Gary_Ash Posted February 10, 2022 Share Posted February 10, 2022 (edited) We were spending a few days at the Mt. Washington Hotel in Bretton Woods, NH where they have many old, framed photos on the wall. The large hotel was built in 1902 when train service came nearby, but soon people drove there, too. The hotel looks out at Mt. Washington, 6288 ft high. The hotel is at about 1600 ft. There is a road to the top of the mountain built in the 1850s, now mostly paved. There is a fee to drive to the top - summer only! - but antique cars drive it for free. Do this only if you have really good brakes and aren’t afraid of heights or narrow roads without guardrails, and only on a clear day. The windspeed at the top was recorded at 231 mph in 1934, temperatures to -50 F. Here are some of the old photos, sorry for the glare of lights on some. I didn’t see much identification of the cars or events. The hotel in the early years, maybe a 4th of July car parade. Cars at the hotel entrance. Church on Sunday? Interesting old car. Checking in. I think this is the old stable and carriage barn, then used for cars. The cog railway built 1868 to the top of the mountain, still runs, even with a couple of steam engines but also some bio-diesel ones. Grade at places is 37%. Drive is by pinion gear on a rack 3 miles long. The face of the Old Man of the Mountain tumbled down a few years ago. The hotel today looks much as it did in 1902, but updated features inside. Very nice, but bring a fat wallet. Open all year. The view of the mountain from the hotel on a rare clear day. The wide strip to the bottom is the cog railway. The peak is just left of center, radio/TV antennas there, and a weather station manned 24/7 all year. The current record for the 8-mile long Climb to the Clouds is 5 minutes 28.67 seconds in a Subaru WRX-STI, 800+ hp, set in 2021. Not for me! Edited February 10, 2022 by Gary_Ash (see edit history) 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TerryB Posted February 10, 2022 Share Posted February 10, 2022 Have done the drive by car (Dodge minivan) and by motorcycle on a cloudy damp day. Motorcycle was definitely more white knuckle than I was expecting given I used to ride motorcycles in off road competition. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alsancle Posted February 10, 2022 Share Posted February 10, 2022 Good for you Gary! The Mount Washington is my favorite hotel in the world. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TerryB Posted February 10, 2022 Share Posted February 10, 2022 The first car to climb Mt Washington was a Stanley steam powered car in 1899. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nzcarnerd Posted February 10, 2022 Share Posted February 10, 2022 6 minutes ago, TerryB said: The first car to climb Mt Washington was a Stanley steam powered car in 1899. The car (#5) in the last of Gary's photos look to be a Stanley but it is obviously not the 'first' one. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TerryB Posted February 10, 2022 Share Posted February 10, 2022 My brother in law lives a short distance from Mt. Washington, he gave me a book on its history. That’s where I learned about the Stanley historic run up the mountain. It took something like 2 hours for the run. I often wonder how long it took to come back down the hill with the brake technology of the day! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nzcarnerd Posted February 10, 2022 Share Posted February 10, 2022 We drove up there in 2015 while visiting the US. Back in 1978 while on my US road trip I had driven the Fall River road in the Rocky Mountain National Park, one of the highest roads in the US, and just higher than New Zealand's highest mountain, so I figured while we were in the northeast I would drive the highest road in the east. I do have a shot of the car on the Fall River Rd in 1978 but can't find that one at the moment. In 2015, being late summer - 3 September local time - the weather was mixed with a few showers in various places. We did a round trip of about 300 miles from Quechee in Vermont to the mountain and back. Going up the mountain the cloud came and went as we approached to summit. For a few short periods we could not see past the front of the hood. At the top it did clear to bright sunshine for a while. In 1978 my carbureted 1967 California spec Pontiac Le Mans struggled at altitude. In 2015 our rental Nissan Rogue, 2.5 litre four, front wheel drive and CVT trans, took it in its stride. I guess 6,000 ft vs 12.000 ft does make a difference. Btw the clock on that camera was set on NZ daylight saving time - 😀 - we were there mid afternoon. I have a very short video of the train dropping into the murk but I don't think I can post it here. I can only guess the guys with packs had walked up - The sun did come out - I kept the window sticker - 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alsancle Posted February 10, 2022 Share Posted February 10, 2022 The plaque in the visitors center with the list of fatalities on the mountain (100 and something?) is eye opening. I'm going to say that most were from April to October and some in the summer. You would start off at the bottom of the mountain hiking in 75 degree weather and then sometime after the tree line the weather would turn ominous and you were dead. Sad and horrible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alsancle Posted February 10, 2022 Share Posted February 10, 2022 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
