A grander plan in mind for the Cog Railway

[Greg]

Thoughts?

A grander plan in mind for the Cog Railway

Sunday, November 16, 2003

By JEFF NOVOTNY
Monitor staff

MOUNT WASHINGTON - The train whistle still blows. The steam engine continues to belch plumes of white and gray smoke into the autumn air. Folks are still lining up for a ride on train cars sporting the monikers Waumbek, Ammonoosuc and Kancamagus.

Yes, there's something different happening on the western slope of Mount Washington this year. For the first time, the Cog Railway will keep climbing the slopes of the Northeast's highest peak through the end of November.

But there's more to the Snow Flake Express than simply accommodating tourists. The owners of the Cog Railway have a grander plan in mind - they are planning to bring skiing to the trackside slopes beginning next year.

There are some fine details to be worked out, but, according to Cog Railway President Wayne Presby, the chances that skiers will be cruising along Mount Washington powder next year are "99.9 percent."

The idea has been brewing for a while. Last winter, workers successfully tested the ability to clear the tracks using a custom-made snow

blower. They also groomed the snow next to the tracks with a grooming machine borrowed from the Bretton Woods Mountain Resort. And the engine shop at the base of the mountain has been fully winterized to house the trains through the winter, thus eliminating the worry that water lines in the steam engines would freeze in brutally cold weather.

The prospect of seeing the project through clearly has Cog Railway employees excited.

"We'll make history," said Doug Waites, who not only handles marketing for the train but also works as a brakeman and tour guide. "It'll be the first and only ski train in North America. You have to go to Europe to find a ski train. You have to go to Switzerland."

Presby envisions the Cog Railway's newest attraction as being "run just like you would a normal ski area."

Skiers would buy half-day or full-day tickets ("We haven't decided on the prices yet," he said). The heated train cars would lets skiers off at two points on the mountain - one at the base of Cold Spring Hill for beginner runs and another at the Waumbek water tower (at 3,800 feet) for intermediate runs.

"You could get 15 runs in" over the course of the day, Presby said.

Also, there would be ski patrollers present on the slopes, and the base area would be open for food and drinks.

"We think the novelty will be something that will drive tourists to New Hampshire," Presby said. "It's one more thing that we can offer that nobody in North America has."

There's still some work to be done before the plan can come to fruition. For one, Presby said the trains will make some runs "in the dead of winter" as a final test to make sure "we're not pushing the engines too far." Also, the land on the sides of the tracks will have to be cleared of the boulders, logs and old water pipes that litter the area.

For now, the Snow Flake Express is reserved for tourists looking for a way to bridge the gap between leaf-peeping season and ski season. The train takes passengers to the Waumbek tank, one-third of the way up the mountain, in a one-hour round trip. Tickets cost $20. Normally, a ride on the Cog reaches the 6,288-foot summit and takes about three hours overall for a price of $49.

At the Waumbek tank, passengers are able to get off the train and check out the views from a platform. On a clear day, you can see Mount Washington's summit and the rest of the Presidential Range.

In the spirit of the holiday season, the trains are decorated with wreaths, red bows and pine roping. On Nov. 28 and 29, Santa Claus will make an appearance on the train. Those days, the main lodge area will be decorated with a Christmas tree and lights, and a fire will be roaring.

Waites, the Cog Railway's marketing head, said the first few weeks of the Snow Flake Express have been a success. The busiest day was a recent Saturday, when about 200 people took the ride, requiring three trips.

"It's been great. Absolutely successful," he said. "It gives you a whole new perspective of what the White Mountains are. You're leaving fall conditions in the valley and going into winter conditions. You're seeing Mount Washington like no other way you've seen it before."

Source

 

[ChileMass]

Unbelievable -

I am always up for new ski experiences, but the ongoing commercialization of Mt. Washington is too bad. It seems to me there's plenty enough activity up there already. Go ski Tuckerman's instead......

 

[Greg]

I'm not sure how prosperous this is even going to be. I also struggle with the 15 runs/day claim. Maybe if you were there for 7 or 8 hours, but I have to imagine the wait for these trains is going to be at least 30 minutes, not to mention the ride time up. And skiing on the same intermediate terrain is going to get old pretty quick, especially when you have BW across the street, Attitash down the road and Cannon within 20 minutes...

 

[SAB]

A few years ago, the Cog tried to use the railway as a 'lazy-mans' access to Tuckerman's. The way it was to work was you paid for a ride to the top, then you skied off the back into Tuck's. At the end of the day, you skied out to Pinkham where the Cog would have a bus to shuttle you back around the mountain.

The Forest Service said no way - they didn't want people dropping into Tuckerman's without the chance to see it on the hike up first. There was talk of the Forest Service Rangers setting up a 'blockade' to not allow people from the train to ski down the east side of the mountain. I don't remember if it ever really came to a confrontation or if the threat was enough to stop the plan in its tracks.

At least, that's what I remember - if anyone else remembers this and I have any details wrong, please weigh in and correct me.

SAB

 

[severine]

At first I thought it was an interesting prospect--until I thought about the commercialization and crowding that would come with it. I think it might be a neat idea to offer a few days every year of this...but much more than a long weekend might ruin the whole appeal of Mount Washington itself. I also disagree with the idea to groom the trails. At least if they weren't groomed, it would a) keep the crowds away (I know, they're looking to make a profit, but it shouldn't be that way with Mt Washington) and b) make it more natural of an experience. Then again, it doesn't matter what I think as I'm not the one making the decisions...but it is a real shame.