A Winter Getaway

Winter has definitely arrived in NH the past few weeks with several snowfalls here in Nashua. While many folks are longing for someplace with warmer temps, we opted for a snowy, cold getaway in the White Mountains for my 🎂 celebration. Admittedly, we never need any reason for a road trip.

Although, it had snowed a few days earlier, we traveled on cleared main highways with blue skies views that were winter postcard perfect.

We stayed once again at the Mountain View Grand Hotel. This wasn't our first trip to one of America's few remaining grand hotels that's listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Mountain View Grand Hotel, Whitefield, NH

This was not our first stay in the hotel and we received a return visitor discount and perhaps a nicer room for my birthday (shamelessly mentioned when booking). We had first visited in 2016 for our traditional first date anniversary celebration and have returned several times, most recently in 2022. 

Spacious and open main lobby, part of front porch and bar

The hotel's start as a guest house dates to 1865 when it began as the Mountain View House. Its history was explained in this 2016 post, so won't be repeated here.) Unfortunately, its claim for oldest operating elevator in the state of NH is history. The elevator has been deemed unsafe and is out of service per a posted notice.

Our room provided wonderful mountain views

This corner room had outstanding views of the Presidential Mountain range, which are not all named after presidents. The highest peak is Mt Washington, named after George Washington by the Rev. Manasseh Cutler after he climbed it in 1784.

The rest of the presidential peaks were named in a single day in the summer of 1820. A group from Lancaster, NH, hired Ethan Crawford as their guide because of his mountaineering skills. 

Sunset on the Presidential range

As the tallest peak was already named for Washington, the next tallest was named for second president, John Adams, continuing down the line with Jefferson, Madison and Monroe. When the naming party ran out of presidents, two peaks remained. One was named after Benjamin Franklin, the other was named Mt Pleasant; in 1969 a vote of the NH legislature renamed it Mt Eisenhower.

Morning drive to our destination along a winter wonderland 

The day after our arrival, we were up early for a 45-minute drive to the destination of this adventure, the Great Glen Trails Outdoor Center in Pinkham Notch. There was an overnight snowfall of a few inches and while roadways were clear, the trees were beautifully snow-covered. At times we were the lone car on the road, a wonderful wintry experience.

Many folks claim bragging rights (we did too) of having driven the Mt Washington Auto Road in summer by a This Car Climbed Mt. Washington sticker placed on their car; however, there's something unique about making the trip in winter 🥶 — but not in our car.

This white utility van with four triangular tracks vs. wheels maneuvers the snow-covered Mt. Washington Auto Road in the winter months

Instead, this was the reason for our getaway adventure, a trip in this Mt Washington SnowCoach. We joined 4 other passengers (it can take 8) for a 90-minute trip which doesn't travel to the Mt Washington summit, but only to the winter turnoff, a clearing that sits just above 4,200 feet elevation. This also called the tree line found at high elevations and high latitudes. It's the point at which trees, aside from small shrubs, can't grow, due to conditions that are too dry, cold or windy. Tree line and timberline are terms often used interchangeably.

The drivers for each rig are knowledgeable about the terrain and history of the area. The 90-minute tour ascends to 4,200 feet in elevation. Reservations are required. We booked the senior mid-week rate at $69/person (discounted from the peak $89 rate during holidays).

The rubber tracks provide stability on the road which averages a 12% grade

The Mt. Washington SnowCoach has four triangular tracks instead of wheels. These rubber tracks, similar to tank treads (also called Mattracks) allow the SnowCoach to travel over snow, ice or thin patches of bare road without damaging the surface and provide stability on the winding road which averages a 12% grade. Similar vehicles use a ski system vs. tracks, depending on the terrain and conditions. 

How the SnowCoach Began

When the Mount Washington Summit Road Company first opened the Great Glen Trails Outdoor Center in 1994, one of the activities offered was a ride up to “Halfway” on the Auto Road, using a diesel-powered snowcat outfitted with a passenger cabin.  The plan was to provide transportation for skiers to descend the bottom half of the road, which was being groomed simultaneously each run by the snowcat. The plan proved to be cost-prohibitive; however, the idea of a winter tour with a unique snow-laden scenery, was established. The company shifted from using the snowcat to a passenger van, named the SnowCoach.

Prepping for Performance

By 8 a.m., SnowCoach drivers arrive and go through their own vehicle checks which include the track system, vehicle interior, and cleanliness of the windows for clearest viewing. Several times during our tour, Bruce topped to clear the windows from blowing snow and ice. After each day's run, a SnowCoach is taken to maintenance building and checked out before the next ascent. Our driver, Bruce, informed us that there's a complete inspection of the tracks and the van’s mechanical parts, checking fluids, belts, fuel lines and brake systems. 

Bruce, our SnowCoach driver and guide, gave me a front row seat

It’s a loud and rumbling ride because of these treads. Our driver, Bruce, told us he had been a driver for a number of years. As a birthday treat (never be bashful about sharing) that's me in the front passenger seat. My only function was to enjoy the ride as Bruce provided a running commentary and we checked out the surrounds. 

The start of the tour was clear and calm

The trip began in a Northeastern hardwood forest and was relatively calm after the SnowCoach left the base of the Auto Road at Great Glen Trails Outdoor Center. There's 3 tours daily with more than five vans equipped to run in peak periods, weather permitting, December through March. Vans have been converted to bi-fuel, letting them operate on cleaner-burning, less expensive propane or conventional gasoline. The first tour leaves before 10 am, another at mid-day and a final one around 2 pm. We were on the mid-day tour as the tour start was a 45-minute drive from our hotel.

