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Contents
June 2019
photo by jerry monkman
One Prodigious Hilltop
Mt. Washington has fascinated scientists, artists, writers, hikers, extreme athletes and tourists for hundreds of years. Home to both the “worst weather in the world” and the Auto Road, the country’s oldest manmade tourist attraction, it’s both imposing and accessible. As is fitting for the Northeast’s tallest peak, we couldn’t include everything in just one feature — instead, we’ve dedicated this issue to the famous mountain. We asked several regular contributors, both photographers and writers, to help us compile the 103 essential things you need to know about this New Hampshire icon. We also enlisted the help of Mt. Washington expert Dan Szczesny, the author of “The White Mountain.”
36 First Things
Compiled by New Hampshire Magazine staff, with guest editor Dan Szczesny
6 Editor’s Note 8 Contributors Page 10 Feedback
603 Navigator
603 Informer
603 Living
12 THE EXPANDING SEACOAST
26 COLD RIVER RADIO
70 First Person
Features
SUMMER THEATRE
34 Transcript
by Maggie Wallace
16 Top Events
by Tom Eastman
RESCUING THE RHUBARB
by Rebecca Tuttle
29 Politics
74 Local Dish
POLITICAL RECREATION
by Colin Garrett
by James Pindell
18 Food & Drink
30 Blips
TIRAMISU WITH STRAWBERRIES
by Chef Vito Marcello
NEW HAMPSHIRE IN THE NEWS
by Casey McDermott
31 Artisan
CHRISTOPHER MYOTT
by Susan Laughlin
HAMPTON BEACH BITES
32 What Do You Know?
by Susan Laughlin
by David Mendelsohn
THE TRIALS OF BREASTFEEDING
by Karen A. Jamrog
78 Seniority STOPPING ELDER ABUSE
by Lynne Snierson
84 Calendar A SUMMER OF EVENTS
21 Sips
edited by Emily Heidt
LOCAL DRINK TRENDS
91 Dine Out
by Michael Hauptly-Pierce
Meet Alexandra de Steiguer, the winter caretaker of Star Island.
76 Health
22 Our Town CLAREMONT
by Barbara Radcliffe Rogers
GOOD EATS THE KELLEY CORNER ONE-ROOM SCHOOL
by Marshall Hudson
ON THE COVER Read all 103 things you need to know about Mt. Washington starting on page 36. Photo by Greg Kretschmar Photography
96 Ayuh TOP THIS!
by Rebecca Rule Volume 32, Number 6 ISSN 1560-4949 nhmagazine.com | June 2019
5
EDITOR’S NOTE
SEEkiNG NH’S BESt ANd BRiGHtESt
First Mountains
I
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nhmagazine.com | June 2019
My first mountains arrived in a book — a gift from a waitress I was courting while washing dishes in a breakfast joint in California. I’d told her of my yearning to climb a mountain so she bought me a book of photos of them.
n Florida, where I grew up, the closest thing to mountains are sand dunes. There were some big ones on our beaches, including one we called The Matterhorn that was treated like a faux snow hill by kids on cardboard sleds wearing nothing but swimsuits, grins and Coppertone. So I was sincere about my unrequited desire to mountaineer. I had just read Jack Kerouac’s “The Dharma Bums,” in which climbing on the Matterhorn Peak in the Sierra Nevada replaces the cross-country motif of Kerouac’s more famous “On the Road.” My waitress girlfriend had the most lovely name: Dale Mary Painter. The book she gave me, titled “Only a Little Planet,” was published by Friends of the Earth. She always called me “Richard,” so she signed the book to me using that name and closed with “Love, Dale.” Receiving it was a peak moment for me, but no actual mountains were climbed in the process. Her inscription concluded, “Pacific Grove, 1975.” I was 23. My first real mountain ascent would have to wait for me to return to Florida, escape to Atlanta, get married, move to New Hampshire, and have three kids. Apparently, all that was a necessary prelude for me to finally climb (drum roll) Mt. Kearsarge (rim shot) — a mountain that allows you to park halfway up and jog to the top in about 30 minutes. It was probably a good place to start for someone from the far flatlands. And in that same spirit, my next climb was Monadnock — everyone’s favorite practice mountain. Frankly, my youthful ambition to stroll Alpine trails to some chilly summit had faded a bit by then. I was in my 40s (which seemed pretty old 20 years ago) and starting to get footsore on hikes, so I figured I might have to call Monadnock “my” big mountain. Then a coworker-friend intervened. She was a seasoned hiker who had completed the AT a few years prior, and she organized a climb with me and a few other adventurous employees.
We climbed Lafayette together. All the way to its rather barren ridgeline and peak. It was a sublime moment. We hugged and high-fived. Heading back, I struggled as every ounce of energy deposited getting up the trail was now being returned to my tired knees and ankles going back down. Memories mercifully fade, but we made it to someplace for beer and food. I’d do it all again tomorrow if I thought I wouldn’t wind up a mountainside statistic. That could have been it for my mountain-scaling career, but for one thing: this job. How, I thought, could the editor of New Hampshire’s official magazine have never summited New Hampshire’s most famous peak? Eventually, and not that long ago, my solution arrived as an invitation to members of the press to ride the Cog up Mt. Washington. I accepted via speed-of-light email, and after a few weeks of anticipation, there I was, improbably chugging my way up Mt. Washington by rail to the busy little city that resides on top. It was an emotional high point for me and will remain my geographic apogee unless they build a similar contraption for summiting the Matterhorn and invite me to give it a try. I still have that old book replete with images of peaks in the Sierra Nevada, signed by Dale Mary Painter, on a shelf near my writing desk at home. Meanwhile, you have in your hands (or on your screen) this special issue of New Hampshire Magazine devoted to our state’s most auspicious peak. Producing it has been a long trek for me, my staff and a bunch of our favorite contributors, but also a labor of love. If you’ve never climbed any mountain, or have failed to do your duty as a Granite Stater to check out the summit of Mt. Washington, you should now have all the impetus you need. Or you could just put this issue on a shelf and wait a few decades. Your call.
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Please carefully consider the plan’s investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses before investing. For this and other information on any 529 college savings plan managed by Fidelity, contact Fidelity for a free Fact Kit, or view one online. Read it carefully before you invest or send money. The UNIQUE College Investing Plan is offered by the state of New Hampshire and managed by Fidelity Investments. If you or the designated beneficiary is not a New Hampshire resident, you may want to consider, before investing, whether your state or the beneficiary’s home state offers its residents a plan with alternate state tax advantages or other state benefits such as financial aid, scholarship funds, and protection from creditors. Units of the portfolios are municipal securities and may be subject to market volatility and fluctuation. Zero account minimums apply to self-directed brokerage accounts only. Account minimums may apply to certain account types (e.g., managed accounts) and/or the purchase of some Fidelity mutual funds that have a minimum investment requirement. See https://www.fidelity.com/commissions and/or the fund’s prospectus for details. 2 You will earn 2 Points per dollar in eligible net purchases (net purchases are purchases minus credits and returns) that you charge. Account must be open and in good standing to earn and redeem rewards and benefits. Upon approval, refer to your Program Rules for additional information. You may not redeem Reward Points, and you will immediately lose all of your Reward Points, if your Account is closed to future transactions (including, but not limited to, due to Program misuse, failure to pay, bankruptcy, or death). Reward Points will not expire as long as your Account remains open. Certain transactions are not eligible for Reward Points, including Advances (as defined in the Agreement, including wire transfers, travelers checks, money orders, foreign cash transactions, betting transactions, lottery tickets, and ATM disbursements), Annual Fee, convenience checks, balance transfers, unauthorized or fraudulent charges, overdraft advances, interest charges, fees, credit insurance charges, transactions to fund certain prepaid card products, U.S. Mint purchases, or transactions to purchase cash convertible items. The 2% cash back rewards value applies only to Points redeemed for a deposit into an eligible Fidelity account. The redemption value is different if you choose to redeem your Points for other rewards such as travel options, merchandise, gift cards, and/or statement credit. Other restrictions apply. Full details appear in the Program Rules new card customers receive with their card. Establishment or ownership of a Fidelity account or other relationship with Fidelity Investments is not required to obtain a card or to be eligible to use Points to obtain any rewards offered under the program other than Fidelity Rewards. The creditor and issuer of the Fidelity Investments 529 College Rewards® Visa Signature® Card is Elan Financial Services, pursuant to a license from Visa U.S.A., Inc. The Fidelity Investments and pyramid design logo is a registered service mark of FMR LLC. Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC, Member NYSE, SIPC, 900 Salem Street, Smithfield, RI 02917. © 2018 FMR LLC. All rights reserved. 790730.4.0 1
Contributors We asked author and journalist Dan Szczesny to come on as a guest editor for our special Mt. Washington issue. Over the course of one calendar year, Szczesny explored the history and mystique of New England’s tallest mountain, chronicling his research and adventures in “The White Mountain.” His other books include travelogues on Nepal, Alaska and the White Mountains. He is a Hemingway Foundation finalist for short fiction, and has also written collections of short stories and poetry. Learn more about his work at danszczesny.com.
for June 2019
Greg Kretschmar, whom you may recognize from “Greg & The Morning Buzz,” took the cover photo. See more of his work at kretchy.com.
Maggie Wallace, who wrote this month’s “Navigator” about things to do on the Seacoast, is a freelance writer based in Portsmouth.
Rebecca Rule wrote “Ayuh.” She is the author of several books, both for children and adults. You can learn more at rebeccarulenh.com
Tom Eastman is a longtime, award-winning journalist. He wrote this month’s “Informer.” He is also the author of “The History of Cranmore Mountain.”
We also tapped regular “Our Town” contributor Barbara Radcliffe Rogers to produce several pieces for this month’s cover story on Mt. Washington.
Marty Basch, author of multiple books on hiking and many other outdoor sports, shares some of his deep knowledge of Mt. Washington.
About | Behind The Scenes at New Hampshire Magazine Each summer, people in way better shape than most of us here at New Hampshire Magazine run up Mt. Washington during the Northeast Delta Dental Road Race. The somewhat disingenuous tagline for the event is “It’s Only One Hill.” That “hill” is 7.6 miles up 4,650 vertical feet with a max grade of 22 percent (translation: wicked steep). As we Granite Staters love to brag, Mt. Washington, at 6,288 feet, is the Northeast’s tallest peak. It is also simultaneously home to the “world’s worst weather” and the observatory that records it, and one of our most popular tourist attractions. It’s claimed more than a few lives, two of them recently, yet thousands ascend the mountain every year on foot, via the Auto Road or the historic Cog Railway. It’s captured the imaginations of artists and poets, helped us better understand climate and weather, played a role in creating the sports of backcountry and extreme skiing, inspired astounding inventions, and generally fascinated folks for hundreds of years. This “one hill” means many different things to many different people, and so we decided to dedicate the issue to our famous — and infamous — mountain. The task of covering everything you need to know about Mt. Washington was far too large for us alone, so we asked several of our regular contributors to pitch in. With the additional help of author and journalist Dan Szczesny as guide and guest editor, we’ve compiled 103 facts, photos and quirky items. If there’s ever a Mt. Washington category on “Jeopardy,” consider yourself ready to sweep it.
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nhmagazine.com | June 2019
photo by jerry monkman
It’s Only One Hill
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Missing Category Ramen Results Please thank Susan Laughlin for the lovely review of my Concord ramen and bubble tea shop, Noodles and Pearls [“Everybody Loves Ramen,” May 2019]. Several customers have already mentioned the write-up. The interest from the community justifies my belief that people will try something new. And come back if it’s good. Richard Weisberg Concord
The Right Chef My name is Joshua Gagnon, and I am currently the executive chef at Whiskey and Wine in Concord, New Hampshire. There has been Chef Joshua a very big mistake in your Gagnon article on ramen, which stated the chef was Ryan Lemieux [“Everybody Loves Ramen”]. He was never a chef here, only a part-time cook. I have been chef here since September, and would appreciate the credit where it is due on these sort of things. I’m sorry if the staff misled you, I just know that myself and the owner are pretty upset our former employee got called a chef when he wasn’t. Joshua Gagnon Executive Chef Whiskey and Wine Editor’s note: We apologize for the error and have corrected the online version of the story.
“Pop tArt”
I love your publication and will continue as an avid subscriber/reader, but I’d like to see anesthesiology in the 2020 Top Doctors edition. Carol Tourangeau, APRN, MSN, FNP-BC Nashua Editor’s note: We enlist professional polling firm Castle Connolly to produce the annual Top Doctors list, which appears in our April issue. While we cannot dictate which categories to include or exclude, we are certainly happy to share with them any feedback from the medical community.
