The Mount Washington hotel has a deep history to it and as long as it has been there, I am sure a few good haunting stories to go along with it. Every time I go by this Hotel I am inclined to stop and take in the beauty all around it, the mountain range in the back drop of the hotel I have hike many times, the range is known as the Presidential Range. Just to the left of the Hotel and socked within the clouds is Mount Washington, at an elevation of 6,288 feet, it is the tallest peak Northeast of the Mississippi River, a mountain I have hiked many times, been up the auto road a couple times, but have never been up the Cog Railway, as…okay…… Maybe a bit nervous to travel up a mountain, that I have no control of how it gets to the top and back to the bottom of the peak, but I would rather hike the mountain, so I can take in all the true beauty that is around me. When hiking to the top of this mountain on this side, you go past one of the many Huts that are spaced out within a days hike of each other, this hut you pass is known as the Lake of the clouds hut, yes there are two small lakes there, one used strictly for drinking and the other for jumping in to cool off after a long days hike. This hut is wide open with no tree’s around, making for an adventure in itself, when there is a passing thunder storm that has decided to take the same path as you along the trail. I can also say truthfully that I have hiked part of the Appalachian trail and this Presidential range is part of that trail as well, but hopefully one day I will be able to hike the entire Appalachian trail and be part of the history of that trail, like so many have tried and only a few actually have hiked the entire trail.
The other reason why I stop to look at this Hotel and the beautiful backdrop behind it is, it reminds me of the famous Stephen King and his book ” the Shining”, the only difference is the Hotel in the book is surrounded by the awesome Colorado Rockies, of which those mountains are much bigger, making the hiking adventure more rigorous, harder on the feet, but yet more spectacular on the eyes. Both Hotels are Grand in their own way and I am sure each has their stories that either differ or are similar to each other, but unlike the Hotel in the book, the Mount Washington Hotel stays open in the winter, which brings a whole different clientele within the walls of the Hotel. The Hotel in the book closes for the winter, as it’s private setting makes it difficult to get to, in a harsh winter storm. Which is why there is a caretaker that stays there alone through the winter months and towards the end of their time there, the quietness and the “magic” of the Hotel, starts to play with the mind of the caretaker, making for a creepy read, or a movie if you have seen the movie instead? Just like the Hotel in the “shining”, I am sure the Mountain Washington has it’s own story to tell, just that it hasn’t spoken like the Hotel in the book.
I can remember hiking the Presidential range in the White Mountains of New Hampshire as a young kid and staying in the huts up above tree line, these huts had their crews that worked up there feeding and taking care of the weary Hiker, at night before we would turn in for the night, these crew members would embark in some Ghost stories for us, they would use other huts or trails we have yet to embark on, as the basis of their stories, now whether these stories were actually true or made up well…… that was up to the ones that were listening and hanging on their every word. Now some of these stories actually were told so well, it was very hard to not believe, but then again with so many Hiker’s that have perished along these trails, maybe there actually were some Ghosts still walking these trails, to try to finish what they set out to do? Hiking these trails is so quiet and peaceful, it can play with your mind and have you hear things that is not really there, only because it is so quiet with a feeling of loneliness, I can only imagine if I were to hike the entire Appalachian Trail, from Springer mountain Georgia, to Mount Katahdin in Maine and with the quietness and the peacefulness that will surround you along the way, just how much will my own mind want to play tricks on me as well? But with that said, it is still a trail for which I would love to walk, as the ones that have started and finished this trail, it has changed them for the better, with a big feeling of accomplishment, that will never leave them, nor will anyone ever take it from them as well.
The Mount Washington Hotel nestled within the mountains and the clouds of the White Mountains of New Hampshire, a Hotel full of grandeur and spaciousness, that also has it’s own story to tell and we simply have to listen, so we can understand better of the beauty within and around it. Don’t just stay at the Hotel, just to say you have stayed there, really breathe in the atmosphere around you, look deeply into what you see, explore all that is around you and really listen to what the Hotel tells you, as old as it is, i am sure there are some squeakiness to it and through the squeakiness, could be the Ghost of the Hotel, trying to tell you the true story of where you are staying, who knows the bed that you are sleeping on, or the room you are staying in, could of been used by one of our Fore Fathers, that had a hand in building this great country of America? Which would make the voice or voices you hear very informative with a history lesson, of the Grandest Hotel that you may ever stay within.
” everything around us has its own story to tell us, all we have to do is take the time to listen and not only enjoy, but pay attention with our hearts and souls”
” The mount Washington hotel is a very old hotel full of history with spectacular views, to stay here is more than just sleeping in a bed”
” The White Mountains of New Hampshire are great to look at from all angles, but to hike within them, now you can actually feel the heart beat of each mountain”