Mt. Washington Cog Railway
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When you Google places to see the best Fall colors, the
White Mountains of New Hampshire will always be on the
list. This area is packed full of gorgeous trees and you are
sure to have a beautiful view no matter where you look.
In September 2020 my friend Kristin and I decided we
were going to experience the White Mountains differently
than we normally would and went on a train ride to the
summit of Mount Washington.
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THE DRIVE
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Kristin and I drove from Acadia National Park (article on our visit to Acadia here)
to the train station (which was about a 4.5 hour drive) and the views, even
with some rain and overcast skies, were breathtaking.
I was constantly snapping pictures.
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We were running a little ahead of schedule for once so Kristin
wanted to stop to take some pics of the area
herself (she was driving) so we pulled off into this little
park area. I couldn't tell ya exactly where this place is, just
that it is right off the highway. There are a couple port-a-potties
here too so it is a great place to take a bathroom break, stretch
your legs, and maybe even have a little picnic.
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This replica of the train sits on the corner of the road you take up to the train station!
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THE TRAIN
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The Mount Washington Cog Railway was built in the
1860s by a man named Sylvester Marsh whom everyone
thought was crazy for wanting to build it. They called
him “Crazy Marsh” and mocked him by telling him that
once he reached the summit he needed to just keep going
and build his “railway to the moon.” It wasn’t long before
his endeavor made them all want to take back their
words. To this day the Mount Washington Cog Railway
remains special in many ways. It is the only railway in the
world whose mainline tracks sit above ground (this was
done to combat the rough terrain of the mountain) and it is the
second steepest railway in the world with some grades reaching as high as 38%.
This is the train we took up to the summit! It is a coal-fired steam locomotive originally built in 1875.
Fun fact about this train ride is that it took place on what would have been my mom’s 63rd birthday. Looking at all the light coming through the clouds made it look like the overflow of lights from a big party in Heaven. <3
You can see the ash falling as we made our way up the mountains.
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AT THE TOP
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It was crazy how drastic of a change the weather was
at the top of the mountain. When we got on the train it
was a beautiful, slightly rainy/overcast day, but at the top
of the mountain it was freezing cold, sleeting, and so
windy I seriously thought I was going to blow right off the peak.
Kristin and I decided to brave the weather and at least make the hike up to the summit!
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A WHOLE NEW WORLD
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The sun was making its descent along with us as we
made our way back to the train depot at the base of
the mountain. Everything the light touched
(“was our kingdom”...Lion King fans where you at? lol) was only
heightened in beauty by the warmth the setting sun provided.
It made the fall colors deeper and more striking and I would
have loved to have been able to have stood outside and
watched the train chug past with the trees as its backdrop.
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AFTER THE RAILWAY TO THE MOON
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We made it back to the train depot safe and sound with
a little bit of sunlight left in the sky. Kristin and I took a
little extra time to hang around and snag a few more pictures
and then headed out to eat dinner at the Woodstock Inn &
Brewery in Woodstock, NH (would recommend a stop here as well).
It’s a Kristin in her natural habitat.
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The Mt. Washington Cog Railway was an experience I won’t
ever forget and I absolutely loved getting to experience fall
in New Hampshire in this way and with one of my all time
favorite people! (You can read more about this absolutely
amazing friend of mine here.) If you are ever in New
Hampshire you definitely need to take a ride.
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What was your favorite train ride that you have ever been on?
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