A relaxing start to Sunday morning as residents gathered together to depart for the Mt. Washington Cog Railway.  The roads leading were winding and filled with new scenery around every corner.  The van was filled with music and singing, as well as questions like “how much longer?!?”  The first sight of Mt. Washington made most of the residents “oooo” and “awww” as they were unaware of just how big the mountain really is.

As we arrived to the base, it was a quick walk to the platform where we were greeted by the various engineers.  The bright orange car was awaiting our arrival – the world’s first mountain-climbing cog railway.  The residents were able to move freely throughout the car and ask any questions they may have had.  The cog climbed for about an hour with stops along the way to allow other trains by. The vastness of the mountains caused some of the residents mouths to drop.  The visibility was over 90 miles, which is near to perfect.  They were fascinated by the pitch of the train and just how high we were climbing.  Once at the top of Mt Washington, standing 6,288 ft tall, residents moved about the lookout points, and walked through the historic sites nestled in the rocks on the summit.   Some residents felt compelled to one day climb the mountain to know what it feels like to have the satisfaction of accomplishing the highest mountain in New Hampshire.  On the descent residents were able to see a new perspective on the scenery.

The day came to an end with a rewarding snack in the parking lot and a view of Mt. Washington stuck in the rear view mirrors.

Colleen Donohue                                                                             Residential Counselor/Adventure Module Leader