Dominating all the other peaks around it, Mt. Washington has a spirit all its own, one that has always demanded respect. The early white settlers sought ways to avoid the mountain.

Beginning with Timothy Nash's accidental discovery of a pass through the mountains in 1771, life around Mt. Washington began to flourish. There came Ethan Allen Crawford, the first innkeeper of the White Mountains; the Willey family, who lost their lives in a landslide; Daniel Pinkham, who discovered Pinkham's Notch; and the Copps, who opened their farm to weary travelers.

When the railroad came to Pinkham's Notch in 1851, Mt. Washington soon became a very popular place for vacationers. Tourism generated hotel business as well as construction of a carriage road and a cog railroad to the summit. Primitive attempts to provide some kind of accommodations on the summit culminated in the erection of two Summit Houses. The latter, completed in 1873, held 50 guests, served formal dinners, published a newspaper, and featured its own symphony orchestra.

For nearly two centuries, hundreds of thousands of people have made their way to the top of Mt. Washington, seeking adventure, peace and tranquillity, a challenge, and a panoramic view which includes parts of five states and Canada.

The observatory on Mt. Washington dates back to the 1850s. Now manned year-round, the station crew works for various research projects, and daily weather reports are still made to radio and TV stations in the Valley. At the TV transmitter station, which has joined the observatory at the Summit, engineers spend week-long shifts doing live weather shows and monitoring TV signals for WMTW-TV in Poland Springs. Maine.

In the last two hundred years, New Hampshire's Mt. Washington has played host to a variety of people and served the state in a myriad of ways. Its harsh weather patterns and tremendous views have changed very little. Still, its unique ecology can be threatened by man's carelessness and irresponsible actions. It is a majestic mountain which invites us to enjoy its vistas and beauty, but which will remain unscarred only if we are responsible for it and use it carefully.

1. To explore the history of Mt. Washington, its formation, terrain, and the activities it has housed.

2. To catch a glimpse of its ecological environment, hence gaining respect for its uniqueness, harshness and beauty.

3. To investigate the persons involved in the history of Mt. Washington.

4. To consider the value of the mountain to our state and others, and to develop an awareness of our part in its preservation.

1. Locate Mt. Washington and the surrounding White Mountains on a map; note their names and elevations.

2. Discuss what you, as class members, already know about Mt. Washington. Be sure to include personal experiences.

3. Think about what an alpine environment is like during the different seasons as compared to where you live. Consider what effect those climates might have on the types of plants and animals living there.

4. Review how glacial activity takes place, relating it to the formation of the Presidential Range.

5. Consider how Mt. Washington might be important to our state's economy, wildlife, and lifestyles.

1. Discuss the following questions:

What kind of vegetation grows on Mt. Washington?
How does Mt. Washington compare in age to the Rockies?
Why was Ethan Allen Crawford called "the first innkeeper of the White Mountains? What other feats are attributed to him?
What was the eastern valley pass called? The western valley pass?
What distant areas can be seen from the top of Mt. Washington?
What kind of activities now take place on Mt. Washington?
What kinds of activities, human or otherwise, could destroy the beauty and terrain of Mt. Washington as we know it today?

3. Identify some of the alpine flowers on the mountain.

4. Consider the alpine climate's effect on vegetation and animal life.

5. Write an essay on a topic such as the mountain's history, the observatory.

6. Plan a one-day hike up the mountain, considering absolute necessities for the venture. Actually execute the hike or one to a closer peak, preferably one which affords a firetower view of Mt. Washington.

7. Discuss in detail some of the effects of not being prepared for the outdoors.

8. Begin a rock collection of New Hampshire's geological makeup.

9. Invite a speaker to class who has climbed and/or spent time on Mt. Washington.

10. Begin a collection of Indian legends, folklore revolving around the mountains.

11. Investigate the workings of: a wind gauge, barometer, rain gauge.

12. Report on: Ethan Allen Crawford, Daniel Pinkham, or others.

13. Read about the observatory cats of Mt. Washington.

14. Brainstorm and list the duties of a transmitter crew and weather crew.

15. Develop a photographic essay on the White Mountains.

16. Develop a skit about one day in a mountain observatory or about an Indian powwow discussing the mountain's spirit.

17. Study some of the adaptations the animals (including man) must make in order to stay alive in the mountain's harsh environment.

18. Create some poems which capture the thoughts of a mountain crew member, Indian, early settler, student today (i.e., isolation, peace, beauty).

19. Begin a postcard collection of the White Mountains.

20. Develop a set of your own rules which people would observe while vacationing in the White Mountains. Compare your rules with those already in existence.

• rime ice
• trestle
• trailblazer
• arctic zone
• transmitter
• notch
• temperate zone
• generator
• landslide
• wind gauge
• frostbite
• barometer
• cog railroad
• meteorology
• glacier

PLACES TO VISIT

• Glen Ellis Falls
• White Mountain National Forest
• Cog Railway
• Pinkham Notch AMC Hut
• Wildcat Gondola
• Willey House (Crawford Notch)
• Heritage House
• Cannon Mountain
• Aerial Tramway
• Mt. Cranmore
• Glen Boulder

• Ethan Allen Crawford
• Daniel Pinkham
• Sam and Polly Willey
• Governor Wentworth
• Timothy Nash
• Hayes and Dolly Cobb

• The Mount Washington Hotel & Resort
• Mount Washington Observatory
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