Mt Washington info needed

[riverc0il]

Concessions & a parking lot?! God! Awful! Thanks again, am convinced to try Katahdin or one of the other presidentials.

I checked out some other sites after reading the replies here and found one that said:
Do you really want to spend your time hiking the Microsoft of NH’s mountains?
>>

No!

But too bad what state of NH has turned Mt Washington into. Had thought it was NH's pristine, mini-Montana. Obviously not.

I think a lot of people are overly dramatic about the summit. But that said, I don't visit it often and usually only when slacking it up the auto road for skiing. It has the worst views of any place above treeline on the mountain. So the best option is hike Mount Washington but only go as high as the plateau around the summit cone. You can do some amazing loop hikes without visiting the summit. Nelson Crag was mentioned, Tuckerman Ravine is a good hike once the hiking trail is opened, plenty of trails under the summit area such as Alpine Garden that are nice, you can loop around the ravines, Glen Boulder is an excellent option... etc. The list goes on and on with the potential great hikes on this mountain without visiting the summit. Or, just go for one of the northern Presidentials for similar vertical with a non-building summit.

In regards to NH being pristine, I think the state has two auto roads up mountains and Washington happens to be one of them. Out of the 48 Highest (as defined by the AMC), only three buildings have summit development and two of them are due to ski areas. Plenty of other options for the remote and pristine feeling far away from civilization.

 

[billski]

I think a lot of people are overly dramatic about the summit. But that said, I don't visit it often and usually only when slacking it up the auto road for skiing. It has the worst views of any place above treeline on the mountain. So the best option is hike Mount Washington but only go as high as the plateau around the summit cone. You can do some amazing loop hikes without visiting the summit. Nelson Crag was mentioned, Tuckerman Ravine is a good hike once the hiking trail is opened, plenty of trails under the summit area such as Alpine Garden that are nice, you can loop around the ravines, Glen Boulder is an excellent option... etc. The list goes on and on with the potential great hikes on this mountain without visiting the summit. Or, just go for one of the northern Presidentials for similar vertical with a non-building summit.

In regards to NH being pristine, I think the state has two auto roads up mountains and Washington happens to be one of them. Out of the 48 Highest (as defined by the AMC), only three buildings have summit development and two of them are due to ski areas. Plenty of other options for the remote and pristine feeling far away from civilization.

Leave it to Steve to bring perspective, wisdom and a moderating voice to a perfectly degenerated message thread 8)

As with all outdoors sports, there is always a crowd-avoidance strategy that can be employed year-round.

As I got to thinking about the resorts that have/had roads to the top, I was surprised at the list I developed:
Moosilauke NH (no more)
Mt. Mansfield VT
Washington NH
Greylock MA
Equinox VT
Burke VT
Ascutney VT

 

[riverc0il]

Leave it to Steve to bring perspective, wisdom and a moderating voice to a perfectly degenerated message thread 8)

As with all outdoors sports, there is always a crowd-avoidance strategy that can be employed year-round.

As I got to thinking about the resorts that have/had roads to the top, I was surprised at the list I developed:
Moosilauke NH (no more)
Mt. Mansfield VT
Washington NH
Greylock MA
Equinox VT
Burke VT
Ascutney VT

Wachusett as well. Plus a few other lost areas that I can not recall the names to. Thankfully, the Green Mountain Parkway was never built :lol:

 

[Talisman]

In Western MA, Mt Holyoke at the Skinner Park end and Sugar Loaf both have paved roads to their summits.