Mt. Washington Railway Company's Locomotive #9 backs her train off the Skyline Siding after allowing an ascending train to pass. This is the highest of the two locations on the line where trains may pass each other, and the only one that still requires manual switching. Skyline Siding is located at 5600 MSL in the col or saddle between Mt. Washington and Mt. Clay. It is well above treeline and still about 700 vertical feet below the summit. The small pyramids of rocks in the foreground are trail markers built by the Appalachian Mountain Club to help climbers find their way when the upper reaches of the mountain are enshrouded in clouds....which is 60% of the time. The trail shown here is known as Westside Trail and it intersects with the famous Appalachian Trail, just a hundred yards or so on the other side of the trestle. Although the weather at Skyline this day was mostly cloudy, by Mt. Washington standards, it was a pretty nice day. For a glimpse of what this area of the mountain looks like most days click here.
