Mount Washington (formerly Agiocochook) is, at 6,288 ft. (1916.6 m) of elevation, the highest peak east of the Mississippi River and north of North Carolina. It is famous for its dangerously erratic weather, and holds the record for the highest wind gust directly measured at the Earth's surface, at 231 mph (372 km/h), recorded on the afternoon of April 12, 1934.

It is located in the Presidential Range of the White Mountains, and in Coos County, New Hampshire. While nearly the whole mountain is in the White Mountain National Forest, an area of 59 acres (within a radius of approximately a quarter mile), above 5,500 feet (1690 m) and including the summit, is the whole of Mount Washington State Park. Washington is the third highest state highpoint in the eastern U.S., after Mount Mitchell, North Carolina (6,684 ft; 2,038 m) and Clingmans Dome, Tennessee (6,643 ft; 2,025 m).

History

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The first known ascent of Mt. Washington was in 1642 by Darby Field (actually, an alpine meadow on the mountain was named after Field, as a play on words). There was little activity there until the middle of the 19th century when it was developed as one of the first intentional tourist destinations in the country with the construction of bridle paths and several summit hotels including the Tip Top House, which is still standing and was recently renovated as a historical exhibit. Other tourist construction in the 19th century included a stagecoach road and the Mount Washington Cog Railway (1869), both of which still carry tourists to and from the top, as well as hikers on one-way trips, either for planned descent-only hikes or for "bailouts" down after reaching the summit.

Weather

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Mount Washington has notoriously erratic weather. It holds the record for directly measured surface wind speed, at 231 mph (372 km/h), recorded on the afternoon of April 12, 1934. Phenomena measured via satellite or radar, such as tornadoes, hurricanes, and air currents in the upper atmosphere, are not directly measured at the Earth's surface and do not compete with this record, although a tornado or hurricane would qualify if it was directly and accurately measured. Mount Washington's record low of −47°F (−44°C) was recorded on January 29, 1934. Snow storms at high altitudes are routine in every month of the year. The primary summit building was designed to withstand 300 mph (480 km/h) winds; other structures are literally chained to the mountain.

In addition to a number of broadcast towers, the mountain is the site of a non-profit scientific observatory reporting the weather as well as other aspects of the sub-arctic climate of the mountain. The extreme environment at the top of Mount Washington makes using unmanned equipment problematic. The observatory also conducts research, primarily the testing of new weather measurement devices. The Sherman Adams summit building, which houses the Observatory, is closed to the public during the winter and hikers are not allowed inside the building, except for emergencies and pre-arranged, guided tours.

The Observatory's weather data have accumulated into a valuable climate record since 1932, the year of its founding. Temperature and humidity readings have been collected using a Sling psychrometer, a simple device containing two mercury thermometers. Where most unstaffed weather stations have undergone technology upgrades, consistent use of the sling psychrometer has helped provide scientific precision to the Mount Washington climate record.

Uses

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The mountain is part of a popular hiking area, with the Appalachian Trail crossing the summit and one of the Appalachian Mountain Club's eight alpine huts, Lakes of the Clouds Hut, located on one of the mountain's shoulders. Winter recreation includes Tuckerman Ravine, famous (despite the lack of ski lifts and artificial snow) for its Memorial Day skiing and its 45-degree slopes. It is notorious for its avalanches, of which about 100 are recorded every year, and which have killed several people since 1849. Numerous hikers have died on the mountain, in all seasons, due to inadequate equipment, the difficulty of judging the weather high on the mountain from lower altitudes, and poor decisions once the weather began to turn dangerous. Every year in June, the mountain is host to the Mt. Washington Road Race, an event which attracts hundreds of runners.

See also

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List of tallest mountains of U.S. states

External links

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• Mount Washington web page
• Mount Washington on Topozone
• Mount Washington Weather Observatory
• Mount Washington Cog Railway
• Paintings of Mount Washington
• Computer generated summit panoramas North South West to Adirondack Group Index

Mountains of New Hampshire | Coos County, New Hampshire | Famous climbs in cycle racing | Mount Washington