White Mountains - The Most Scenic Drives in America: 120 Spectacular Road Trips - page 854

ConwayandheadsnorthonRte.16/302,thenbranchesnortheastonRte.16AtowardInter-
vale. The two-mile Intervale Resort Loop circles up and around the towns of Intervale and
LowerBartlett,affordingmorefineviewsofMt.Washington.Thedrivecontinuesnorthon
Rte. 16A to Jackson.
9. Jackson
With its skating pond, country inns, and covered bridge, Jackson is a Currier and Ives print
come to life. Although its population is barely 650, each winter thousands of Nordic skiers
come heretoenjoya95-mile network oftrails. Infact, some Jacksonites parktheir cars for
the winter and ski to work.
10. Pinkham Notch
From Jackson the highway climbs to Pinkham Notch, a scenic pass offering a breathtaking
view ofMt.Washington. Meandering throughthe woods,the Glen Ellis Falls Trail leads to
a scenic overlook of the Ellis River as it crashes 80 feet to a churning pool.
11. Mt. Washington Auto Road
They call Mt. Washington “the most dangerous small mountain in the world,” and with
good reason.
Despite its relatively modest height, this central peak of the White Mountains has such
fierce weather conditions—the (second) highest gust of wind ever recorded on land was
clocked here at 231 miles per hour—that Himalayan climbers use it for survival training.
Yet for all its hazards, Mt. Washington remains one of the most accessible summits of
its size in the United States. Some arrive by way of a well-maintained hiking trail; others
optforathrillingrideontheCogRailway,whichdepartsregularlyfromBrettonWoodson
thewestern sideofthemountain; butmostcome bywayoftheMt.Washington AutoRoad
(open from May to October, weather permitting), which spirals eight miles up the eastern
slope.
Hailed as a masterful feat of engineering when it was completed in 1861, the road was
originally designed for stagecoaches from the Glen House Hotel, a stop once located at
its base. Nowadays an assortment of vehicles—including unicycles, wheelchairs, and of
course,automobilesandtrucks—tacklethesame12-degreegradeduringoccasionalsched-