Great day trip

53flyingcloud · 07-31-2003, 04:20 PM

Just last week, I took the family for a drive up to the top of Mtn Washington, NH.
Our son was visiting from AZ, and mention that he had never been to the top..That was all the excuse we need to "go".
The drive is awesome and, I hope you'll agree after seeing the pictures..Well worth it~!~
Got to warn you, it's steep but, if you have 4X4, the descend was made with ease..So much so, that, you need not even touch your brakes once. I put the Burb in 4x4 low and the auto in 2nd gear. Kept it at or just under 2k rpm with the speed between 15/20miles mph. Never even got hot...
Here's a few pictures..

53flyingcloud · 07-31-2003, 04:22 PM

If I knew how to add them all in one posting...lol

53flyingcloud · 07-31-2003, 04:24 PM

This is one Narrow Road...

53flyingcloud · 07-31-2003, 04:26 PM

If you look downward, slightly...you can see the switchbacks..

53flyingcloud · 07-31-2003, 04:28 PM

Some of the trees just at this level are so small..but, so very old.

53flyingcloud · 07-31-2003, 04:31 PM

Some of the deadliest spots to unseason, as well as season hikers..

53flyingcloud · 07-31-2003, 04:33 PM

This is one long drive...

53flyingcloud · 07-31-2003, 04:34 PM

The view is breathtaking, to say the least..

53flyingcloud · 07-31-2003, 04:46 PM

Is the ease with which these shots are taken..
Truely are within the clouds of heaven..

53flyingcloud · 07-31-2003, 04:50 PM

Thanks for looking and, I hope that all of your day trip are as inspiring as this trip was for us~
This shot was taken very near the tip top~!

Rickk48 · 07-31-2003, 05:05 PM

Very beautiful country. thanks for sharing the pics.

59toaster · 07-31-2003, 07:35 PM

Great pictures. It's been so long since I have seen veiws like that with my own eyes. These hills we have in GA are nothing. Biggest hill we have here is a little of 4,000 ft. A mear pimple compaired to those.
My wife (a GA native) has never seen anything like that. I hope she can handle it (she has a little problem with hights) when I take her up Pike peak in the next year or two.

It's truely amazing to get above the tree line on a clear day.

jpurdy · 07-31-2003, 09:49 PM

wow!! It has been awhile since I seen those views. My first trip up the mountain was in the 8th grade and I hiked up the mountain with some classmates. Back then the old summit house was there. I have gone to the top every way but drive...maybe next time...

53flyingcloud · 07-31-2003, 11:46 PM

jpurdy and, all

The old Summit House is still there, as sturdy as ever~
We went thru just about every building you could up there on the top except for the power generator building, which had burned down during a raging fire this past winter. All that was left above the stout rock foundation was, the heat bend steel beams used for the roof. The diesel generator, which was still sitting there in place, is now exposed to the weather and is non functional. Not to worry tho, they now have several new generators housed in portable steel boxs located there till the new power lines are installed in 2005.
We missed out on some really great photo opportunities, just because we were right smack in the deep mist of cloud cover that afternoon on the summit's top. The old Cog Rail arrived while we were there as well. That was a great sight to see it emerging thru the mist and, for the passengers, had to be a really neat, awesome "trip"~!
Jpurdy, tell your wife; she needs to drive on the way up, that way, she'll be spared the view out of the passenger's window.
As there are no guardrails, you do get rather close to the edge and, the drop off in some spots can be rather frightening...lol
Pike Peaks, is truely an all together whole new experiences for anyone. We were in that area in 1983, and drove up to the top..Which is over 14k ft high, over twice the height of Mtn Washington's 6,288 ft but, from my own experences..The road trip is much, much steeper on Mtn Washington, when compared to Pike Peak.
Again, thanks for looking and, the nice words..
ciao