New Hampshire  Winter 2005By Heather Burke Imagine skiing alongside a bright red train as you descend the sparkling snow covered White Mountains. Sounds above and beyond the average day on the slopes, something I would certainly be game to try. It turns out to be something my whole family enjoyed. And this winter, you can too, right here in New Hampshire.  After 135 years of summer operation, the famous Cog Railway is
chugging up The Mount this winter – for skiers and riders. The
monumental Mount Washington climbing train made history when it opened
in 1869 as the first mountain climbing train in the world. History is
being written again, as Cog rail riders can ski down a section of the
East’s tallest peak, served by the legendary locomotive.When I heard that the Cog Railway was opening officially this winter for skiing, I was totally on board to ski it with my kids at a preliminary test run last March. The new winter adventure starts out much like the summer experience, at the Cog Railway’s 2,700-foot base, just minutes from Bretton Woods.  After acquiring tickets at the restored Marshfield Station and museum,
my family and I stepped outside and approached the railcar, which sat
quietly like a restored carnival ride surrounded by snow. The engineer
helped with our skis as we boarded the train, and found a seat in the
heated railway coach (us and 70 other close friends). While my ten and twelve year olds have grown beyond their pre-school fascination with trucks and trains, the novelty of riding a rail for skiing definitely appealed to them, and their parents too. In classic train fashion, the whistle blew and the Cog started to churn and chug its way up the tracks of the mighty Mount. The Cog is the only coal-fired steam railway still in operation, evident as smoke swirled around the train windows. The lady behind me mentioned wearing black ski attire as a good idea, not only for the slimming effect but for soot blending qualities. As the engine methodically pushed the cogwheel train up Mount Washington our bench seats afforded us uninterrupted views up the tracks toward the summit. It is a 15-minute ascent, and while it is no high-speed detachable quad, the classic train car ride entertains with “clickety clacks” and “choo choos” as you rise into the magnificent White Mountain National Forest. I reminded the kids of the historical aspect – like the chaperon on the Magic School Bus. “Kids, this is the same train journey people have been making up Mount Washington for over a century, only you are the first generation to ride in winter and ski down.” With a final shrill and a huff, the train stopped at the 3,800-foot Waumbeg Station, about a third of the way up the Cog’s summer route to the 6,288-foot summit. With skis in hand, we disembarked onto the platform, ready to ski and snowboard down one of the two trails that run parallel to the trestles on each side.  A skier’s natural instinct is to immediately push off and earn first
tracks down the 1,100’ vertical. If you do so, you will beat your
train down without contest. What we learned however is to wait for the
train’s departure, and ski alongside this piece of history. It is a rush to hear the clicking of the tracks and smell the steam of the engine, while you carve your own tracks right in time to the red rail car next to you. The folks that remained on board waved and took photos. My kids raced the train, passed the train in a dozen swift turns, then stopped to do it again multiple times as we descended the snow-covered trail toward the base station. The 1-mile snow trails that border each side of the tracks have the pitch of a novice  run, although because of their narrow width (about
30-feet across) skiing is best suited for intermediates. The terrain
has limited snowmaking, and grooming is overseen by nearby Bretton
Woods ski area staff.I should explain that this downhill experience is not of Tuckerman’s caliber, nor is the train a vehicle to access the Ravine or any of the other high-alpine terrain on Mount Washington. You do not come here to rack up vertical or to reach backcountry by rail. It is purely a nostalgic, fun day and a very memorable experience. “To find a similar ski train, you would have to go to Europe,” said Doug Waits, The Cog Railway marketing director. “This is an exciting event in history for the Cog Railway, and for New England skiers it will be an incredibly unique experience.” Prices for the ski train are $25 for a single ride (round trip or one way to ski) or $59 for all day rides. A combination ticket includes skiing at Bretton Woods plus the Cog for $75 for a full day (with a complimentary shuttle connecting the six-mile span). This winter, the train will operate daily, with plans to stay open year round.  The Cog Railway is owned and operated by Joel Bedor and Wayne Presby,
who purchased the Cog in 1983. Bedor and Presby are no strangers to
ski area management as owners of adjacent Bretton Woods Ski Area, an
area they have developed into New Hampshire’s largest since purchasing
it in 1997. These partners also own the famous Hotel Mount Washington,
which made history four years ago when it opened for its inaugural
winter season. The introduction of the Cog Railway ski train represents a blast from the past combined with an exclusive uphill/downhill adventure for skiers and riders. If you want to make tracks in history (and attempt to ski faster than a locomotive), take the family to ski the Cog this winter. Mount Washington Cog Railway, Route 302, Bretton Woods, NH, 603-278-5404 |