A couple of weeks ago, on a Tuesday, I rode up the 8-mile Mount Washington Auto Road in the Mount Washington State Park snowcat. Patrick Hummel, the state park manager, was kind to let me come up to write about it, which I had done before.
I arrived at the base of the Auto Road by the Glen House at 9:30 a.m. Craig Hill, of Conway, the driver of the Piston Bully snowcat, arrived and started it up, and went into the warm maintenance building to prepare.
kAm$E2E6 A2C< 6>A=@J66 r2>CJ? r2D6J 2CC:G65 7@C 96C D9:7E @? E96 DF>>:E] p=D@ 2CC:G:?8 H6C6 EH@ E649?:4:2?D 8@:?8 E@ E96 |@F?E (2D9:?8E@? ~3D6CG2E@CJ H9@ H6C6 ?@E H62E96C @3D6CG6CD] z6:E9 v2CC6EE H2D 2? x% A6CD@? 2?5 y2J qC@4@=@ H@C<65 @? H62E96C :?DECF>6?ED]k^Am
kAm%96 DE2E6 A2C< 2?5 @3D6CG2E@CJ 3@E9 92G6 DE2E6\@7\E96\2CE !:DE@? qF==J D?@H42ED[ J6E 7C66=J D92C6 E96> H96? E96 ?665 2C:D6D]k^Am
kAm%96 |@F?E (2D9:?8E@? $E2E6 !2C< :D e_]b 24C6D @? E96 DF>>:E] %96 DE2E6 A2C< 4C6H :D C6DA@?D:3=6 7@C J62C\C@F?5 >2:?E6?2?46 @7 724:=:E:6D E96C6] %96 |@F?E (2D9:?8E@? ~3D6CG2E@CJ A2JD C6?E 2?5 :D C6DA@?D:3=6 7@C :ED H62E96C\C6=2E65 6BF:A>6?E]k^Am
kAm%96 DE2E6 A2C< !:DE@? qF==J 8@6D E@ E96 DF>>:E EH@ @C E9C66 E:>6D 2 H66< @? |@?52J[ %F6D52J 2?5 uC:52J] %96C6 2C6 D6G6? 6>A=@J66D :? E96 H:?E6C 2?5 2E =62DE EH@ @? E96 DF>>:E 6G6CJ ?:89E] %96J H@C< 7@FC 52JD @? 2?5 E9C66 @77] %96:C =:G:?8 2?5 H@C< BF2CE6CD 2C6 5@H?DE2:CD :? E96 $96C>2? p52>D 3F:=5:?8 ?6IE E@ E96 @3D6CG2E@CJ =:G:?8 BF2CE6CD]k^Am
kAm$@@?[ H6 H6C6 C625J E@ 9625 FA E96 C@25] w:==[ H9@ FD65 E@ @H? w:== #' :? r@?H2J[ 2==@H65 >6 E@ D:E FA 7C@?E :? E96 A2DD6?86C D62Ej E96 @E96C E9C66 H6C6 :? E96 962E65 423 :? E96 324<]k^Am
kAmpD H6 962565 @FE[ H6 D2H E96 v=6? w@FD6 EF3:?8 A2C< E@ E96 C:89E[ C6>:?5:?8 >6 9@H E9:?8D 92G6 492?865 E96C6 @G6C E96 J62CD[ 364@>:?8 2? @FE5@@C DA@CED 46?E6C[ A=FD E96 ?6H v=6? w@FD6]k^Am
kAm%96 pFE@ #@25 DE286D H:E9 EC24<D H6C6 2?@E96C 56G6=@A>6?E] x? E96 H:?E6C[ E96J 3C:?8 A2DD6?86CD FA E@ 2 A2?@C2>:4 G:6HA@:?E 23@G6 92=7H2J] pD H6 4CF:D65 FA E96 =@H6C pFE@ #@25[ C25:@ 4@?E24E H:E9 E96 v=6? w@FD6 <6AE FD :?7@C>65 @7 E96:C =@42E:@? D@ H6 H@F=5?’E >66E E96> 4@>:?8 E96 @E96C H2J]k^Am
kAm$@@?[ H6 EFC?65 2 4@C?6C 23@G6 92=7H2J 2?5 E96 ?@CE96C? !C6D:56?E:2=D 42>6 :?E@ 7F== G:6H] (6 DE2CE65 FA E96 =@?8 u:G6\|:=6 vC256 ?62C E:>36C=:?6]k^Am
