Although the ridge was socked in all morning, the landscape itself was amazing. We hiked around Mt. Pierce, Eisenhower, and Monroe before heading up to the biggest of them all: Mt. Washington.
This mountain is famous for having the "worst weather in the world." There was once a wind gust recorded at almost 300 mph. The mountain is also well-visited by tourists who can access it via road or a cog railway (kind of like the Jungfrau in Switzerland).
And where there are tourists, so will be a snack bar!
After we filled up on pizza and chili dogs, we continued down the ridge, waved at tourists on the railroad, and enjoyed a few moments of clearing in the fog.
Our final destination was Madison Springs Hut where we met some sobos (hikers heading south bound on the at) and did a work for stay. I was up several times during the night praising God for shelter as the hurricane bands rolled into the mountains with ferocious wind and rain. Another group of tired, cold hikers came in at 2 am seeking emergency shelter from the storm...it's not something to be taken lightly. However, the three amigos are warm and safe, so happy trails!
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