41 Su8 Posted February 10, 2022 Share Posted February 10, 2022 We went on a national Model T tour to Bretton Woods and Mt. Washington. Had a blast but not enough guts to go up the mountain in a Model T. One morning we left the hotel at 60 degrees and traveled to Franconia Notch. We were guests at the Balsams where the first voting of a Presidential election is placed by ballots in the Ballot Box. It started to rain and by the time we got to the Balsams, it was so cold that my clothes were covered in ice. I would go back in a heartbeat! John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alsancle Posted February 10, 2022 Share Posted February 10, 2022 9 minutes ago, 41 Su8 said: We went on a national Model T tour to Bretton Woods and Mt. Washington. Had a blast but not enough guts to go up the mountain in a Model T. One morning we left the hotel at 60 degrees and traveled to Franconia Notch. We were guests at the Balsams where the first voting of a Presidential election is placed by ballots in the Ballot Box. It started to rain and by the time we got to the Balsams, it was so cold that my clothes were covered in ice. I would go back in a heartbeat! John I've always wanted to stay at the Balsams, Is the main hotel still there or did they tear it down? I can't tell from their website which makes me wonder. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
41 Su8 Posted February 10, 2022 Share Posted February 10, 2022 Don't know if it was the original hotel or a later build, but it was quite elegant. The picture of ice covered blue jeans at a table with china, chrystal, and silverware was unbelievable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
39BuickEight Posted February 11, 2022 Share Posted February 11, 2022 Such a strange and amazing place. When I was there in 2018 it was 70 and sunny at the bottom and 40 with 90mph wind gusts at ht the top. I was there one of those days that you couldn’t really stand up outside without really struggling to keep your balance. Fall River Rd in RMNP was mentioned by nzcarnerd—that road is equally amazing. Way more (big) wildlife and more water features there, but less exposure overall. Though explainable with geography and science, it’s still strange how Mt. Washington is “only” 6300 ft, yet has such weather extremes. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
58L-Y8 Posted February 11, 2022 Share Posted February 11, 2022 Anyone who underestimates the capriciousness of weather at higher altitudes puts his life in peril. An elevational change of 5,000-6,000 feet makes all the difference. Bretton Woods: 1,650 feet above sea level, Mt. Washington, NH: 6,288 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimKB1MCV Posted February 13, 2022 Share Posted February 13, 2022 My '39 S8 Packard was owned by the chairman of the board of the Mt. Washington Auto Road, so I suspect it may well have made the trip more than once. It may also explain why the engine block had so many repairs. That block is now garage art and was replaced a few years ago. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edinmass Posted February 13, 2022 Share Posted February 13, 2022 I have stayed at the hotel numerous times, always a great time. My 1936 Pierce V-12 club sedan has driven the hill about a half dozen times. Pull it in high gear without any issue. Uses about a third of a tank going up, and just idles going down. Photos from the hotel, and the auto road. Many great memories of family members now long gone at the resort and auto road. Hard to believe I first climbed that dam hill forty years ago on foot. No any more! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edinmass Posted February 13, 2022 Share Posted February 13, 2022 (edited) 1905 Glidden Tour.......of course, a Pierce won it with a perfect score......as always! https://vimeo.com/19498843 Click the link for a 1905 video of the tour. Edited February 13, 2022 by edinmass (see edit history) 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edinmass Posted February 13, 2022 Share Posted February 13, 2022 Quick story.......back in 1992 we were at a show and my Pierce was just finished and 100 points. As we ascended the top of the mountain, they removed the final chain and I was allowed to drive my handicapped after to the very top. As we were smoking a cigar I grabbed the bumper sticker and stuck it on the rear chrome bumper......many people yelling for me not to do it. I declared to all within earshot it was staying on the car for the show field, and any judge who dared deduct for it would have to answer to to me.......back then I was a rather unpleasant young fellow compared to today............the car scored 100 points. The bumper sticker is now on the wall at my old shop.........and now belongs to John C in the House of Pierce Arrow. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
58L-Y8 Posted February 13, 2022 Share Posted February 13, 2022 Here's a better look at that 1905 Glidden Tour visit to the Hotel: 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twin6 Posted February 28, 2022 Share Posted February 28, 2022 Another Glidden up Mt. Washington, 1947. Blood's '14 Packard trails behind Bump's FIAT being pulled by a Jeep that might have belonged to the toll road. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldcarfudd Posted February 28, 2022 Share Posted February 28, 2022 It would be interesting to see the low-angle pictures the guy down on the ground was taking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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