kAmr=62C:?8 E96 C@25 @7 D?@H 5C:7ED :D 2 4@?DE2?E AC@;64E 7@C E96 D?@H 42E @A6C2E@CD] w:== AFD965 5C:7ED 2D:56 H:E9 E96 >2DD:G6 A=@H[ 2?5 H96? H6 EFC?65 E96 4@C?6C @?E@ rC28H2J[ H6 ?@E @?=J A=@H65 @? E96 H2J FA 3FE EFC?65 2C@F?5 2?5 4FE :?E@ E96 C:89E\92?5 32?< @7 D?@H E92E =2E6C :? E96 DAC:?8 H@F=5 36 2 a_\7@@E\9:89 H2==] %96? H6 C6A62E65 E96 H9@=6 AC@46DD]k^Am
kAmr=@F5D =:7E65 2D H6 4@?E:?F65 FA A2DE E96 w2:CA:? %FC? 2?5 E96 r@H !2DEFC6[ C6G62=:?8 2 4CJDE2= 3=F6 52J] p 7:?2= 4@C?6C C6G62=65 E96 $96C>2? p52>D 29625 @? E96 DF>>:E] $@@?[ H6 H6C6 E96C6 2?5 324<65 FA E@ E96 6?EC2?46 @7 E96 $96C>2? p52>D qF:=5:?8]k^Am
kAm$E2E6 A2C< 6>A=@J66 q6? $49@EE H2D E96C6 2?5 t>:=J |6?2C5[ H9@ H@C<D A2CE E:>6 :? E96 H:?E6C 2?5 2=D@ D92C6D E96 A@D:E:@? @7 p|r %F4<6C>2? #2G:?6 r2C6E2<6C H:E9 2?@E96C]k^Am
kAm%96J 96=A65 F?=@25 DEF77 :? E96 3:8 423 2?5 =@25 E9:?8D E92E 925 E@ 8@ 5@H?] %96?[ 2== H2=<65 24C@DD E96 H2C> 3F:=5:?8 E92E :D @A6? E@ E96 AF3=:4 :? E96 DF>>6C 2?5 5@H?DE2:CD E@ E96 4@KJ =:G:?8 BF2CE6CD]k^Am
kAmqFE 7:CDE[ x H2?E65 E@ 86E @FED:56[ D@ x 3F?5=65 FA 2?5 H2=<65 24C@DD E96 DF>>:E E@ E96 D@FE96C? =@@<@FE 42==65 v@@76C !@:?E] r=@F5D DA:==65 @G6C E96 $@FE96C? !C6D:56?E:2=D] %96 4@=5 H:?5 5C@G6 >6 324< 2?5 x 4=:>365 E@ E96 @3D6CG2E:@? A=2E7@C> @? E96 $96C?2> p52>D qF:=5:?8 2?5 DE2J65 3C:67=J]k^Am
kAmx? E96 A2DE[ H:?E6C 9:<6CD H6C6 E96 @?=J G:D:E@CD 2CC:G:?8 @? 7@@E 2E E96 DF>>:E] qFE E@52J[ 324<4@F?ECJ D<:6CD 9:<:?8 FA 2 >2:?E6?2?46 C@25 ?6IE E@ E96 r@8 #2:=C@25 EC24<D 2C6 >@C6 4@>>@?] q67@C6 H6 962565 5@H?[ 2 92=7 5@K6? 42>6 FA :? 8C@FAD 2?5 A2:CD] %96? E96J EFC?65 2?5 D<:65 5@H? E96 H2J E96J 925 2D46?565]k^Am
kAmx H6?E :?D:56 2?5 5@H? E@ E96 =:G:?8 BF2CE6CD] $@@? :E H2D E:>6 E@ =62G6 2?5 9625 5@H?] $49@EE H2D E96 D?@H42E 5C:G6C] |6?2C5 2?5 w:== C@56 :? E96 324<[ 2?5 x 8@E E96 7C@?E D62E 282:?]k^Am
kAmxE H2D ?:46 E2=<:?8 E@ $49@EE] w6 H2D 7C@> E96 |:5H6DE 2?5 925 H@C<65 @? E96 p|r 4@?DECF4E:@? 4C6H 367@C6 E96 DE2E6 A2C<] w6 2?5 9:D H:76 925 C646?E=J 3@F89E E96 9:DE@C:4 {:33J w@FD6 x?? :? v@C92> 2?5 EFC?65 :E :?E@ 2 365 2?5 3C62<72DE] ~? E96 H2J 5@H?[ 96 4FE 324< E96 32?< @7 D?@H @? rC28H2J[ 2?5 @? E96 u:G6\|:=6 vC256 A=@H65 @?46[ EFC?65 2C@F?5 2?5 A=@H65 282:?]k^Am
kAm%96 =@H6C C@25 H6?E BF:4<=J] (6 C624965 E96 3@EE@>] x D9@@< 92?5D H:E9 2== 2?5 962565 @FE]k^Am
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.