SnowCoach on Mt. Washington
I recently went up the Mt. Washington Auto Road on their SnowCoach. It was a fun trip. The vehicle holds 7 passengers. The driver provided interesting info during the entire trip.
The triangular treaded wheels on the SnowCoach were awkward on the bare road at the lodge, but provided excellent traction once we got on snow, i.e. across the street at the base of the auto road. The auto road is 16 feet wide and now 100% paved (there used to be a section of dirt road near the top). The total length of the auto road is 7.6 miles.
The SnowCoach only goes to 4200 feet, at which point there is a sign saying "Winter Cut-Off". That is where I took this photo. The altitude at the summit is 6288 feet. Tree line is about 4400 feet.
They also have a vehicle called a SnowCat that they use to get to the summit. The SnowCat has a blade for plowing and is able to groom all parts of the auto road.
The summit of Mount Washington is home to the Mount Washington Observatory staff, who live there for a week at a time before switching to a different crew. In the winter, they make their way back to civilization via the SnowCat.
In the photo, turning left would bring you to the summit. The summit is quite a bit higher than what you see in the center of the photo. We turned right to go back down the auto road.
Some interesting weather facts:
- In 1934, a wind gust of 231 mph was recorded at the weather station at the summit of Mount Washington, a world record for the highest wind gust ever recorded on the Earth's surface. That record was subsequently broken in 1996 when a gust of 253 mph was clocked off the coast of Australia during Tropical Cyclone Olivia.
- On February 4, 2023 the observatory measured a wind chill factor of minus 108 F degrees, the lowest wind chill ever recorded in the United States (including Alaska).
- Just a few weeks ago, on February 17, 2025, a wind gust of 161 mph was recorded at the observatory, the highest in 6 years, at which time there was a gust of 171 mph.
And finally, there are quite a few places on the drive up where if a vehicle goes over the edge on the right, it is straight down and a long way down. There are no guard rails anywhere along the route. I was therefore surprised to find the following question and answer on the Mt. Washington Auto Road website:
"BE HONEST, HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE DIED RIDING ON THE AUTO ROAD?
Over more than 150 years, there have been three fatalities on the Auto Road. In 1880, a stage overturned (in the hands of a drunk driver), and a passenger was killed. In 1984, a vehicle experienced brake failure about a mile up the road and was unable to make it down safely. And a motorcyclist suffered a fatal crash in 2009."
* Check out this amazing video from the Auto Road. I guarantee you can't watch it just one time. Make sure to view it maximized: www.youtube.com/watch?v=rP2-UHXJ3pU
SnowCoach on Mt. Washington
I recently went up the Mt. Washington Auto Road on their SnowCoach. It was a fun trip. The vehicle holds 7 passengers. The driver provided interesting info during the entire trip.
The triangular treaded wheels on the SnowCoach were awkward on the bare road at the lodge, but provided excellent traction once we got on snow, i.e. across the street at the base of the auto road. The auto road is 16 feet wide and now 100% paved (there used to be a section of dirt road near the top). The total length of the auto road is 7.6 miles.
The SnowCoach only goes to 4200 feet, at which point there is a sign saying "Winter Cut-Off". That is where I took this photo. The altitude at the summit is 6288 feet. Tree line is about 4400 feet.
They also have a vehicle called a SnowCat that they use to get to the summit. The SnowCat has a blade for plowing and is able to groom all parts of the auto road.
The summit of Mount Washington is home to the Mount Washington Observatory staff, who live there for a week at a time before switching to a different crew. In the winter, they make their way back to civilization via the SnowCat.
In the photo, turning left would bring you to the summit. The summit is quite a bit higher than what you see in the center of the photo. We turned right to go back down the auto road.
Some interesting weather facts:
- In 1934, a wind gust of 231 mph was recorded at the weather station at the summit of Mount Washington, a world record for the highest wind gust ever recorded on the Earth's surface. That record was subsequently broken in 1996 when a gust of 253 mph was clocked off the coast of Australia during Tropical Cyclone Olivia.
- On February 4, 2023 the observatory measured a wind chill factor of minus 108 F degrees, the lowest wind chill ever recorded in the United States (including Alaska).
- Just a few weeks ago, on February 17, 2025, a wind gust of 161 mph was recorded at the observatory, the highest in 6 years, at which time there was a gust of 171 mph.
And finally, there are quite a few places on the drive up where if a vehicle goes over the edge on the right, it is straight down and a long way down. There are no guard rails anywhere along the route. I was therefore surprised to find the following question and answer on the Mt. Washington Auto Road website:
"BE HONEST, HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE DIED RIDING ON THE AUTO ROAD?
Over more than 150 years, there have been three fatalities on the Auto Road. In 1880, a stage overturned (in the hands of a drunk driver), and a passenger was killed. In 1984, a vehicle experienced brake failure about a mile up the road and was unable to make it down safely. And a motorcyclist suffered a fatal crash in 2009."
* Check out this amazing video from the Auto Road. I guarantee you can't watch it just one time. Make sure to view it maximized: www.youtube.com/watch?v=rP2-UHXJ3pU