Its early fall and the colors are just starting. We traveled from Maine to the White Mountains, New Hampshire. Warm days and cool nights, our favorite weather.
Mountain Lakes Camping Resort
Mountain Lakes had 30 amp service, 50 psi water pressure, cable, and satellite reception. Pedestal power was only 106 volts, but the Hughes Autoformer boosted it to 119 volts. Wifi was barely useable for surfing the internet. The pool was closed. We wanted a lake view, but there was too much road noise and the sites were smaller. The area is wooded with lots of squirrels and chipmunks for Jake’s enjoyment.
A couple of horses are on the property. They saw Jake and came over to say hello.
Mount Washington, New Hampshire
It is located in the Presidential range of the White Mountains, New Hampshire. At 6288 feet, it is the tallest peak in the Northeastern United States. Mt. Washington is known for its erratic weather. A record 231 mph wind speed was measured at the summit. This wind speed is only second to one recorded by Cyclone Olivia with a wind gust of 254 mph. In 1642, Darby Field claimed to have made the first ascent of Mt. Washington. Supposedly, he wanted to demonstrate to the local Indian chief that the gods did not inhabit the summit and it was ok for the colonists northern expansion. The Appalachian Trail crosses the summit. We saw a steady stream of hikers at the top .
Mount Washington Cog Railway
The Cog takes passengers to the top of Mount Washington in the White Mountains, New Hampshire. The Mount Washington Cog Railway is the world’s first mountain-climbing cog railway (rack-and-pinion railway). There is an average grade of over 25% and a maximum grade of 37%. The railway is approximately 3 miles long beginning at an elevation of approximately 2,700 feet and ending just short of the mountain’s summit peak of 6,288 feet. The train ascends the mountain at 2.8 miles per hour and descends at 4.6 mph. It takes approximately 65 minutes to ascend and 40 minutes to descend.
Mount Washington Auto Road
What a beautiful drive. Mount Washington Auto Road is a 7.6 mi toll road that cost $40. That included a bumper sticker and a cd about the history of the area and building of the road to listen to while driving up and down from the summit. The road was completed and opened to the public in 1861.
At the top, there are observation decks, a restaurant, and a museum.
ATVs
What an insane number of ATVs in the area. The ATVs are allow to drive on the streets and seemed to outnumber cars. We were there during the Polaris Camp RZR event in Gorham and Berlin, NH. The attraction is thousands of miles of connecting trails and at least as many ATVs.
Fall Foliage
Its leaf peeper season! Leaves are green because of chlorophyll. As the days shorten and temperatures cool, the nutrient and water flow to the leaves is reduced. As the chlorophyll is broken down and not replenished, the green color is lost. Leaves naturally have yellow and orange pigment that are dominant after the green chlorophyll degrades. Red pigments are synthesized once half of the chlorophyll has been degraded. When the days of autumn are bright and cool, and the nights are chilly, but not freezing, the brightest colorations usually develop. A long growing season with ample soil moisture is important for stunning color development. An explanation for trees shedding their leaves is that the high cost involved in their maintainance are outweighed by the low benefit of photosynthesis during the winter. However, shedding of pests, tree damage from snow, and water loss seem to be other factors.
