A vantage point from the Mount Washington Auto Road, a winding road that climbs 4,700 feet to the highest point in the northeast, the summit of Mount Washington in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. The vista includes other peaks in the Presidential Range.
On this summer day, the weather in the valley where the auto road starts was comfortable, with temperatures in the 70’s (F). As I drove up the mountain, the winds started to howl, rocking my sizable Honda Pilot SUV back and forth. At Mount Washington’s summit of 6,288 feet, it’s reputation for extreme weather was reinforced by winds of over 60 MPH and frigid temperatures in the low 30’s. Just walking across the observation deck above the summit building was an adventure – I had to walk with my body angled into the fierce gale to avoid getting knocked over. If you take the road, be sure to visit the extreme weather exhibit in the lodge – it chronicles the day in April 1934 when the fastest wind ever recorded at a manned weather station occurred – 231 MPH!
Part of my portfolio of photographs, this image uses an artistic software filter to impart a painterly appearance; prints are available from my Pixels shop.
Dave Thompsen Photography 