Umbagog Memories Lake Umbagog holds some of my best memories and I was pleased to be immersed in them again [“Taking the Plunge,” May 2019]. Canoeing up the Androscoggin, sighting the eagles with their fledglings, finding the lake, the loons, the long light of evening. But I was appalled as the racket of the pontoon boat disturbed the silence and amused when they donned suits for their swims before I realized they were wetsuits. Perhaps the lake still held the chill of winter, but it seems to me, that when one visits this Garden of Eden, all accoutrements of our troubled world should be left behind. John Ferguson Portsmouth
Ultimate Umbagog Fan I did not realize that the cover of the May 2019 edition of the magazine was a photo, not artwork. I think I’ll frame the cover and
hang it up at camp. The reason for my interest is that we have a family camp on the northern end of Lake Umbagog, which my grandfather built in 1954. Included is a picture taken from our beach looking south to the Presidential Range. As you will see from the second photo, I am a little bit of a fanatic when it comes to Umbagog (yes, that’s the license plate on my truck). Keep up the good work, and kudos to you and the staff for highlighting Lake Umbagog! Ovide Lamontagne Manchester Since I think of you and New Hampshire Magazine as curators of all things quirky and unique here in New Hampshire, I feel it is my civic duty to inform you that there is a portrait of Paris Hilton constructed entirely out of Pop-Tarts on display at the Art Center here in Dover (theartcenterdover.com). And since you managed to work Fudgesicles into the conversation on “The Exchange” recently, I figured Pop-Tarts would be right up your alley. Margaret Joyce, President Greater Dover Chamber of Commerce
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nhmagazine.com | June 2019
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Spot four newts like the one above (but much smaller) hidden on ads in this issue, tell us where you found them and you might win a great gift from a local artisan or company. To enter our drawing for Spot the Newt, send answers plus your name and mailing address to:
Spot the Newt c/o New Hampshire Magazine 150 Dow St., Manchester, NH 03101 Email them to newt@nhmagazine.com or fax them to (603) 624-1310. Last month’s Spot the Newt” winner is James McGuire of Hillsborough. May issue newts were on pages 19, 36, 83 and 93.
NEED A GOOD REASON FOR SPOTTING THE NEWT?
We are a division of Standard of New England, providing: • A carefully curated collection of faucets, fixtures and accessories. • A consultative sales approach that is never pushy! • Knowledgeable and friendly product assistance. • An independent, local-business perspective. • Refreshing ideas and thoughtful suggestions. Independent, Local Small Business: Bath & Kitchen Product Specialists: Independent, Local Small NH Business: Bath & Kitchen Product Specialists: 100 West Road, Portsmouth, 03801 Thoughtful Suggestions 100 West Road, Portsmouth, NH 03801 Thoughtful Suggestions ph: 603-436-1401 ⦁ fax: 603-431-3958 Knowledgeable Product Assistance ph: 603-436-1401 ⦁ fax: Knowledgeable Product Assistance 100 West Road, Portsmouth, NH(a 03801 | ph: 603.436.1401 division of Standard of New603-431-3958 England, LLC) Quality Products ∣ Refreshing Ideas (a division of Standard of New England, LLC) Quality Products ∣ Refreshing Ideas
The lucky winner of this month’s Spot the Newt drawing will get a Hershey Kiss embroidered canvas tote from Serious Stitching of Exeter (seriousstitching.com). It has an easily cleaned nylon lining and two zip pockets inside. It also features an antique brass clip closure at the top. Serious Stitching is a proud member of New Hampshire Made (nhmade.com), the state’s official booster of locally made products.
nhmagazine.com | June 2019
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603 Navigator “‘My dear young fellow,’ the Old-Green-Grasshopper said gently, ‘there are a whole lot of things in this world of ours you haven’t started wondering about yet.’” — Roald Dahl, “James and the Giant Peach”
“The Hippie” from The Big Bean in Newmarket
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nhmagazine.com | June 2019
Photos by Mahd Haus Photography
Top Events 16 Food & Drink 18 Sips 21 Our Town 22
The Expanding Seacoast Look beyond Portsmouth for food, fun and more by Maggie Wallace For a long time, summer on the Seacoast meant watching Portsmouth and its surrounding beaches swell with the summer influx of tourists. Only now, with the tourist traffic growing each year, the levees have broken on the Portsmouth scene, and art, entertainment, music, good food and more have spilled over the city limits into the surrounding communities. Or at least, that’s the easy version of this story. But one could also say that the culture and creativity was always there, from Dover to Somersworth to Newmarket, and now it’s just been given the necessary tourist overflow to grow. What has sprung up in the tiger years of our Seacoast scene? A lot more than you might think. On the next trip there this summer, consider exploring somewhere other than Portsmouth.
Dover
With the rising rents in Portsmouth, Dover has absorbed a lot of the young professionals, families, musicians and artists. The shift makes sense — Dover is closer to the mountains and UNH than its metropolitan neighbor. With four breweries, dozens of bars and restaurants, an independent theater and two museums — not to mention an exploding art and music scene — Dover offers everything that neighboring Portsmouth does, at half the price. Pin Up Hair Salon 263 Central Ave. pinuphairsalon.com Alex Tuley opened her retro storefront three years ago. “There’s a community in Dover that I think is welcoming young people and bringing in artists and culture to this area that makes it a little bit more lively than the mecca around Portsmouth,” she says, referring to all the new businesses that, like hers, have added a youthful flare to an old city. “You have to make your coolness here.” And Pin Up is cool, decked out in vintage colors
from the ’50s and staffed by charismatic, tattooed women. Tokens Taproom
Woodman Museum 182 Central Ave. woodmanmuseum.org When you go to Dover, don’t skip the Woodman Museum. There is truly something there to entertain everyone, whether it is the extensive taxidermy collection featuring a polar bear and several moose, the original Garrison house, the torrid history of Sarah Hale’s secret affair or a dark room of bioluminescent rocks. It is easy to spend an entire day surveying the strange menagerie.
Somersworth
Fat Dog Kitchen
When Teatotaller owner Emmett Soldati came home eight years ago, the Somersworth downtown consisted of a blank strip of boarded-up shopfronts, a nearly empty mill building, and a struggling GE factory slated to close. “There wasn’t much to do in the downtown except buy a washing machine at Nard’s Appliance,” says Soldati of a store that also closed shortly after his return. But now? “Not a week goes by,” says Soldati, “I don’t meet a new young couple or young professional that’s like, ‘I just moved to Somersworth.’” The downtown is speckled now with new businesses aimed at young people; a developer wants to build micro-apartments for millennials. With the backing of a community and a few entrepreneurs, Somersworth is reinventing itself to be a place where young people stay.
20 3rd St. Facebook Dover is a breakfast town, and this tiny, hollandaise-yellow kitchen next to The Strand independent theater upholds that reputation.
Teatotaller 69 High St. teatotallerteahouse.com Seven years ago, Soldati opened up his café, specializing in locally sourced tea, breakfast pastries and fancy coffee drinks. He painted the sign neon pink and created a venue for live music, readings, and even an “ask a trans person anything” event; in fact, the Teatotaller’s focus on inclusivity has made them an LGBTQ haven. The space serves as a meeting space for the whole community, creating a platform for presidential candidates and drag queens alike. They also do all their own baking stunts.
284 Central Ave. tokenstaproom.com Erupting from Dover’s healthy geek scene, this “Barcade” offers dozens of vintage arcade games, untouched except for the addition of a cupholder, where you can place your adult beverage while you try to beat your 1985 Pac-Man score. Chapel + Main 83 Main St. chapelandmain.com This farm-focused restaurant and brewery opened shortly after the Portsmouth’s Coat of Arms closed, absorbing much of its clientele and some of its staff.
nhmagazine.com | June 2019
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603 NAVIGATOR
EXPLORE
1886 Barbershop 4 Main St. 1886-barbershop.business.site A classic barbershop with a modern twist, the 1886 offers haircuts, beard trims and “hot towel face shaves” with a straight razor. There’s an antique shop attached, in case you’re looking for some new curios. Bad Lab Beer Co.
460 High St. badlabbeer.com With a menu that includes kimchi and pork belly and Robert Frost-inspired beers like “Miles Before Sleep,” this brewery is well worth the drive to the quickly developing border between Dover and Somersworth.
Newmarket
Another small milltown on the edge of Great Bay, Newmarket became a collective of nature lovers and college students who were happy to bus the 5 miles to the UNH campus for reduced rent. Before local developer Eric Chinburg finished renovating its mills a in 2012, Seacoast locals might visit Newmarket for the music at the Stone Church, the breakfast at The Big Bean or the quirky aura of Crackskull’s café — and nothing else. Now, the chic condos and commercial space have added more than 30 small businesses and 112 apartments to the tiny town without ejecting the students and eccentrics who give the town its unique flair. With farm-to-table fare, a music venue and its own brewery, Newmarket has exactly what you need and nothing more. Deciduous Brewing Company 12 Weaver St., Suite B Facebook With rustic décor and beers like “Fieldwork” and “Great Wide Open,” this husband-andwife-owned brewery fits right in with the Newmarket vibe.
Joinery 55 Main St. joineryrestaurant.com Newmarket’s crunchy roots meet Seacoast elegance in the aptly named Joinery, an upscale restaurant with farm-to-table cuisine. The Big Bean 118 Main St. thebigbeancafe.com At this colorful refuge scented by home fries, order a granola bowl aptly named “The Hippie” and listen to the latest barista-curated band. Horseshoe Café 171 Main St. Facebook Don’t visit this little café because it has the best coffee in town; visit it because, despite opening only two years ago, the owner knows every customer by name. The Stone Church 5 Granite St., stonechurchrocks.com To really experience Newmarket, you have to dance your feet sore on the old wooden floors of this famous music venue. Come for bluegrass night; stay for the community. NH
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EVENTS
June | Picks
courtesy photo
Summer Theatre
A Guide to Summer Theatre
Ernest Thompson will play Norman in “On Golden Pond” opposite Lisa Bostnar as Ethel.
“Damn Yankees” Feeling the urge to take a break and escape June 27-30, Tamworth from the hot summer sun? Sit back, relax, and This summer, The Barnstormers Theatre will be opening for its 89th season, making enjoy a summer show coming this month to a it the region’s longest-running summer theatre. The first production that will be featured this summer is “Damn Yankees,” New Hampshire stage near you. “On Golden Pond” June 12-22, Meredith
The Winnipesaukee Playhouse’s production of “On Golden Pond” is poised to be New Hampshire’s premier summer theatre event. Ernest Thompson’s classic “On Golden Pond” is a beloved fixture of stage and screen, but this version will be retooled and directed by the author, and Thompson, who was 28 when he wrote it, will play the curmudgeonly role of Norman in a rendition that he says “will show the figurative rocks beneath the deceptively bucolic surface of the lake and how harrowing the journey can be.” winnipesaukeeplayhouse.org
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No Holds Bard: “A Fractured Midsummer Night’s Dream”
June 1, Henniker; June 7-8, Concord
At a No Holds Bard production, anything can happen. No Holds Bard performances always include improv and interaction from the audience that keep theatergoers entertained and on their toes. Their latest production, “A Fractured Midsummer Night’s Dream,” is a one-of-a-kind way to experience Shakespeare and a great way to kick off the summer theatre season. June 1 at the New England College Lyons Center in Henniker and June 7-8 at the NEC location on Main Street. opendoortheatrenec.com
a musical comedy about a man who is magically turned into a talented professional baseball player. Seeing “Damn Yankees” is a great opportunity to experience a piece of New Hampshire history, and to be entertained by a quality summer theatre production. barnstomerstheatre.org
The Capitol Steps
June 28, Bethlehem
Mostly made up of former members of Congress, The Capitol Steps are a unique comedy troupe known for satirizing politicians on both sides of the aisle. Their light-hearted approach to today’s headlines will entertain you with a fresh perspective and provide some much-needed comic relief. bethlehemcolonial.org
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EVENTS
“The Man Who Came to Dinner” June 14-23, Manchester
Sheridan Whiteside is the man who came to dinner at the Stanleys’ house and then proceeded to fall on his way out and break his hip. Whiteside is confined to the Stanleys’ home for six weeks and hilarity ensues. The exaggerated comedy style of “The Man Who Came to Dinner” will have laughs for all ages. majestictheatre.net
“West Side Story”
June 13-30, Portsmouth
A timeless love story with its fair share of grit, “West Side Story” is about a Romeo and Juliet-style romance that unfolds between two young lovers from rival street gangs in New York’s Upper West Side neighborhood. seacoastrep.org
1. “On Golden Pond,” Meredith courtesy photo
2. No Holds Bard: “A Fractured Midsummer Night’s Dream,” Henniker and Concord
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3. “Damn Yankees,” Tamworth
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4. The Capitol Steps, Bethlehem 5. “The Man Who Came to Dinner,” Manchester The Seacoast Repertory Theatre in Portsmouth features outstanding plays by talented casts.
6. “West Side Story,” Portsmouth
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the
Kalled Gallery WOLFEBORO, NH AND SANTA FE, NM 603.569.3994 KALLEDJEWELRYSTUDIO.COM
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Boulder opal necklace on aquamarine beads. Boulder opal earrings with tsavorite garnets in 22k & 18k gold, Photo by Jane Kelley. nhmagazine.com | June 2019
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FOOD & DRINK
Farr’s Famous Chicken owners Paul and Judy Conway
Hampton Beach Bites A boulevard of broken diets by susan laughlin
O
ur most popular stretch of ocean is a carnivore’s carnival. At Hampton Beach, there’s plenty of sand, honky-tonk action, a lively music scene and, surprisingly, good food. It’s really a family scene. Kids frolic in the surf, teenagers hit Playland Arcade, and everybody looks for something to eat. For many, it’s an annual escape, a tradition. What’s better than a hot afternoon strolling Ocean Boulevard with
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sand between your toes when hunger strikes? But where to go? The real estate along the boardwalk is highly prized. Narrow shops are cheek by jowl for several blocks. A few massive fires in the past have allowed new buildings to divvy up oceanfront opportunity among newcomers, but many shops have been there for years, run by the same family, anchoring the food scene with a comforting sense of tradition.
