NH's Mt. Washington Auto Road Offers Exclusive Tours

One of the coolest things that I love about New Hampshire is that we have the highest peak in the Northeast, Mount Washington, standing at 6,288 feet. It's an absolute beauty of the White Mountain's Presidential range. People climb Mount Washington almost every day. If you're like me, however, you can get a ride to the top instead. Every spring, the Mount Washington Auto Road offers Spring Adventure Tours to witness the Cragway Drift being cleared after a long winter. Cool!

Mount Washington Used to Be Cleared By Hand

Can you imagine clearing all that snow by hand? Well, they didn't have much choice in the 1800s, according to mt-washington.com. The shovels would come out back, and the process wasn't complete until around July 4th weekend. But today, they have machines to do the heavy lifting.

This Tour of Mount Washington's Auto Road is Exhilarating

You will start in a van, then transition to a four-wheeled drive vehicle with chains on the tires. There is a section of the road, the Cragway Drift, where snowbanks can reach up to 25 feet straight up. Yes, you'll be able to take pictures. But if you're like me, you may opt to get inside the vehicle pretty quickly. That is a wall of snow, and I did see the movie (you know the one I'm talking about. #societyofthesnow).

It's Cold on Mount Washington All the Time

Here's the thing about Mount Washington. Well, one of the many things, I should say. If it's 80 degrees on the ground and you are wearing a t-shirt and shorts, you will NOT be prepared to for the top. The average daily temperature is 20 degrees Fahrenheit, according to mountwashington.org. The highest temperature on record is only 50 degrees in 1991, so when you decide to take one of these tours, make sure you take a jacket and pants. Having said that, being on top of a mountain is the only time I don't mind being cold.

It's a little pricey at $75 per ticket, according to mt-washington.com, and the entire experience is an hour-and-a-half long. But for my money, to see Mother Nature up close and personal like that? It's worth every penny.

Have you ever gone to the top of Mount Washington? What was your experience like?