The higher we went, the more extreme the weather became with blowing snow

As more elevation was gained, the trees become stunted, misshaped by continuous exposure to wind and cold. The winds became more noticeable and also audible, but the coach was very comfortable and warm. According to our driver and guide, Bruce, the outside temperature was about -4°F with a windchill factor of -22°F degrees and 40 mph winds.

While everyone else departed in the subarctic temps, I stayed warm in the van

Our tour stopped at the Top of the Tour, the winter turnoff having traveled through various landscapes to reach 4,200-feet elevation (4.25 to 4.5 miles) at treeline, the border to the alpine zone with subarctic conditions. While Grenville joined Bruce and the other passengers in braving the harsh outside conditions on a mountain known for the world's most severe weather for photos, I remained inside the warm and comfortable van. We learned that while views can be amazing on a sunnier day, this wasn't the case on our tour. The group didn't stay out more than five minutes in the blowing wind, snow and very cold temps before re-boarding for our trip back to the base.

Visibility became reduced on the way down due to white-outs

These photos show the blowing snow on the way down without trees to block the blowing snow, drifting can occur.. A couple of times, our driver stopped until visibility cleared a bit. SnowCoaches reach the Alpine zones safely due to night-time grooming by Great Glen’s grooming crew plus constant monitoring of conditions by drivers throughout the day. We learned that the last tour the day we traveled had been canceled because of blowing snow and whiteouts. Forgot to mention that those seeing more adventure can ride up in the SnowCoach and then cross-country ski or snowshoe back down the Auto Road. 

A bladed snowcat is required to climb higher on the mountain which is why the SnowCoach tours do not attempt to summit Mount Washington.

SnowCats transport staff to and from the Mt Washington Observatory

A highlight of the trip was seeing these two snowcat vehicles that the Mount Washington Observatory uses to transport staff to and from the summit during the winter. The snowcat is similar to a groomer used at ski resorts. It has a plow on the front and large treads like a tank. It can carry up to a dozen people.

We had a wonderful experience for my birthday celebration

This trip was definitely a wonderful, but one-time, experience. Now, we have traveled on Mt Washington three ways — by auto (2019), cog railway (2017) and SnowCoach (2025). We have no future plans to hike, ski or snowshoe the mountain.

Every spring, the Mt. Washington Auto Road closes its winter SnowCoach operations and gets working on clearing the road of snow for summer travel. It's a long process. In the 1800s, it was done by hand with shovels and often wasn’t complete until July 4 weekend. Now, there's the advantage of heavy machinery to complete this project. It uses the snowcat and a specialty designed hot-water “drill” to clear culverts of ice.

About the Mt Washington Auto Road & Cog Railway

Our Auto Road trip

The Auto Road is America’s oldest man-made tourist attraction. It's a steep, narrow mountain road with no guardrails. There have been three fatalities since it opened. In 1880, a stagecoach driven by a drunk driver overturned, killing a passenger. In 1984, a vehicle lost its brakes and crashed about a mile up the road. In 2009, a motorcycle crashed. 

Construction of the road began in 1853 with a charter from the State of New Hampshire. The 7.6-mile Auto Road opened in August of 1861 as the Mt Washington Carriage Road and its first travelers went to the summit by a team of horses and a carriage specially-built by the Abbot-Downing Company of Concord. 

What surprises many is that the road is privately owned and maintained. The Auto Road and the Glen House Hotel first came into joint ownership in 1906 when Elihu Libby purchased the rights to the Auto Road. His descendants own and operate the Auto Road, Great Glen Trails Outdoor Center and the nearby Glen House Hotel. The family-owned company has been providing safe access to the summit of Mt Washington for over 115 years.

Over the years, travel on the auto road has advanced from horse-drawn vehicles to steam engines and internal combustion to hybrid and electric powered vehicles.  Over 50,000 cars drive it annually taking about 30 minutes to ascend the 7.6 mile road and from 30 to 45 minutes to come down depending on traffic, weather and if a stop is needed to cool the car brakes. 

We rode the Cog Railway in 2017

The Mount Washington Cog Railway, also known as the Cog, is the world's first mountain-climbing cog railway (rack-and-pinion railway). The railway climbs Mt Washington using a rack system and both steam and biodiesel-powered locomotives to carry tourists to the top of the mountain. It's been in continuous operation since 1869 with service interruptions only during the World Wars.

It is the second-steepest rack railway in the world, after the Pilatus Railway in Switzerland, with an average grade of over 25% and a maximum grade of 37%. The railway is approximately 3 miles  long and ascends Mount Washington's western slope, beginning at an elevation of approximately 2,700 feet above sea level and ending just short of the mountain's summit peak of 6,288 feet

********************

Postscript: Many of us learned this week of a fellow blogger's passing. John Haggar, the blogger of By Stargoose and Hanglands passed away last weekend from cancer. His cousin, Sue, posted the update on her blog, Granny Sue's News where you can find more information. John's blog, which included photos and information about walking tours with his brother, Les, were a delight to read. I have left the link to John's blog on my sidebar for anyone who wants to see some of his beautiful photos. My condolences to his family. John will be missed.