Farr’s Famous Chicken, a block back on Ashworth Avenue, has been a mainstay there since the mid-’70s. Terry and Laurie Sullivan bought the shop from Henry Farr in the early ’80s, and used his recipes and equipment until Terry’s untimely death. The property was sold and went through several years of lackluster service until Laurie Sullivan suggested to Judy Conway, and her husband, Paul, that they buy the spot back and return to the roots of Farr’s Famous Chicken. That meant repurchasing the signature pressure fryers at $11,000 each to custom-serve the juicy-yet-crispy chicken. A beloved tradition returned, and locals are once again flocking to the spot for a bucket of chicken, along with housemade coleslaw and baked beans made with the original recipes. New is a breakfast menu highlighted with a chicken and waffle option — yes, tradition can meet trend. Farther south down Ashworth on the corner of L Street is The Goat Bar and Grill, a country-themed burger and whiskey bar. The business has only been here five years, but owners Al and Erica Fleury have already built a tradition to last. Old red barn boards cover the exterior, while two levels offer either a cozy bar and patio, or upstairs, with a separate entrance, outside dining with a deck (no beer on draft). The walls in both spots are covered with signed dollar bills, which makes for really clever wallpaper.
photo by susan laughlin
The Turtle fry doe with walnuts and chocolate sauce at Blink’s Fry Doe
photo by susan laughlin
FOOD & DRINK
Decadent burgers are at the heart of the menu and, at $11, are a pretty good deal. Patties come in beef (pink or no pink), grilled or fried chicken, or a veggie, with countless add-on options, including a layer of mac and cheese, brisket, grilled pineapple or hearty slabs of bacon. Whew. An extensive whiskey list rounds out the menu. In season, they are open for lunch and dinner and breakfast/brunch on weekends. Fleury also owns nearby Wally’s and, to cover all bases, The Green Room on Ocean Boulevard offering smoothies and healthy bowls. On the far southern end of Ocean Boulevard is Ocean Wok, a traditional Chinese food sit-down restaurant with its own parking lot. The spot has a small bar and expansive menu with many seafood offerings and Polynesian drinks. It’s worth the stop. While waiting, you can enjoy the signed photo of Michael Western, played by Jeffrey Donovan, from the “Burn Notice” series. Back on Ocean Boulevard, the Sea Ketch Restaurant has been at the center of the action for 48 years, according to their flashing sign. Now, three levels of dining with spectacular views beckon beachgoers all summer for breakfast, lunch and dinner. At street level, enjoy sandwiches, and on the second deck, find a more traditional menu with lobster and fresh seafood dinners. On the third, enjoy an expansive view and fried seafood and lobster rolls at umbrella tables or in the shade at the outdoor bar. There is even another level above with a small bar facing out to the salt marsh and the Seabrook reactor for dramatic views at sunset. For a snack on the run, you can’t beat the iconic Blink’s Fry Doe (yes, that’s how it’s spelled). The bright orange building has been a beacon for guilty pleasures since 1973. And you can find more than the usual dusting of sugar and cinnamon. They offer a list that includes peanut butter and jelly, strawberry or coconut. Next door is another institution, Big Steve’s Italian Sausage, with a window display better than Bergdorf Goodman’s — for a gourmand anyway. Find savory pizzas and calzones all behind the glass and ready to heat and eat. On a good day, this popular spot sells 400 pizzas. The spinach calzone is in a class of its own, but the BBQ chicken and the meatball pizza are staff favorites. And, of course, the sausages with onions and peppers are classic. The area at 274 Ocean Blvd. was the site of a major fire in 2010. The new
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These homegrown restaurants have stood the test of time and tide. That’s the beauty of the beach food scene. Nary a chain restaurant in sight. The Walk of Shame burger at The Goat Bar and Grill comes with Swiss cheese, over-easy egg, sweet potato waffle fries, bacon and Goat sauce. Served here with tater tots covered with poutine gravy.
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FOOD & DRINK
Find It
Farr’s Famous Chicken 43 Ashworth Ave. farrshamptonbeach.com Breakfast, lunch and dinner The Goat Bar and Grill 20 L St. goatnh.com Opens at 3 p.m., breakfast/brunch served on weekends They have another location at 142 Congress St., Portsmouth. Ocean Wok 7 Ocean Blvd. oceanwok.com Lunch and dinner Sea Ketch Restaurant and Outdoor Decks 127 Ocean Blvd. seaketch.com Breakfast, lunch and dinner Blink’s Fry Doe 191 Ocean Blvd. Facebook Opens at 11 a.m. Big Steve’s Italian Sausage 232 Ocean Blvd. Facebook Opens at 11 a.m.
Loopie’s Boardwalk Munchies 169 Ocean Blvd. Facebook Breakfast, lunch and later
buildout offers a covered sidewalk — a welcome addition — and several retail spots, including Loopie’s Boardwalk Munchies, opened last year by newcomers Willie and Tara Laboy, hopefully starting a new family tradition at the beach. They offer a bit of everything, including sandwiches, fries and smoothies, but their wheelhouse is authentic empanadas. For fine dining, look to Ron’s Landing, a bit north on Ocean Boulevard. It’s named after Ron Boucher of Chez Boucher on Route 1 in Hampton. His brother Bob now runs the place, offering seafood and more with white tablecloth dining and views of the ocean. It’s a relaxed atmosphere with a bar on the second level. But hello, Bob, maybe it’s a tradition, but orchids on a plate are so yesterday. 20
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Farther up in Rye, The Carriage House carries on with the new owners, the team behind Louie’s in Portsmouth, which was closed due to smoke damage. Unfortunately, this new outlet was also closed because of water damage this winter, but should be open for the coming season with fresh paint and the great food and hospitality they are known for. Yes, it is a bit of a carnival on Ocean Boulevard. The food is oriented toward fun and family — run by families providing popular staples for vacationers taking time off from a diet regimen. These homegrown restaurants have stood the test of time and tide. That’s the beauty of the beach food scene. Nary a chain restaurant in sight. In a sense, it’s very local dining. No calorie counts needed or wanted on these menus. NH
The Carriage House 2263 Ocean Blvd. carriagehouserye.com Mon-Sat 5-9 p.m., Sun 11 a.m.-2 p.m., 5-8 p.m.
Also worth a visit Al Gauron Luncheonette 1 Ocean Blvd. 5 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Lupe’s 55 Cantina 275 Ocean Blvd. Opens at 4 p.m. Lupe’s 55 Authentic & Fresh 107 Ocean Blvd. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner Ashworth by the Sea Hotel 295 Ocean Blvd. Breakers Restaurant for breakfast, lunch and dinner, rooftop bar
photo by susan laughlin
The “wallpaper” at The Goat Bar and Grill
Ron’s Landing at Rocky Bend 379 Ocean Blvd. ronslanding.com Opens at 3 p.m., Sunday brunch at 11 a.m.
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FOOD & DRINK
Sips Local beverage news and reviews by Michael Hauptly-Pierce
Coffee, cocktails and curious combinations Revelstoke in Concord
Mad About Mead A labor of love impresses Any beverage that gets a song stuck in my head, much less a Clapton/Winwood jam, has my attention. Truthfully, I have had earlier incarnations of Ancient Fire’s Much Higher Love mead. After several revisions and fine tunings, it is a work of art. Raspberry blossom mead is blended with passion fruit and more raspberry blossom honey, and the whole thing is lightly dryhopped, like an IPA, with Dr. Rudi hops. Passionfruit and hops are like yin and yang, tart balancing citrus with a hint of fresh grass, and the low carbonation (yes, bubbly mead!) offsets the slight honey sweetness with an unexpected effervescence.
Ancient Fire Mead & Cider, 8030 South Willow St., Manchester, ancientfirewines.com
Try This
photos by michael hauptly-pierce
Spin on a classic
Spice it Up Hot coffee gets a new meaning Revelstoke Coffee is possibly the coolest place you might accidentally walk by because you didn’t know about it. Now you know. Tucked into a narrow lot on Main Street across from the Statehouse, they did a nice job of respecting the antique space while giving it a fresh, bright look. The crowd is a mix of folks in laptopland and small groups of people chatting over cups. I asked for something different to drink, and was given an Ipsento. This recipe was shared with them by the folks at Ipsento in Chicago, and instantly became my new favorite coffee. Espresso is blended in a hot latté with local honey, milk, coconut cream and cayenne. I am not a big fan of chili-anything in my drink, but it lends the perfect closer to the big, sweet coconutty richness this drink opens with. As warmer days arrive, this will easily be the most interesting iced coffee option in Concord. 100 North Main St., Concord, revelstokecoffee.com
As a small business owner, I often end up reconciling invoices late at night. I have found this process is helped by such albums as Jimmy Smith’s “Root Down Live” and “The Goat Rodeo Sessions,” and by application of a drink I call “la Ùltima Palabra.” Originally born as “The Last Word” at the Detroit Athletic Club during Prohibition, it has enjoyed a rebirth in the era of craft cocktails. As designed, it is simply gin, two liqueurs, and lime juice in equal parts, shaken and strained into an up glass. It is a curious cocktail in that its individual elements are almost indistinguishable in the whole. One doesn’t really note juniper, or cherry, or lime, just a satisfying complexity almost beyond description; a bit sweet and tart and fruity and herbal and unique. My inability to leave well enough alone dictates two changes: the addition of a dash of mezcal, a smoky cousin of tequila, and serving over a big cube in a rocks glass as opposed to a martini glass. It seems the only time I get the last word is when I am by myself ...
All ingredients available at New Hampshire Liquor & Wine Outlets 3/4 oz. Brockmans Gin 3/4 oz. Luxardo Liqueur 3/4 oz. Green Chartreuse 3/4 oz. lime juice Dash Vida Del Maguey mezcal
Mix in a rocks glass, add 1 giant ice cube, and continue stirring for 30 seconds. Sip and smile, because odds are you are not reconciling invoices.
nhmagazine.com | June 2019
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OUR TOWN
Craving Claremont Lured by a smokehouse’s aromas BY BARBARA RADCLIFFE ROGERS
I
t was kielbasa that took us to Claremont. The best kielbasa we’ve ever tasted. We had tracked down its source and discovered it wasn’t far from home, and that we could buy direct from the maker, North Country Smokehouse, if we ordered it ahead. When the smokehouse merged with its meat supplier in 2015, the stipulation was that the whole operation would remain in Claremont. The result was the state-of-theart sustainable plant where we picked up our sausage. The smokehouse is a long way from the horse-drawn wagon from which founder and smoke master Mike Satzow’s grandfather sold smoked meats 100 years ago. But Mike’s ethic is the same: traditional
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European low-and-slow smoking on local hardwood embers, using all-natural, humanely raised and organic pork. Along with the phenomenal kielbasa that brought us there, North Country Smokehouse produces bacon, breakfast and dinner sausages, pepperoni, Canadian bacon, smoked Montreal beef brisket, smoked turkey, duck and chicken and pork loin. They also smoke cheeses: mozzarella, cheddar, Swiss and provolone. There’s no retail sales room at the smokehouse, but on Fridays customers can pick up orders made by noon the previous day. You can order through the website, by phone, email — or send a smoke signal. Of course, while we were in Claremont, we stayed to look around a bit. We began
Trinity Episcopal Church in Claremont is an example of Gothic Revival architecture.
at the visitor center, high on the riverbank opposite the impressive complex of brick mill buildings that line the Sugar River in the center of town. There we picked up a Connecticut River Heritage Trail guide, designed “for the historically and architecturally minded” — in other words, for us. The guide walked us through the highlights of the Downtown Historic District, which is listed on the National Register. Nineteenth-century brick mercantile buildings surround the sloping oval of Tremont Square, punctuated on the uphill end by the imposing city hall and the Claremont Opera House. This Renaissance Revival brick structure was designed by architect Charles A. Rich, who was also responsible for several Dartmouth
photo by stillman roghers
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College buildings and for Theodore Roosevelt’s home at Oyster Bay, New York. The Opera House on the second floor has been beautifully restored and is used for performances and concerts. At the opposite end of the oval, the 1930s Tumble Inn Diner still has its original booths. The mills that accounted for Claremont’s early prosperity and growth still line the river that powered them, stretching along Water Street and beyond. These have been largely revitalized and repurposed; one complex overlooking the Sugar River Falls now houses The Common Man Inn and Restaurant. The Victorian St. Mary’s Church sits near the river at the end of the mill district, one of a number of interesting churches in Claremont. These represent several different styles of architecture, from the Gothic Revival First Congregational Church with its unusual crenelated tower to Trinity Episcopal Church, one of the state’s best examples of stick-style. The churches also tell a lot about the history of Claremont. None tells more about the city’s early immigrants and mill workers — and none appears as more of a surprise — than Holy Resurrection Orthodox Church, at the corner of Union and Sullivan streets. Russian immigrants arrived here around the turn of the 20th century, working at the Sullivan Machinery Company and other mills. In 1909 they organized a Russian Orthodox parish, with supply priests from other places. Five years later, a regular priest arrived and the congregation purchased a building that served as a combination church and rectory. The church we see today, a traditional-style wooden structure with seven onion-shaped cupolas topped by crosses, was inaugurated in 1941. Stained glass was added in the 1950s, and in the 1980s, the interior was renovated, with a new iconostasis in traditional chip-carving; embroidered and painted icons were added in the late 1980s. In 2009 the interior was renovated and the current beautiful natural wood-paneled ceiling was installed. Three weekly services prove that the church is still an active one today. Another pair of churches face one another a few miles out of town in West Claremont, each a historic landmark with an interesting story. Union Church is the state’s oldest standing Episcopal church building, dating from
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OUR TOWN
Learn more North Country Smokehouse (603) 542-8323 ncsmokehouse.com
The 53-foot “ourhandsthenandnow” sculpture by Ernest Montenegro was commissioned for the city’s 250th anniversary.
