Day 10: Tuesday May 23

On this day we took a somewhat circuitous route between Bethel and Stowe, stopping off at Mt. Washington and Mt. Flume.

Our first diversion was along a little road towards Hastings Maine. This was completely unplanned, but as we drove by, the road looked interesting so we followed. It was a road that one would imagine finding in Maine: narrow, winding and tree-lined.

The information given us at Mt. Washington claims it to be the place with the worst recorded weather in the world. As a result, manufacturers from around the world come to the mountain to test their products in extreme conditions. Our own purpose was more to see the site and as well (and after the fact) to experience weather severely worse than what we had over the earlier part of our vacation just to demonstrate that it wasn’t really that bad after all. The route to the top of the mountain was closed just above the tree line, which is just past the 4,000 foot level. The top of the mountain is about 6,100 feet. However, even at that lower level the weather was approaching extremes. Aside from the high wind which made it difficult to stand, it was bitingly cold. The drive up itself is quite an experience; the roads are narrow and winding. They recommend low gear up and down. Fortunately at this time of year there were only a few other visitors so traffic was of little concern. The first motorized vehicle to ascend the mountain was fitted with a 15HP engine. I felt more comfortable with my 200HP engine.

Our next stop was Mt. Flume, where we visited the State Park. Here we walked through the magnificent gorge and it was here that I discovered where my future lies. It is in the study of lichen, fungus and moss. Ferns may come later, but I’m not sure at this point. Included with the gorge there were two more wooden bridges: one for vehicles and one a pedestrian bridge.

Photolog

Shots from Mt. Washington

Shots from Mt. Flume