Entering the home stretch. Just about an hour before official sunset, the 4 PM steam trip on the Mt. Washington Cog Railway climbs above the col between Mt. Washington and Mt. Clay, and begins to run through the home stretch, just below the summit. Although it looks pretty flat compared with the 25% grades just behind the train, it is still pretty steep here, and there are several hundred vertical feet to climb and about 10 minutes of travel before the trip is done. Note the exhaust plume rising vertically here before dispersing over the Great Gulf to the north. The winds this day on the summit are less than 10 knots and the temperature is about 65F....about as nice as it ever gets up here. And then there is the view. There is nothing quite like being on the summit on a nice, clear fall day like this one.