Meanwhile, his son Virgil, also ordained in the Episcopal Church, converted to Catholicism to become a priest. In 1823 he founded a parish and built St. Mary’s Church, the first Roman Catholic Church in New Hampshire, across the street. Together, the father and son conducted a school for the children of West Claremont mill workers on the second floor of St. Mary’s. Union Church is still an active parish with Sunday morning services; St Mary’s is home to performances
Holy Resurrection Orthodox Church (603) 542-6273 www.hroc.org Union Church (603) 542.7209 unionchurchnh.org West Claremont Center for Music and the Arts (802) 738-0022 wcc-ma.org
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1773. It is also the state’s oldest structure built specifically for religious purposes (in contrast to Congregational meeting houses from the same era that were also designed for secular public gatherings). Union Church was named for the planned union of the Congregational and Episcopal churches in West Claremont under a single minister. That never happened, but the former Congregational minister, the Rev. Daniel Barber, became rector of the Union Episcopal Church.
The Common Man Inn and Restaurant (603) 542-0647 thecmaninnclaremont.com
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photo by stillman roghers
and concerts of the West Claremont Center for Music and the Arts. From Routes 103/12 heading west from downtown, take a left on Plains Road to the roadside historical marker for Union Church, at Old Plains Burying Ground. Take a left through the cemetery to find the two churches. NH
603 Informer
“Whenever you think or you believe or you know, you’re a lot of other people: but the moment you feel, you’re nobody-but-yourself.” – E.E. Cummings
Sara Hallie Richardson performs with Jonathan Sarty and the Cold River Radio Band
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Photos by Pat Quinn
Politics 29 Blips 30 Artisan 31 What Do You Know? 32
Cold River on a Roll
A North Country radio show to warm your heart BY TOM EASTMAN
O
ften called the hardest-working entertainer in show business in the White Mountains, Cold River Radio Show singing host and local solo performer Jonathan Sarty, 45, of Wakefield, is gifted with a baritone voice, charismatic good looks, and a deep love for New England’s culture and music. He’ll be bringing his Cold River Radio Show down from the mountains to this year’s “Best of NH Party” at Northeast Delta Dental Stadium in Manchester on June 27 from 6:30 to 9 p.m., in a “Cold River Radio Show Revue,” featuring a full slate of state entertainers. Now in its seventh year, and named after the idyllic fishing stream in the White Mountains that the western Maine-raised Sarty grew up fishing, the Cold River Radio Show is a variety program that reflects Sarty’s passion for storytelling, great music and his home region. “The goal has been to promote the arts and culture of New England and to provide a noncontroversial source of entertainment nhmagazine.com | June 2019
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INFORMER
Spencer Albee and friends at a Cold River Radio Show performance in Conway
for people. It’s apolitical and there is no religious bent to it — people can let their hair down and relax,” says Sarty. After appearing at local “hoot” nights in the Mount Washington Valley, musical journeys followed, with Sarty honing his talent by busking in parks throughout the US and forming a band, aptly named “The White Mountain Boys,” in Los Angeles in 2000. En route home to New England, the band stopped in Nashville, where Sarty recorded a few demos. Then he and the band brought their brand of Johnny Cash-inspired country rockabilly home to the Chatham area and built a solid fan base for their lively sets at local venues. The band broke up in 2008 and Sarty did more solo work, later forming the Jon Sarty Band, known for its Tom Petty-styled danceable rock and performing at such annual gigs for good charitable local causes as the Boots ’n Bling fundraiser for Starting Point Against Domestic Violence’s annual charitable gala at The White Mountain Hotel in North Conway.
Performer and Cold River bandleader Jonathan Sarty
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He and friend Vince Pelote started the Cold River Radio Show in 2012. Based in a rural setting at Intervale’s 275seat Theater in the Wood, the show was a hit among audiences from the start. Each show is taped and broadcast on Conway radio station WMWV 93.5-FM Sunday mornings. New this year is a podcast, which Sarty hopes will enable him to broaden the show’s appeal outside of the Mount Washington Valley. As a performing host, Sarty croons ballads from the American songbook, backed by the Cold River Radio Band. Each show features a range of talent, starting with a musical headliner (past performers have included Jonathan Edwards, Jon Pousette-Dart, David Mallett and The Mallett Brothers, to name a few). They also include an author, such as New York Times best-selling crime novelist Lisa Gardner of Jackson or Willem Lange of NH PBS “Windows to the Wild” and a storyteller or comedian. To round out the show, the “Local Spotlight” highlights an up-and-coming musician, and the “Mount Washington Moment,” which is a taped anecdote about the history of the “Top of New England” by Mount Washington Observatory historian Dr. Peter Crane. There are no concessions at the Theater in the Wood, with audiences bringing their own bottles of wine or other favorite beverages. At the end of each show, a meet-andgreet is held in the lobby with the performers. Local bookstore, White Birch Books, handles the merch, including CDs and books by the participants. It’s all relaxed and up close and personal, just as Sarty first envisioned it, and the formula is working.
“Word has spread among performers, and we’re getting some attention,” he says. With the launch of the podcast, he hopes more regional radio stations throughout New England will discover the show so that it can grow its audience outside of Mount Washington Valley, which will continue to serve as its home backdrop. “I think our being based in Mount Washington Valley as a setting for the show is very important because this is a very beautiful place,” says Sarty, “and it’s real.” Sarty relies on a team of dedicated volunteers, including his wife, Sally, whom he proposed to onstage at the conclusion of the 2013 season. They now have a 3-yearold son, Pierce. For the Cold River Radio Revue at the June 27 Best of NH show, Sarty will be accompanied by pianist Joe Deleault and renowned fiddler Jordan Tirrell-Wysocki, both of Manchester. Brian Coombes and guitarist Myron Kibbee, from the Rocking Horse Music Club of Londonderry, will join them backing up Caroline Carter, an aspiring vocalist and former Miss New Hampshire. The show will also feature the Americana folk duo of Bennett and Perkins of Conway, and there will be a special appearance of Evelyn Cormier of Claremont. Cormier just returned from several months of televised auditions and performances on “American Idol,” where she made it into the top 14 and got to meet with one of her personal musical idols, Chris Isaak, even performing a duet with him of his hit song “Wicked Game.” NH
UPCOMING AT THEATER IN THE WOOD
Looking ahead to the summer and upcoming shows at Theater in the Wood in Intervale, Sarty says the Cold River Radio Show on June 30 will feature legendary Maine guitarist Denny Breau, avant-garde Hammond B3-based instrumentalists Micromasse, author Joseph Souza and Miss Maybell and the Jazz Age Artistes. On August 25 at Theater in the Wood, for the seventh anniversary Cold River Radio Show, featured performers will include guest guitarist Duke Robbilard, the Rocking Horse Music Club with Evelyn Cormier and Caroline Carter; comedian Johnny Pizzi and author Tess Gerritsen. For online tickets, podcast, and more information, go to coldriverradio.com.
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illustration by peter noonan
POLITICS
Political Recreation Even candidates need to kick back and relax a bit by James pindell
I
t will be a busy summer as more than 20 presidential candidates not only crisscross the state in search of votes, but may also find some local fun. It makes sense that candidates would like to relax here knowing that they aren’t too far off from the campaign trail. Not all will buy a summer home in the Lakes Region like Mitt Romney, but former Colorado governor John Hickenlooper, a Democratic candidate for president, already owns a vacation home near Squam Lake. For everyone else, there are some logical spots that could fall right into their campaign storyline or personal interests: Joe Biden There is probably no place the former vice president would rather be this summer than at Weirs Beach for motorcycle week. He could yuk it up with the Harley-riding set and get the chance to sport his signature Ray-Ban sunglasses in the pursuit of votes. Elizabeth Warren Basically every time Warren visits the state she brings Bailey, her golden retriever. This summer she could easily slip away for a few hours and take Bailey hiking on Mount Monadnock. I mean, it’s hard to get more
populist than the most-hiked mountain in the Northeast. Pete Buttigieg The South Bend, Indiana, mayor became a political phenomenon this spring partly because of his Rhodes Scholar brains. He learned Norwegian just to read a book in that language. If Buttigieg could spend a day in former US Supreme Court justice David Souter’s voluminous home library in Hopkinton, he would be in heaven. Kirsten Gillibrand When the New York senator launched her campaign, she said that, as a young mom, no one would fight harder for the nation’s kids. She can both sell that message (and please her own kids) by spending a few days at Story Land in Glen. Campaigning is a surreal experience with a lot of ups and downs, but it’s nothing compared to the Roar-O-Saurus ride. Bernie Sanders The Vermont senator and defending champion of the Democratic New Hampshire primary looms large over everyone else in the state, and the 77-year-old bristles at the notion he is too old to run for president. Sanders should show the state what he’s made of by climbing up Cannon Moun-
tain and posing as the new Old Man of the Mountain. From that vantage point he might even be able to see into Vermont. Tulsi Gabbard The Hawaii congresswoman is the only surfer running for president this year (that we know of). She might enjoy taking her board (and her longshot bid) out on our state’s coastline to see if she can catch a wave. Beto O’Rourke Easy. Just find a tree stump or a table to stand on somewhere and the former Texas congressman will be in his natural habitat. Donald Trump Let’s not forget that the incumbent president will also be running in the Republican primary, where he will face a challenge from at least one other person — former Massachusetts governor Bill Weld. We know Trump only likes to stay at Trump properties. He famously never spent the night in Iowa during the last presidential primary season, even though it was far from home. Given that, should he decide to relax closer to Manchester than Mar-a-Lago, we suggest buying some property in the Granite State. Maybe the gambling-minded guy would be interested in a historic property called the Casino Ballroom. Better yet, maybe he’s the one who should buy The Balsams and return it to glory. Bonus: The Balsams is near a national border. NH nhmagazine.com | June 2019
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POLITICS
Blips Monitoring appearances of the 603 on the media radar since 2006 enjoy dairy products can feel good about drinking them and eating them, and feel good about the dairy industry being part of the solution to a lot of global problems,” he says. And if any vegans or other nondairy viewers want to tune into the show, he hopes they’ll do so with an open mind too. NH To watch: “The American Farm” airs Thursdays at 10 p.m. on the History Channel. To follow: Learn more about the Robertsons’ farm at contoocookcreamery.com. We also recommend checking out their Facebook page for more behind-the-scenes updates.
Cream of the Crop
The Robertsons of Contoocook share their “cow calling” on TV BY CASEY MCDERMOTT
T
he next time you sit down to enjoy an ice
cream cone or a grilled cheese sandwich or a glass of milk — you might stop to consider
what it took to get that scoop, snack or sip to you in the first place.
Luckily, the Robertson family of Contoocook Creamery can help. As costars of a new History Channel show, “The American Farm,” they’re eager to use this platform to shed light on what responsible dairy production really looks like. “It is seven days a week, 365 days a year and almost 24 hours a day,” says Jamie Robertson, who stars in the show (and runs the farm) alongside his wife, Heather, and sons Si, Nate and Bram. The show chronicles the Robertsons’ efforts to steer a farm that’s been in their family for five generations and counting into a new era — and a particularly challenging one at that. With lagging milk prices and more competition from larger commercial operations, it’s a trying time to be a dairy farmer in America. Add on Americans’ growing preference for dairy alternatives — think almond or oat milk — over the stuff that comes from cows, and you can imagine how it might get even more complicated. A key part of Contoocook Creamery’s strategy for
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staying afloat has been to start bottling its own milk and making its own cheese on-site; their products are now sold in stores and served at restaurants across the region. “Many other farms have diversified into having cows and vegetables or cows and hayrides, things like that,” Robertson explains. “We tried a few different things but really felt our calling was with the cows.” The television crews spent eight months embedded with the Robertsons, filming their life on the farm from all angles: planting crops, working with their cows’ veterinarians, tending to chores around their barn and, of course, milking the cows three times a day, starting before dawn. The Robertson family is one of five families featured on the new show, and they’re the only one running a dairy farm. Robertson says his family took their responsibility to represent their industry — and New Hampshire agriculture — seriously, even if he knows some people might be skeptical of their line of work. “We feel very good about how we operate inside the environment, and how we treat our animals, and how much love and care we put into the product we produce, and we really want that to come through — so people who
Commencement season is bringing
all kinds of big names to the Granite State. At Dartmouth, world-renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma will earn an honorary degree and deliver the keynote Yo-Yo Ma
address to graduates. Meanwhile, New Jersey senator Cory Booker is headed to SNHU, and New York senator Kirsten Gillibrand to New England College — both perhaps banking on the idea that the newly minted graduates will stick around the state long enough to vote for them in next year’s presidential primary.
