to ice and snow that lined it. Apparently, it was too dangerous for people to drive in those conditions. This killed us. We had come all this way, just to be turned away once again. We parked in their lot and looked up at the mountain that taunted us. It was beautiful and its peak kept disappearing behind clouds, but every now and then you could see its frosted top. Then Ros saved the day with a brilliant idea, "what about the train? Wasn't there a train that took people to the top?" I had totally forgotten! The Cog Railway! It had been one of the features we had originally wanted to try along with driving all the way to the top.
A quick google search revealed that the Cog Railway was on the other side of the mountain, at least another hour's drive from our current location. Thus, Attempt #5 was born. We hit the road, and while on our way, I called to make sure they were in fact open and operating, and when they confirmed, I made a reservation. We booked and bought our tickets over the phone and hurried to meet our train.
When we arrived at the station, it started to rain. At this point, we weren't turning back regardless of the conditions, because today we were going to go up Mount Washington. We hurried inside the station and warmed up, checked in, and waited in line to load onto the train. The rails seemed to go straight up the mountain into the heavens, and we were excited to see what was on the other side of the clouds. When we finally boarded the train, we settled in our seats and began our adventure.
Not even 5 minutes up the 30 minute trip up the mountain, we were already in a winter wonderland. All the trees were covered in snow, and the ground was pristine and white.
As the train moved up the side of the mountain, we learned about its history, its evolution as technology evolved, and how it was truly the first of its kind. In 1934, the fastest wind ever recorded on the surface of the earth by man was clocked at 231 mph. It held the record until 2010. The peak of Mount Washington averages 110 days of the year with hurricane grade winds, earning its nickname, "Home of the World's Worst Weather". We stopped 1,000 feet shy of the summit, due to the heavy snow conditions. It was a total whiteout situation outside of the train. If you were outside, you wouldn't be able to see two feet in front of your face.
On the way back down, we made a pit stop a little past the halfway mark. They let us get off the train and they had a bonfire, warm drinks, and snacks for us to enjoy. We took advantage to stretch our legs and to expose Alekos to his very first snow experience. What a day! So many firsts for all of us, but most of all our little one. They called us back onto the train, and the way back to the station felt like a portal to a different world. The snow was gone, the rain had stopped, and the view around us was breathtaking. It was completely worth it, and perhaps one day we could return to take the driving route and see this mountain from a different perspective, but for now, another adventure has been completed. Where to go next? Stay tuned!
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