Sept 28 Mt Washington cog railway and New Hampshire woods

 

Ev took this picture of our first sunrise over Lake Winnipesaukee

this morning.  I was the only one awake to see it.

 

The train consists of an engine and a passenger car.  The engine weighs 27 tons and the car isn't coupled to it, just attached by 3 power cords.  The car can easily be stopped, so they built it so the car would never follow the engine down the mountain if there was a catastrophe.  It took 300 men 3 years to build the track, which has the trestle technique, no concrete supports.  It was completed in 1869.  There diesel and steam engines.  There is a 145 year old water tank part way up, because the steam one needs added water. 

 

 See the track headed up the 6,288' mountain-the highest point in New England.  In fact, the end of the Appalachian Trail is at the top!

                              
One of the views.  Today 4 states were visible, but not Canada.  Some of the worst weather in the world occurs here.  Maximum winds recorded are 231 mph, high temp of 72 and low of minus 45 actual temp.  The brakeman told us to watch for New Hampshire's greatest crop, granite.  Higher up lichen grew on rocks called mica.  The mountain ranges on either side of this mountain are called the Presidential ranges, with 6 mountains bearing names of our Presidents.

 Maury and Susan Bois, our friends and neighbors from home.  He grew up in this area, and after he retired from the AF, they lived here several years.  Have relatives and kids here, so they said they'd visit them and then meet us to stay in two timeshares and be our tour guides for 12 days!  He'd never ridden the train, and she only had once.  He and Tom have 50 combined years in the AF and 106 years guitar playing experience and have a great time performing at our clubhouse and for friends.

 We were going to stay at the 1903 Mt. Washington Hotel, but it didn't have any vacancies-right!
 $509 per night and up.  Golf, spa, dinner packages available.  It isn't up on the mountain.

 

We stopped at a roadside area and walked the trail, enjoying the water and forest.