Manchester’s own Ryan Day is getting the star treatment he steps into a new role as Ohio State’s new head football coach, complete with a newly published ESPN profile. As one former University of New Hampshire teammate recalled, even as he ascends to new professional heights, Day still seems like “the same 20-year-old kid who tucked his hands into the collar of his shoulder pads and answered questions from the New Hampshire Union Leader after winning the starting quarterback job for the UNH Wildcats.”
robertson family photo by heather pastorini, yo-yo ma photo by michael lin, the dartmouth
The Robertson family of Contoocook Creamery
Korey Nolan of Hampton Falls found a way to make trash tubular: He earned the attention of a major surfing brand, Vissla, and lots of other big names in the surfing community after he “hand-built” his own surfboard out of “700 foam Dunkin’ Donuts cups, plastic straws, bamboo, and more,” according his own retelling on his Instagram profile. This creative recycling project helped Nolan to surf his way into cameos on NBC News, ABC and other news outlets across the country.
603 INFORMER
ARTISAN
Price range is $2,000 to $5,000. Sizes are 2' x 3' on average. Above: “Fleer 1989” 36" x 27" Oil and wax on panel Frame is handmade using wood, steel and oil-light bronze. Left: “Four Vases“ 30" x 33" Oil and wax on panel
Reinterpreted Reality
Common objects turned into art by Susan Laughlin
courtesy photo
A
rtist Christopher Myott of Jaffrey simplifies his immediate reality into a 2-D world of oil paint on Masonite. His subject matter of choice often involves motorcycles, oilcans and vases, a neighbor’s wood workshop, and, lately, a forlorn pile of baseball cards. The objects are tangible, but transformed through Myott’s technique. Starting with a palette knife, Myott coats the flat panel with a layer of paint before inscribing or carving his subject into the thick paint. Then comes another layer of paint and more sgraffito, which may reveal an earlier layer of paint, creating a thin line in another color. The painting comes together with the immediacy of a quick first sketch. Myott does not correct any imperfect lines — he prefers the first, fresh
take to project his style, his vision of reality without any erasures or modifications. “There’s something honest about it, like a signature,” he says. Finally, he hand-rubs a beeswax coating over the paint, much like a furniture master would, to preserve his work and give it a quiet luster. Motorcycles and Japanese vases are often commingled into a single composition, each giving Myott plenty of lines to subdivide the canvas for a “fun dynamic.” One work is primarily simple vases, but taken to the limit with drawings of motorcycles as decorative design instead of a Japanese landscape or floral display. Myott’s latest foray started with a single box of baseball cards he was given as a child, but showed no interest in at that time. Recently, he randomly selected a card — it was
a Fleer card of the former Oriole/Blue Jays pitcher Mike Flanagan. He painted the front portrait and back with statistics in his signature style. It wasn’t until later that he was told Flanagan was a Cy Young Award-winner and raised in Manchester. “I like that this work always starts a conversation and widens the audience for art,” he says. The cards are painted on Masonite and carefully framed in wood with a swivel system Myott devised to display the front or back at any time. Myott hopes to flesh out a “full pack” of card paintings for a future gallery show. His work is on display at the Sharon Arts Center, in a motorcycle culture art exhibit in Rancho Cucamonga, California, and in collections throughout the US. NH
Find It
Christopher Myott christophermyott.com Instagram: christophermyott facebook.com/christopher.myott cmyott@gmail.com nhmagazine.com | June 2019
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WHAT DO YOU KNOW?
photo by marshall hudson
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A one-room schoolhouse finds new life as a local history education center BY MARSHALL HUDSON
A
man’s ambition must be small, to write his name on the back house wall” scribbled a philosopher inside the two-seater outhouse behind the Kelley Corner School. Perhaps the graffiti artist had more ambition than he realized because he went on to draw the Cracker Jack’s sailor, a curvy woman, and declare himself “the best artist of the world.” D.P.K. and G.E.H. also wrote their initials on the backhouse wall along with the year 1936. Since the school closed in 1940, the self-proclaimed “best artist of the world” was likely one of the last students to attend this iconic little schoolhouse. The Kelley Corner School with the two-stall privy that once accommodated philosophers and scholars is located on
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a dead-end dirt road in the corner of the world known as Lower Gilmanton. Lower Gilmanton was the first settlement in Gilmanton, established in 1761 when the Mudgett family arrived and was joined by the Gilman family. By 1769, there were enough school-age children in Lower Gilmanton for the residents to vote to raise 15 pounds to hire a teacher and build a schoolhouse. The schoolhouse was built of logs and located in a field that was later owned by a man named Charles Kelley. A few years later, the log schoolhouse in Kelley’s field was abandoned, and a new schoolhouse built of sawn lumber was constructed nearby, overlooking what today is called Schoolhouse Pond. By 1778, families were settling the northern parts of Gilmanton and as the town
grew, more one-room schoolhouses were built. At one time there were 18 schoolhouses in Gilmanton, and the taxpayers voted to divide the town into six school districts. District No. 1 would be in the thriving little
photo courtesy of the lower gilmanton community club
Back in Session
The historic Kelley Corner School (and outhouse) in Lower Gilmanton
Students ready for summer on the last day of school in 1931
photo courtesy of the lower gilmanton community club
WHAT DO YOU KNOW?
Kelley Corner School children in the winter of 1927
village near Joshua Bean’s gristmill. The village had two blacksmiths, a doctor, a boarding house, a tavern with a stagecoach stop, and the one-room schoolhouse now known as Kelley Corner School. The name Kelley Corner comes from the Kelley families that lived nearby and the generations of Kelley children that attended this little schoolhouse. The school roster for 1901-1902 lists 26 students, and six of them had the last name Kelley, including a young Ruth Kelley, who was only 4 years and 10 months old. In 1933-34, school attendance was 12 students, six of whom were Kelley siblings. In 1928, George Kelley started first grade at the Kelley Corner School, and years later he wrote about his experience: “Kelley’s Corner School was one of the original six school houses established by the Town in 1778. Each of the school houses back then were one-room schools located so that no child had to walk more than two miles to school. Each was heated by a wood-burning stove; light was what came in the windows. Originally, the building had two windows on each side but while I was going there, a bank of six windows was installed in one end so ‘our light would come in over the left shoulder.’ Teachers were usually young and boarded in the community and often attracted a local husband. While the school could have grades 1 through 8 at one time, that was seldom the case, but still it must have been a challenge for the teacher. All supplies were furnished, even songbooks and a handcranked Victrola. I still marvel at how well we
learned, not only when it was your turn but also when another grade was reciting ... “... It wasn’t all work; there were noonhour and recesses, too. Except on bad days I walked home for lunch, but most of the kids brought a box lunch. Recess meant games in the front yard. With the pond nearby, we could ice skate at recess in season. Nearby slopes were great for sliding ... “... When I was old enough, I got to be the school janitor which meant arriving early and building a fire in the woodstove on cold mornings, sweeping the floor, and filling the water jug from a neighbor’s well.” Kelley Corner School operated until 1940, when the school board decided to close the last of its small schoolhouses and centralize operations. Over time, the other schoolhouses ceased to operate and were torn down or were sold and renovated into private residences. Only the Kelley Corner School remained. In 1949, after years of nonuse and minimal maintenance, the school district voted to lease the structure to the Lower Gilmanton Community Club. The LGC Club signed a lease that permitted it to use the building as a meeting house and in return assume responsibility for maintenance, repairs and renovations. The old schoolhouse was used sporadically for meetings, strawberry festivals, bean suppers, dances and Halloween parties, but when members of the club began to age and weren’t replaced by new members, the activities tapered off and then stopped altogether. The Kelley Cor-
603 INFORMER ner School went dark once again. During this period when the building sat dormant, the school board was contacted by an individual interested in purchasing the old school and moving it onto private land. The school board floated the idea to the Gilmanton Historical Society, which strenuously objected. That objection was shared by enough members to inspire the revival of the Lower Gilmanton Community Club, which then embarked on a campaign to save the schoolhouse, make repairs, and keep it at Kelley Corner in Lower Gilmanton. Time and nature had taken its toll on the historic building, and the revived Lower Gilmanton Community Club had to raise funds and tackle significant building repairs, including restoring the original chimney, repairing windows and fixing exterior wall damage. In 2008, due to the club’s efforts, the building was placed onto the New Hampshire State Register of Historic Places. There are more repairs to be made, and the Lower Gilmanton Community Club, along with the Gilmanton School District and Historical Society, have plans to further restore the building and then use it to promote education and an awareness of Lower Gilmanton history. Gilmanton fourth-grade students regularly take a field trip to the Kelley Corner School while learning about New Hampshire history, and the LGC Club envisions a day when students will be able to attend a “day-in-the-life” program at the old schoolhouse and experience school as an earlier generation would have. Club members have a collection of old documents and photographs taken decades ago when the school was in session. In their collection is a 1931 class photograph that includes a 10-year-old girl named Geraldine Eleanor Hawkins. There is also a 1935 report card for an eighth-grade boy named Donald Page Kelley. Could they be the culprits who wrote “G.E.H.” and “D.P.K” on the outhouse wall in 1936? Donald Kelley’s report card indicates that he averaged a “B” in drawing class and his teacher writes that he is “capable of doing much better work,” so it doesn’t seem likely that DPK proclaimed himself the “best artist of the world.” Maybe Geraldine Hawkins was the backhouse philosopher with an artistic talent and hidden ambition? NH A special thank-you to the Lower Gilmanton Community Club members who contributed to this article. nhmagazine.com | June 2019
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TRANSCRIPT
Star Witness Photo and interview by David Mendelsohn
Imagine five raw winter months on an island with only frigid winds, turbulent seas, some barren ledge and a few hardy birds as companions. Most would disappear into the penetrating gray of the waves and sky but some find inspiration in such seclusion. Meet Alexandra de Steiguer, winter caretaker of Star Island, its hotel and outbuildings. Save for the sporadic supply boat pilot, she never sees another human face until spring. Alone with her camera, her journal and her guitar, she spins the mist of the island into art, music and thoughts — some of which she shares with us here.
I’ve been a Star Island winter caretaker since 1997, and just spent my twenty-second winter on the island. Before that, I was a sailor of tall ships that were engaged in research and sailing school programs. Each voyage was from six to nine months long.. People putting themselves in my place often imagine that it would be deathly boring or an exercise in sensory deprivation. But there’s something very important about what people call “boredom” that is often missed.
Quite often in winter I get emotional just from the sheer beauty and wildness around me — from those brief moments of not only understanding, but of feeling how vast it all really is. Once, when I was checking all the rooms of the hotel, as I do regularly, I found a barred owl flying around in the dark and boarded-up lobby. The poor bird had somehow fallen down a four-story chimney and couldn’t get out. Luckily, I caught it quickly, and brought it back outside where it flew away.
Some of my deepest thoughts, and much of my art is created when I am alone, with no phone or screens.
I’ve always loved music, and often I sing aloud on the island just for fun. I wrote my first song 20 years ago, shortly after my mother died. I didn’t know I could write a song, but there it was; from deep emotion to music.
The winter weather on the Isles of Shoals is spectacular. It has everything, from the most tranquil of calm days to the fiercest of storms.
Over the past 22 years, I’ve continued to write songs, slowly, perhaps one or two a year, during the long winter months on the island.
My parents were Buddhists, and years ago my father told me that he’d once heard this from a wise teacher: “Enlightenment lies just on the other side of boredom.”
Along with her caretaker duties, Alexandra de Steiguer is a fine art photographer working in traditional black and white, and the author of “Small Island, Big Picture — Winters of Solitude Teach an Artist to See.” Her time alone has also inspired her to compose the 13 songs that appear on her album “Island Sublime.” She says her compositions reflect not only her unique island life, but also “rich, resonant insights inspired by loss, mystery, angst, destiny and romance.” Visit islandsublime.com or alexdesteiguer.com for more.
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ONE
Prodigious
HILLTOP 103 things that everyone should know about the Northeast’s highest summit In Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s 1963 “I Have a Dream” speech he proclaimed, “Let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire.” King called Boston his second home and knew a lot about our state, so did he have Mount Washington in mind as he spoke those timeless words? Our state’s most famous geological feature has a history of influencing the world in ways that are both profound and ridiculous. Like the following ...
Photo by Greg Kretschmar 36
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Guest editor Dan Szczesny literally wrote the book on Mt. Washington (see more about “The White Mountain” on page 62). We invited him to write some key installments, and asked him to tap experts on a variety of topics. You’ll find them throughout these pages, as well as additions from New Hampshire Magazine staff and regular contributors. Where to start seemed a tough choice, but Dan knew right away — it had to be Marty.
