Mount Washington
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Mount Washington is a mountain located in the Presidential Range of the White Mountains in Coos County, New Hampshire. It is the tallest mountain in the northeast United States at 6,288 feet and it is the most prominent mountain in the whole eastern USA. The fastest gust of wind on the earth's surface was recorded at the peak of Mt. Washington on April 12, 1934 at 231 miles per hour.
History
Darby Field claimed in 1842 to be the first settler to climb the mountain. The oldest hiking path in the United States, the Crawford path, was blazed up the mountain in 1819 as a bridal path and has been used ever since, making it the oldest mountain hiking trail in America. In the mid 19th century multiple hotels were constructed on the peak of Mount Washington, turning it into a tourist attraction. One of the hotels, the Tip Top House, still stands today and was turned into a museum. More bridal paths were also built during this period; one of them in 1861 became the Mount Washington Auto Road that is used today. The Mount Washington Cog Railway, a special train that goes to the summit of Mt. Washington, was built in 1869 and still attracts tourists today.
Climbing Mt. Washington
The trip Birch Rock takes to Mount Washington starts at the Pinkham Notch Visitor's Center at the trail head of the Tuckerman Ravine Trail. The trip follows the Tuckerman Ravine Trail 2.3 miles to a junction where the trip leader can choose to keep following the Tuckerman Ravine Trail or take the Lion Head Trail up. The Tuckerman Ravine Trail continues .1 miles to the Hermit Lake Shelter Area and then goes on into the Floor of Tuckerman Ravine where there usually still is a large chunk of ice from the winter. After that the trail ascends the Headwall of the Ravine, a very steep climb that goes up and out of the Ravine and into the alpine zone. Once out of the Ravine there is a short flat section leading to Tuckerman Junction at 5383 feet. After Tuckerman Junction the trail leads up the summit cone to the peak of Mount Washington. The length of the Tuckerman Ravine Trail to the summit is 4.2 miles.
The Lion Head Trail turns right off the Tuckerman Ravine Trail. Soon after it begins the steepness increases dramatically. The trail switches back and forth and breaks the timberline before reaching the Lion Head, a rocky outcrop which overlooks Tuckerman Ravine. The trail then becomes relatively flat up until Tuckerman Junction, after which it follows the same route as the Tuckerman Ravine Trail to the summit. The distance to the peak of Mount Washington taking the Lion Head Trail is 4.1 miles.
After summiting Mt. Washington the trip descends via the Tuckerman Ravine Trail or the Lion Head Trail.