Of all the amazing people, records, history and weather that can be found on New Hampshire’s Mt. Washington, there is one creature that tops the list. Seldom does a book reading or presentation go by that I’m not asked about the summit’s only full-time resident. On January 8, 2008, New Hampshire held two elections. The first was the presidential primary. The second, in which more than 8,000 New Hampshire residents voted, decided the fate of arguably the most important nonhuman in the Granite State. That nonhuman is Marty, the Mount Washington Observatory’s current mascot cat. The black, longhaired Maine coon beat out opponents Wilson and Sarah in a three-way race to decide which kitty would replace the recently retired mascot Nin (see more about Nin
2 Tickey Paved the Way
Originally named Sally, Tickey was the first observatory mascot, opening the station along with the human founders in 1932. The only sound the original kitten would ever respond to, according to observatory lore, was the “tick tick” of stirring energy drinks made by observers, thus her name. Tickey was closest to founder Sal Pagliuca, who would toss the cat into his sleeping bag at night for some extra warmth. — Dan Szczesny
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below). Marty won in a runaway. Cats have been a near-continuous presence at the summit observatory since its beginning in 1932 as a weather station. The first cats were mainly strays brought up to serve mouse-catching duty, but also to offer some companionship to the observers, as the crew stayed for much longer shifts back then. Over the years, the summit cats have had far more company than in those early years, with TV crews, state park employees and visitors arriving via foot, Auto Road and Cog Railway. Marty’s a little older now, a little more settled in his ways, but he continues to “write” a monthly column for the OBS Newsletter, and if you’re lucky, the mountain’s biggest celebrity will pay you a visit during a tour. — Dan Szczesny
3 “Cat in the Clouds”
Eric Pinder, who worked at the Mount Washington Observatory, chronicled the journey of the feline mascot who preceded Marty (see above). Follow stray cat, Nin, as he drifts from home to home until he meets a meteorologist named Mark. Nin then begins his greatest journey up Mt. Washington where he learns that the best friends can be found anywhere, even high above the clouds.
tickey photo courtesy of ken mckenzie
The mountain’s most popular creature
photo by dan szczesny
1 Marty the Cat
4 Giovanni da Verrazzano
6 Agiocochook Crag
Agiocochook is a Native American name for Mount Washington. Today, there aren’t many places you’ll find the name, though one exception is a crag located about 500 feet from the summit on Nelson Crag Trail, near the Auto Road. A hiker named Steve Perry noticed this rocky bump didn’t have a name on any maps, so he petitioned in 2011 to name it Agiocochook Crag, as it is now known.
7 First Fatality
Frederick Strickland owns a grim first — he was the first-recorded person to die on Mt. Washington on October 19, 1849. Despite winter-like conditions, the 29-year-old Englishman did reach the summit, but was less lucky on the return trip. While on the way down, he got lost, eventually meeting his fate in the bed of the Ammonoosuc River in the Ammonoosuc Ravine.
8 1918: The White
Mountain National Forest, home to Mt. Washington, is established.
9 First Ascent Italian explorer Giovanni da Verrazzano was the first European to see Mt. Washington. He noted seeing “high interior mountains” from the coast as he sailed north in 1524.
5 Sylvester Marsh
Sylvester Marsh was an enterprising young man, hiking to Boston from his Campton farm at age 19 to work at Quincy Market. He quickly moved on — and up. A founder of the Chicago meatpacking industry, he made his fortune after devising a process for drying corn and grain, which was used in the making of cereal. Returning to New England, he and friends developed a steam-driven locomotive that climbed on cogged tracks. New Hampshire legislators greeted his plan for a railway up Mt. Washington with derision, but granted a charter, never expecting the project to proceed. With eight others, Marsh bought 17,000 acres extending to the summit, and by August 1866, completed enough track to host dignitaries and rail tycoons on a short ride. Railroad money soon flowed in to complete the track and Marsh’s dream became reality. Sadly for Marsh, his big investors soon pushed him out and he retired to Concord, where he died in 1884. His legacy, however, lives on — the Cog Railway is celebrating its 150th anniversary. — Barbara Radcliffe Rogers
The first recorded ascent was by Darby Field in 1642, though there is some question about his use of Native American guides, and the likelihood of prior ascents by Native Americans. nhmagazine.com | June 2019
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10 The Willey Slide Tragedy
12 Blue Hill Meteorological Observatory
New Hampshire claims a number of firsts, but the country’s first weather observatory is not among them. At midnight on January 31, 1885, the Blue Hill Meteorological Observatory opened in Massachusetts. Over 130 years later, it’s the oldest, continuously operated observatory in the US. It’s thanks to Blue Hill that our own observatory had one less hurdle to clear when it opened in 1932 — the Blue Hill director at that time, Dr. Charles Franklin Brooks, donated both instruments and training to help the Mount Washington Observatory get underway. In fact, the anemometer used to record the 1934 world record-setting wind speed was from Blue Hill and now resides at the Weather Discovery Center.
In 1826, the Willey Slide Tragedy turned the White Mountains into a tourist attraction. In the decades after the American Revolution, the White Mountains were still a vast, empty wilderness. Nevertheless, that is where Sam Willey decided to settle his family, at the base of what is now called Mt. Willey. During a violent rainstorm and fearing mudslides, the Willey family fled their home to a nearby stone structure they’d built for just such an event. Ironically, their would-be refuge was destroyed, killing all inside, but the mudslide missed the house entirely. Word spread, and the house began attracting tourists, and soon artists and writers were drawn as well, including Nathaniel Hawthorne, who wrote “The Ambitious Ghost,” a short story about the tragedy.
11 Lizzie Bourne
In September 1855, 23-year-old Lizzie Bourne set out from Glen House Hotel to climb Mt. Washington with her uncle and cousin. Lizzie had a heart condition, but was determined to spend the night at Tip-Top House to see the sunrise. Like other 19th-century women, she wore full skirts, petticoats and pantaloons — yards of heavy fabric. Despite warnings of bad weather, in late afternoon they left the Halfway House and the protection of trees. Winds turned chill and damp, and clouds obscured the trail. Skirts now soaked and heavier, Lizzie faltered and they stopped for the night, sheltered behind a hastily built stone pile. That night Lizzie became Mt. Washington’s first female casualty. In the morning, clouds lifted to reveal Tip-Top House, only a few hundred feet away. A simple monument beside the Cog Railway commemorates the spot where she died. — Barbara Radcliffe Rogers
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13 Weather Discovery Center
The Mount Washington Observatory Weather Discovery Center in North Conway is an interactive science museum that’s linked directly to the summit, with simultaneous wind speed, barometric pressure and weather conditions. Hands-on exhibits designed for all ages demonstrate wind force and other weather indicators. A great favorite is the replica of the observatory at the time of the record-breaking wind velocity. The cabin shakes and creaks as the wind increases — watch the window to see the summit cat. — Barbara Radcliffe Rogers
14 “Not Without Peril” “Not Without Peril: 150 Years of Misadventure on the Presidential Range” by Nicholas S. Howe profiles people who found trouble on New Hampshire’s Presidential Range, from the 19th century through the present day. The result is a compelling story about our changing relationship with the mountains we love and the risks they pose.
photo by stillman rogers
The tragic death of the Willey family in a mudslide turned the country’s attention to the White Mountains, helping to set the stage for the area — and Mt. Washington — to become tourist attractions.
15 Tuckerman Ravine
Each spring, thousands of skiers travel to the famous ravine to test their skills on some of the steepest yet most accessible backcountry skiing in the East. It’s a storied sports tradition that dates back to the early 1900s. Though it can be skied from late fall into June, April and May are the most popular months because avalanches are less likely. Tuckerman is on the eastern slope of Mt. Washington, and is named for botanist Edward Tuckerman, who studied alpine plants and lichen in the area in the 1840s and ’50s. Photo by Joe Klementovich nhmagazine.com | June 2019
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16 The Cog Cleans Up
Since the mid-1800s plumes of wood or coal-generated smoke and steam have appeared over the Mt. Washington Cog Railway tracks on their 3-mile route to the top. In 2008, the first eco-friendly version of the Cog was cranked out by the railway shop crew. For more than a century, the engines have been built and maintained on-site. This one featured a biodiesel-powered John Deere engine that ran much cleaner than coal and the fuel was even cheaper. This development, along with such innovations as the use of solar-powered track switches, show that the Cog is a technological envelope-pusher as well as a historical people-mover. Photo by Joe Klementovich — This is one of the Cog Railway’s coal-powered steam engines that still bring tourists to the summit of Mt. Washington. They don’t make every trip — they only run once or twice per day. nhmagazine.com | June 2019
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17 150 Years of the Cog
On July 3, 1869, Old Peppersass became the first cog-driven train to climb 6,288-foot Mt. Washington. One hundred and fifty years later, the Cog Railway is designated a National Historic Engineering Landmark. To celebrate the sesquicentennial, a number of special events are planned throughout the 2019 season. The refurbished Peppersass went on tour to Pennsylvania and Washington, DC, in March and will be coming to a town near you throughout the year. Look for her to appear at rest stops, town festivals and parades around New England. Meantime, on June 22 at Marshfield Base Station, the company is holding a history and fireworks celebration, with a special Cog Railway employee reunion taking place the next day, June 23. Book a space at the gala or on the Cog for a ride here: thecog.com. — Dan Szczesny
18 Peppersass
19 Cog Convergence In “The Mount Washington Cog Railway,” local historian Bruce Heald ties the history of the Cog Railway’s construction with the grand romance of the goldenage of rail as they converge at the top of Mt. Washington.
20 Tip-Top House
The oldest surviving building on the summit of Mt. Washington, called the Tip-Top House, now contains exhibits and artifacts of the mountain’s history, but was originally a hostel. In fact, it’s said to be the oldest existing mountaintop hotel in the world. It was built with mountain rock for $7,000 by Samuel F. Spaulding, and beginning in 1877, it served as the printing office for the mountain’s official newspaper, Among the Clouds.
When Sylvester Marsh had the first experimental locomotive built to perform the “impossible task” of summiting Mt. Washington, it was constructed from his plans at the Campbell Whittier & Co. machine shop near Boston. Once built, it was broken down and transported by train to Littleton, then ox-carted 25 miles to the Mt. Washington site and reassembled. Marsh dubbed it “Hero.” Reportedly, when it was unveiled on August 29, 1866, someone in the crowd observing the tall upright boiler cried out, “It looks like a peppersauce bottle.” Being a Yankee, the person pronounced the word as “peppersass” and that name stuck. Another story says that Marsh’s daughter Mary, who was fond of pepper sauce, bestowed the moniker. Either way, Peppersass went on to help build the cog railway and now welcomes visitors to the Cog when it’s not out on tour or making a star appearance at a steampunk festival somewhere. 44
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photo courtesy national park services
21 Literary Perspective
Twenty previously written pieces cover every aspect of the mountain’s storied past in this unique volume of work, edited by Mike Dickerman. Follow the history of the nation’s first mountain-climbing train and witness Mt. Washington’s tales of human tragedies.
22 Fourth Annual Railway to the Moon Steampunk Festival
25 Ravine Geology
photo courtesy rebecca metcalf
The large ravines that carve the upper slopes of Mt. Washington are glacial cirques, bowl-shaped depressions scooped from the mountainside. Their steep sides and headwalls were carved about 2 million years ago by alpine glaciers eroding the rock as they moved. Tuckerman Ravine is the poster child of glacial cirques, a well-rounded bowl with talus piles at its floor composed of rocks dislodged from above as the glacier moved. Great Gulf is the largest cirque and Huntington Ravine has the steepest and highest headwall. Oakes Gulf separates high ridges to the south. There are 17 in all, but some, like the Ammonoosuc Ravine, have lost their characteristic shape to erosion by mountain streams. — Barbara Radcliffe Rogers This free event takes place from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on August 17 and 18 at the Mt. Washington Cog Railway. The two days include vendors, activities, food, performers and an invitation to come decked out in your best steampunk outfits. For a fee, rides aboard the Cog will also be offered. railwaytothemoon.com
23 High-blown Verses
Illustrious Mountain! thou dost stand alone, The loftiest sentinel that guards our land; The glorious images of the Eternal One; The work sublime of his Almighty hand. On every side what boundless prospects rise! What oceans vast of mountain scenery! What dread magnificence of earth and skies! What regions of unrolled immensity!
photo by bruce luetters
When Charles Burroughs, rector of St. John’s Episcopal Church in Portsmouth, summited the mountain on July 9, 1845, he was so moved by the experience he wrote a short poem that was eventually published in “The Poets of Portsmouth” (1865). It still captures some of the rapture felt by first-timers looking out on the majesty of creation. Here are his first two stanzas.
MT. WASHINGTON
24 Mount Washington Road Race
The good news — there’s only one hill during this race. The bad news? That “hill” is Mt. Washington. This historic running event, happening on June 15, draws thousands to the Auto Road. Registration takes place each winter, with “lucky” runners selected at random. For the 2019 Northeast Delta Dental Mount Washington Road Race, cheer on the brave folks who will make the grueling climb to the summit and earn rights to a bumper sticker that reads “The Driver of This Car Ran Up Mt. Washington.” mtwashingtonautoroad.com
26 SnowCoach
In winter, the SnowCoach, a van-sized vehicle driven by four tracks, climbs the snow-covered Mount Washington Auto Road as far as the tree line. Here, at the site of the former Halfway House, passengers can step out into a subarctic world, at about 4,200 feet. The coach climbs through a changing landscape of snow-covered forest into one of sweeping views framed in stunted, rime-coated trees. Early birds can ride to the tree line to watch the sunrise. — Barbara Radcliffe Rogers
27 Old Summit House The first Summit House opened in 1852, and was enlarged in 1853 to accommodate 60 overnight guests and 150 in the dining room, a popular stop for Cog Railway day-trippers. Guests retired with candles to upstairs guest rooms warmed by steam heat, and during storms, bellmen were ready with wooden panels to replace window panes shattered by the wind. A larger Summit House opened in 1873, destroyed by fire in June of 1908, and in 1915 a third opened, eventually replaced by the Sherman Adams Building. In 2016, Cog Railway owners proposed building an upscale hotel on railway land a mile from the summit; backlash from conservationists and hikers’ groups was almost immediate, but the plan is still on the table. — Barbara Radcliffe Rogers nhmagazine.com | June 2019
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At times on the summit, you can lean into the fierce wind and not fall over.
On April 12 of this year, observers at the Mount Washington Observatory cut into a Big Wind cake to celebrate a very special anniversary; 85 years ago on that date, OBS recorded the world’s fastest surface wind speed ever observed by humankind, a mighty gust of 231 miles per hour. The 1934 record put the young observatory on the map, and sealed Mt. Washington’s fate as home to some of the world’s most extreme weather. For nearly 62 years, the observatory held the record for the fastest gust ever recorded on the surface of the Earth. That was exceeded by a gust of 253 mph in 1996 at Barrow Island, Australia, during Typhoon Olivia. However, unlike Mt. Washington, it was not observed by people. The 1934 wind is still the fastest surface wind measured in the Northern and Western Hemispheres, and the fastest witnessed in person. Two of the original four founders — Alex McKenzie and Sal Pagliuca — were up top on the day of the Big Wind, and Pagliuca noted the experience in that evening’s log book. “The wind was furiously blowing my parka out of my storm pants,” he wrote. “The hood was on my face, almost blinding me.” The mountain still has frightful gusts — in February 2019, a 171 mph blow was measured — but the Big Wind has yet to be topped. — Dan Szczesny
29 Tuckerman Inferno
The Tuckerman Inferno adventure race is one of the most challenging in the country — and has deep historical roots. Covering approximately 36 miles, this Friends of Tuckerman Ravine fundraiser starts at Story Land in Glen with an 8.6-mile run and finishes with the difficult task of skiing down the notoriously tough ravine. Between those two tasks, the pentathlon also includes kayaking (5.5 miles), biking (18.2 miles with 2,000foot climb) and hiking (3 miles, 2,268 feet total climb). Held in April each year since 2000, individuals and small relay teams sign up for this grueling race that’s taken place in just about every type of weather. The modern-day inferno is inspired by the legendary American Inferno races held in the 1930s, when testing one’s mettle in Tuckerman Ravine started to become incredibly popular. These races and other events at Tuckerman at the beginning of the 20th century helped create the sport of backcountry and extreme skiing — participants in today’s race are a part of a historic sporting legacy. friendsoftuckermanravine.org 46
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30 Casualty List Across from the information desk at the Mt. Washington summit, there is a “wall of fame” where no one wants to see their name. It’s the framed “Casualties of Mount Washington” poster, a list of the 161 known deaths (a total that keeps changing) since the state park started recording them in 1849 (presumably the mountain was just as dangerous before the list began). The cause of most of these deaths can be summarized by the six words also tacked to the wall in a much larger font: “The Worst Weather in the World.” An unscientific breakdown of the list, which includes several vague causes of death “indirectly associated with Mt. Washington,” reveals the following reasons as the most common: • Falls (44) • Hypothermia/Weather Exposure (33) • Heart Attacks (23) Inevitably, some of the deaths in the park were avoidable. In two separate incidents over the past decade, two men in their 20s fell to their deaths in Tuckerman Ravine after hiking off the trail to get a better view of the waterfall. Other incidents are more heartbreaking, involving good Samaritans dying while trying to rescue injured/missing skiers or hikers. “Primarily, we keep this list as a respectful memorial to those who lost their lives in the Presidential Range,” says Patrick Hummel, manager of Mount Washington State Park. “It’s not meant to be sensational in any way, but it’s also a reminder to visitors about the dangers that can be present every day here.” As of this publication’s deadline, the most recent fatal accident happened on April 11, 2019. Nicholas Benedix, 32, of Campton, New Hampshire, was buried in an avalanche while skiing alone in the Raymond’s Cataract area northeast of Tuckerman Ravine. Rescuers were able to dig out Benedix from the snow after more than 90 minutes being trapped, but he later died of cardiac arrest. Wind speeds at the summit of Mt. Washington can exceed hurricane force (75 mph) more than 100 days per year. For tips on how to be prepared to hike the mountain in any season, visit hikesafe.com. — Darren Garnick To read the full text of the “Casualties of Mount Washington” list, visit nhmagazine.com.
photo by stephen crossman
28 Big Wind
photo courtesy of ken bennett
31 Hiking Gear — My, How Things Change!
Hard to believe there was a time when hikers in the White Mountains didn't wear Gore-Tex or wicking rain gear. Hiker Ken Bennett was only 27 years old when he and a group drove north on a whim in June 1976 to climb Mt. Washington. They took the Glen Boulder Trail up and then over to the summit. Ken wore leather boots, a cotton shirt, jean shorts and an oversized external pack with a steel water container. He didn't own hiking poles so instead he used an old brown cane for support. “We had one of those instant cameras, and had no idea that there was a 4,000-footer list to climb,” Ken says. “My, how things change.” Forty-three years later and Ken is still tackling the mountain. Keep hiking, Ken, keep hiking! — Dan Szczesny
32 Literary Ascent
33 EduTrips
So you’ve heard about Mt. Washington’s world’s-worst weather and thought, “Hey, I’d like to check that out for myself!” For a little over $1,000 in the winter and $499 in the summer, the Mount Washington Observatory invites you to stay for the night. The winter EduTrips include transportation to and from the base in a snowcat, a chance to learn about topics ranging from the science of winter storms to climate extremes, exclusive tours with the observatory staff, accommodations in the bunk room, meals and, yes, the chance to experience the mountain’s famous weather extremes. For everyone’s safety, there are health and gear requirements you’ll need to meet before embarking on the journey, either in the winter or summer. This year’s summer topics are on — you guessed it — bad weather, with the chance to learn about the science of thunderstorms or hurricanes and cyclones.
34 Appalachia
Appalachia is America’s longest-running journal of mountaineering and conservation. The journal comes out twice a year and delivers content about mountain exploration, ecology and conservation, mountaineering expeditions, poems and much more.
35 Life at the Top
Writer Henry David Thoreau visited the Mt. Washington during the pre-Civil War White Mountains tourism boom. Drawn as other artists and writers were by the transcendent landscape, he climbed the mountain in 1839. Though by then there were other ways up, he preferred to hike, and seemingly didn't agree with turning the summit into a tourist attraction complete with hotels, writing years later, “I think that the top of Mt. Washington should not be private property; it should be left unappropriated for modesty and reverence’s sake, or if only to suggest that earth has higher uses than we put her to.” It just goes to show arguments over balancing tourism with preserving natural spaces are nothing new.
In “Life at the Top: Weather, Wisdom & High Cuisine from the Mount Washington Observatory,” former observer Eric Pinder describes the joys and terrors of living in the clouds and explains Mt. Washington’s geology and weather. The book concludes with a one-of-a-kind cookbook, “Recipes from the Rockpile.” nhmagazine.com | June 2019
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36 Namesakes
As the Northeast’s tallest peak and an iconic New Hampshire symbol, it’s inevitable that our mighty mountain would inspire others to use its name. Tuckerman Brewing Company
Located in Conway, Tuckerman Brewing Company is named for Tuckerman Ravine. Many of their beers reference iconic parts of Mount Washington, including their winter seasonal, the 6,288 stout. A portion of the proceeds from this beer is donated to the Mount Washington Observatory. tuckermanbrewing.com
37 Ride to the Sky
It’s a big mountain so there’s something for everyone, even on the famous Auto Road where each June the road is closed to tourist cars and open only to motorcycle traffic for Ride to the Sky. A pass for a bike and operator is $17 with an extra $9 charge for a passenger (though this is waived if you head up the mountain before 10 a.m.). Photographers from phantombiker.com are on hand to capture your ascent with the Mt. Washington Valley rolling into the distance and will happily sell prints of this once-(or as often as you like, really)-in-a-lifetime experience.
The S.S. Mount Washington
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The M/S Mount Washington
The M/S Mount Washington started as the S.S. Mount Washington II. Launched on Lake Winnipesaukee in 1940, it was originally steam-powered — and 25 feet shorter than its current length of 230. Diesel engines replaced steam in 1946, and she was rechristened as M/V Mount Washington. Then, in 1982, the ship was cut down the center and those extra 25 feet were added, reclassifying her as an official ship by maritime standards. Once again the name changed, this time to the M/S Mount Washington. Today, the Mount is one of the state’s most popular tourist attractions, offering a number of scenic cruises around the state’s biggest lake. cruisenh.com
The Omni Mount Washington Resort
Opened in 1902 in Bretton Woods, this is one of the state’s few remaining grand hotels, where you can take in views of Mt. Washington and the Presidential Range while surrounded by history, luxury and, legend has it, more than a couple ghosts. When you step inside, it’s easy to imagine the hotel’s heyday at the turn of the century, when the country’s wealthiest families (think the Rockefellers) walked the halls. omnihotels.com/mountwashington
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Soaring Above
Each October, there’s quite the sight to behold at Mt. Washington. No, it’s not foliage. Think higher, above the trees. Much higher. On October 12 this year, glider pilots from all over New England will come to the Mt. Washington Soaring Association’s “wave camp,” where they will fly the “wave” — air currents that are particularly strong on Mt. Washington. In fact, the Mt. Washington wave is the strongest in the Northeast, and some pilots have reached 35,000 feet. If you read that and thought, “Oh, fun!” instead of “Well, that sounds terrifying,” the Franconia Soaring Association offers scenic rides, introduction to soaring flights, glider rentals, flight instruction and glider towing. You can learn more at franconiasoaring.org.
39 First Words In 1846, Lucy Crawford published “History of the White Mountains.” Crawford was the wife of Ethan Crawford who, along with his father Abel, built the first footpath to the summit of Mount Washington. Her book was the first to be published about the region.
courtesy photos
The S.S. Mount Washington, or “Old Mount,” was a 178-foot-long wooden side-wheeler steamship. Launched in 1872 by the Boston & Maine Railroad, she ferried both people and cargo across Lake Winnipesaukee. By the end of the 19th century, she boarded more than 60,000 people a year. Eventually, the Old Mount became a tourist attraction, and was ultimately destroyed by fire in 1939.
40 Sunrise Drive
The Mt. Washington Auto Road opens early on three Sundays every summer, allowing guests to drive themselves to the summit of Mount Washington to view the sunrise from the highest peak in the Northeast. It’s a popular offering and people arrive extra-early to avoid waiting at the Toll House behind traffic. There’s limited food service at the state park building on the summit on all three of these mornings. Or, if you’d rather experience sunrise on Mt. Washington from the comfort of a Mt. Washington Stage Coach, you can leave the driving to experienced tour guides or “stage drivers” as they call them, who will drive you up the Mt. Washington Auto Road. They leave promptly from the base lodge — no waiting for stragglers, as they need to keep a tight schedule for all the early risers. Sunrise Drives take place Sundays June 30, July 28 and August 25, 2019.
minis on top photo by steve crossman
41 A New School of Art
Painter Thomas Cole, who is known as the “Father of the Hudson River School,” first traveled to the White Mountains in 1827. “View In the White Mountains” (pictured below) is one of his many paintings of the area. Others include “Flume in the White Mountains,” “View of Mount Washington,” “Mount Chocorua,” “Notch of the White Mountains,” “View Near Conway” and “Mount Washington from the Upper Saco Intervale.” Other Hudson River artists followed Cole, forming what’s known as the White Mountain School. Cole’s paintings were detailed yet romantic, and he felt it was his obligation to depict American nature as the “visible hand of God.” His paintings and others helped open the world’s eyes to the beauty and grandeur of Mt. Washington and the surrounding area.
42 MINIs on Top Rally
One of the more popular annual Mt. Washington events is the MINIs on Top rally. Hundreds of MINI owners from all around New England meet for a weekend of fellowship and driving. The centerpiece is the summit sunset drive. With a “go” signal, the long snakelike line of about 200 MINIs uncoils onto the Auto Road and disappears into the forest. You can hear gear changes, turbos spool up, and exhausts singing sweet songs. Above tree line, a series of S curves, switchbacks, and steep drops-offs test nerves but also provide a great driving experience. MINIs fill the summit parking lot. Everyone takes in the 360-degree views of majestic mountains and then watches the sun dip below the horizon, setting the sky on fire. A breathtaking, amazing, one-of-a-kind experience you’ll never forget. — Steve Crossman
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43 The Presence
Elevator doors open and close with no occupants. Doors slam. Empty stairs creak. Items are rearranged. Lights flash. People working on the summit could swear they’re alone when they feel something in the room, turn around and find only themselves. Some say it’s “The Presence.” What a better place for scary tales than the eerie Mt. Washington summit, with its blankets of fog, howling winds, unearthly isolation, deep darkness and blinding snow. Factor in more than 100 recorded deaths on the Rockpile and alpine folklore flourishes with the ghostly Presence. The phantom incidents are repeatedly
linked to the spirits of those who died on the mountain, as it is said the Presence is more active following a summit fatality. Other possible explanations? The long line of summit house cats roaming about, scurrying hard-to-see small mammals like mice and voles, mischievous colleagues, hikers popping in at odd hours, and science with its atmospheric oddities. Of course, working alone at night on an isolated mountaintop leaves much open to the imagination in a place known as “home of the world’s worst weather,” with its commanding winds creating mysterious auras with each great gust. — Marty Basch
Photo by Jim Salge — This photo was taken from Mt. Washington’s summit, at a place called Goofer Point behind the Yankee building, looking west and southwest over the southern Presidential Range, Crawford Notch and Mt. Moosilauke.
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Mt. Washington — and its infamous weather — has sparked curiosity and fascination for hundreds of years. In 1870, hoping to improve their ability to forecast storms, a group of scientists braved the winter weather to gather data. Though many predicted failure, they succeeded, bringing back important information. Seeing their success, the United States Signal Service, a precursor to the National Weather Service, maintained the weather station on the summit until 1892. The station on the mountaintop was one of the first of its kind in the world. The foundation for the current Mount Washington Observatory was laid. Forty years later in 1932, Bob Monahan, Sal Pagliuca, Alex McKenzie and Joe Dodge continued the mission and reestablished the station with a modest amount of money from a research grant and donors. Again, some were skeptical, but on April 12, 1934, the group’s hard work paid off — the observatory recorded the world’s fastest surface wind speed ever observed by humans at 231 mph. People outside of the observatory’s small founding group and benefactors began to recognize the value of such research, and it became the private, nonprofit organization we know today, dedicated to researching weather and climate, keeping a weather data record and educating the public about the mountain, its environment and weather at large. The weather station, which has been continuously staffed since its founding, is operated by two alternating crews who live on the summit for a week at a time. Their observations are reported to the National Weather Service for use in nationwide forecasting, and they produce special forecasts for the summits of the White Mountains and the region. With data collected going back to the observatory’s founding, they maintain one of North America’s longest continuous climate records. You can learn much more at mountwashington.org.
47 Mortal Stakes photo by jerry monkman and courtesy mt. washington auto road
44 Weather Watchers
Randi Minetor describes the circumstances behind the tragic tales of those who have lost their lives on the mountain. With “Death on Mount Washington,” learn from the mistakes that others have made from the comfort of your own home, and remember to respect Mt. Washington on your next trip.
48 Definitively Worst
45 Jay Leno: Celebrity Steamer
Many celebrities over the years have enjoyed the view from the summit of Mt. Washington, but none have shoveled coal on the Cog Railway and driven a Stanley Steamer to the top in one season. In July, 2017, Leno drove one of his own antique Stanley steam-powered cars up the Auto Road and filmed it for his show “Jay Leno’s Garage.” The idea was to recreate the first time a Stanley drove up the mountain in 1899. In that same month, Leno went around to the west side of the mountain where he took a turn shoveling coal on another sort of steam-powered vehicle, the Cog. To this day, train announcers point out Profile Rock to tourists, a rock outcropping along the tracks that looks suspiciously like the big-chinned profile of Leno. — Dan Szczesny
46 Weather Geeks, Assemble!
You can experience the world’s worst weather up close and personal by volunteering at the Mount Washington Observatory, but first you have to be a member (mountwashington.org/ get-involved/become-a-member). With that detail taken care of, opportunities range from light cleaning, carpentry and landscaping to working a standard shift (Wednesday to Wednesday) as an on-site volunteer planning and preparing meals for all the staff, volunteers, interns and guests (up to 17). The winter months offer the most weather action, but volunteers must complete a summer week to familiarize themselves with the station before staying over in the winter. 52
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In “The Worst Weather on Earth” by William Lowell Putnam, read a history of the state’s famous weather observatory atop Mt. Washington.
49 The White Hills
51 Remote
Observations
If a steep ascent up Mt. Washington isn’t for you, there are ways to keep tabs on what’s happening at the summit. The Mount Washington Observatory’s website lists the current conditions, and has links to a user-submitted photo journal and several webcams with various views. For Amazon Alexa users, you can now enable her to answer your observatory questions, such as the day’s forecast or what the weather was on any day from 1935 to present. She even knows a thing or two about Marty the cat. The observatory’s blog is a trove of interesting science, photos and weather explanations for those who want to take a deeper dive.
52 Don’t Take Mt. Washington for Granite
Living in the Granite State, you’d think our tallest peak would be exhibit A on how we got that nickname, but, according the Lee Wilder, the public outreach coordinator for the New Hampshire Geological Survey, less than half the bedrock beneath the feet of Granite Staters is granite. In fact, pretty much the entire Presidential Range (including Mt. Washington) is composed of schist. Granite is igneous rock, the result of volcanic activity that has cooled and hardened. Schist is metamorphic rock with layers of different minerals squeezed together over time. The process produces a variety of tones and textures, which is just one reason that a New Hampshire mountain hike is such a colorful experience.
53 Ski Up Fast In 1859, Thomas Starr King published "The White Hills: Their Legends, Landscape and Poetry.” Part hiking guide, part White Mountains marketing book, it was one of the first books to speak at length about the many natural wonders of the area. After his trip to the region in 1850, he wrote to a friend, “Mt. Washington and the gullies, the Old Man of the Mountains, and Echo Lake, the Flume! O Randolph, shall we ever have another such walk as that? I fear not this side of Jordan. There must be grand mountain scenery in Heaven ... In my musings it seems as if North Conway might be entrance to Paradise.”
50 Tourist Trek
The Mount Washington Auto Road, opened on August 8, 1861, is America’s oldest manmade attraction. Before the Cog Railway opened in 1869 or the advent of the motorcar, tourists headed to the Summit or Tip-Top houses had to travel by open horse-drawn wagons. An all-day journey up a steep, serpentine road through uncertain weather was considered a tourist draw in the 19th century and, for some, it still is today.
Is skiing downhill not tough enough for you? Then consider the SkiMo (aka Otto Rhode Ski Mountaineering Race). Ski mountaineering is pretty much what it sounds like — it involves climbing a mountain, either on skis or carrying them, and then skiing back down. For this event on the Auto Road, racers can choose any distance they like, though attempting the summit (7.6 miles) is an option. Or choose to stop at the tree line (4 miles), where the warm SnowCoach awaits. No matter how far you go, everyone will celebrate back at the base with beer, hot showers, food, live music and prizes. nhmagazine.com | June 2019
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54 Rare Flower
When you think of Mt. Washington, you probably picture gusting winds and a snow-andice-covered summit. While that’s certainly the case sometimes, it’s actually home to fascinating plant life, including the rare Robbins’ cinquefoil. In fact, it’s likely the rarest plant in New England, found only in the alpine zone of New Hampshire’s White Mountains, including Mt. Washington. The flower, a member of the rose family, was first discovered along the Crawford Path on Mt. Washington. It grows in some of the harshest conditions you’ll find, withstanding freezing temperatures and those infamous high winds. The flower was put on the endangered species list in the 1980s, and trails were ultimately rerouted away from the flowers, helping them recover. To do your part to protect the Robbins’ cinquefoil and other fragile, endangered plant life, always make sure to keep to the trails, and be mindful of your steps.
55 Horse Race to the Top
The gala opening of the road to the summit took place on August 8, 1861, with many local dignitaries arriving at the summit in a Concord coach. But the honor of driving the first horsedrawn vehicle to the summit went to Col. Joseph Thompson, then proprietor of the Glen House. To be sure of beating out his friendly rival, Col. John Hitchcock, landlord of the Alpine House, Thompson drove his horse and carriage to the summit three weeks before the official opening. The last few yards were still so strewn with boulders that help was needed to keep the carriage upright, but he made it. And he saw to it that a photographer was there. After the road was opened to the public, its business doubled every year until 1869. That year, the Cog Railway was completed, on the west side of the mountain, and many found the relatively short trip and enclosed cars preferable to an all-day journey on the road in open mountain wagons. — Excerpted from “History of the Road” at mtwashingtonautoroad.com/history 54
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56 Memorial Ride
Like many events on the Auto Road, this one filled up fast. The 20th annual Gerry Pomerleau Memorial Ride on June 29 may be sold out, but for you ATV enthusiasts, think of this as your chance to plan for 2020. The event benefits the New Hampshire ATV Club — last year’s event raised $10,000. mtwashingtonautoroad.com
57 Heroic Sacrifice
In the middle of a January night in 1982, Joe Lentini’s phone rang — two people were lost on Mt. Washington in dangerous winter conditions. The temperature was around 20 below, the wind was blowing, and visibility was terrible. Still, Lentini’s search-and-rescue team set out in the early morning to find the two men. They eventually retreated, but returned the next morning. Volunteers Albert Dow and Michael Harrich were searching O’dell’s Gully where they found tracks that might have belonged to the missing climbers. As the rest of the team convened at the bottom of the mountain, Dow and Harrich began their descent. It was then an avalanche swept through, killing Dow. He was 28 years old, and is the first and only Mountain Rescue Service volunteer to die during an active mission. In 2018, 36 years later, the Mount Washington Observatory's summit Weather Museum rededicated the Extreme Weather Exhibit in Dow’s memory. The two climbers Dow died trying to save, Hugh Herr and Jeffery Batzer, were found a day later by an Appalachian Mountain Club employee who was out snowshoeing. They were both severely frostbitten and close to death. Herr, who was 17 at the time, lost both of his legs. Today, he’s a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he is the head of the bionics lab. As a pioneer in prosthetics, he creates limbs for amputees, helping them participate in sports like mountain climbing. After Dow’s death, the Legislature passed a law making Mountain Rescue Service volunteers working under New Hampshire Fish and Game covered by both life insurance and workers compensation.
58 Our Mountain Photographers The earliest landscape photos taken in the White Mountains were daguerreotypes taken in 1841 by a Boston dentist named Samuel Bemis. Mt. Washington has played the muse for hundreds of professional photographers and countless amateurs since then. Each has in some way added to the fame and glory of its rugged peaks and slopes. The following six photographers are among the best working to capture the strange beauty of the mountain and a number of their images appear throughout this story.
Joe Klementovich specializes in environmental photography and he’s shot everything from Mt. Washington to the Everglades.
Kathie Fife is a fine art, commercial and documentary photographer who focuses on environmental conservation and historic preservation.
Greg Kretschmar of “Greg & The Morning Buzz” also photographs stunning natural scenes in New Hampshire and beyond.
Conservation photographer, filmmaker and writer Jerry Monkman can usually be found shooting nature and outdoor lifestyle images.
59 Washburn Gallery
Explorer, mountaineer and mapmaker Henry Bradford Washburn is justly famous for his pioneering black and white aerial photography of the Alps, the Grand Canyon and deep Alaska, but his very first book of images was on the Presidential Range, and a map of Mt. Washington that he produced for the Appalachian Mountain Club and the Mt. Washington Observatory is considered a classic of the art and science of cartography. The complete 1937 portfolio of 63 stunning images of Mt. Washington and the Whites was donated by Washburn and his wife Barbara (herself a remarkable explorer) to the observatory as a resource to support its work. The images, all drum-scanned from original negatives, can be purchased from the Washburn Gallery at the observatory or online from washburngallery.org.
60 The AMC
The Appalachian Mountain Club, incorporated in 1878, is the oldest and one of the most famous outdoor groups in the United States. Founded by MIT Professor Edward Charles Pickering with the goal of tracking and preserving the White Mountains of New Hampshire, the club has expanded regionally with chapters as far away as New Jersey. The AMC “hut system” maintains eight high retreats that provide creature comforts and shelter for mountain hikers in New Hampshire along with many trails, campsites and shelters throughout the Northeast. The AMC also famously administers the Four Thousand Footers Club that requires members to have hiked to and from the peaks of all 48 of the state’s 4,000-foot-plus summits including, of course, Mt. Washington.
61 Seek the Peak
Nature and landscape photographer Jim Salge captures the beauty of New Hampshire and the New England area.
The work of Bruce Luetters of 3Sixty Photography ranges from stunning portraiture and fashion to New Hampshire landscapes.
This annual hike-a-thon, happening this year from July 19 to 20, is the nonprofit Mount Washington Observatory’s largest fundraiser. Though many hikers choose the challenge of climbing Mt. Washington, there are other, less-grueling ways to participate. You can opt for an alternate mountain trek or a short nature hike. You can even sign on as a “virtual” hiker. No matter how you choose to take part, it’s a wonderful weekend that brings together like-minded outdoor enthusiasts and those who value and support the observatory’s scientific contributions. nhmagazine.com | June 2019
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Is the fifth time the charm? After four fires and four iterations of The Glen House, the brand new version is open and ready for guests. The Glen House’s history goes back to the 1850s, when John Bellows created a hotel out of a farmhouse to provide accommodations for visitors who arrived via the newly completed Grand Trunk Railway. In 1852, the property was purchased by Col. J.M. Thompson and renamed The Glen House. Guests were greeted by stunning views of Tuckerman Ravine and the northern Presidential Range.
63 Trail Mix
There is nothing easy about hiking windswept Mt. Washington. Every hike is a strenuous undertaking. Inexperience and inhospitable weather can team up for one really bad day. Misadventure finds even the most prepared. Elevation matters. Have hiking experience, know the forecast, read the trail guides, and carry the essentials. Still, Mt. Washington is a bucket list item for hikers of all abilities, but 56
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which trail should you choose? Though the steady westside Jewell Trail is a fine choice, the busy Tuckerman Ravine Trail is a magnet for Rockpile rookies. It’s an 8.4-mile round-trip journey on the mountain’s eastside, starting from the bustling AMC’s Pinkham Notch Visitor Center with its staff and store for last-minute tips and items. There’s a 4,000-plus-foot elevation gain to the morethan-mile-high summit, and the trail passes by the Hermit Lake shelters, called HoJos by old-timers, near the floor of the ravine. Tuckerman, the famed vista-filled glacial cirque, which often holds snow into summer, is named after botanist Dr. Edward Tuckerman, and its impressive headwall is favored by spring skiers. The ravine is followed by a rocky stretch to the summit. The mountain’s above-the-tree-line sections provide scenery unrivaled in the East, revealing a tundra-like landscape with tremendous rocks, fragile plants, and sweeping views to the Atlantic Ocean and awe-inspiring mountains. For a stunning clear-weather selfie, the storied 8.5-mile long Crawford Path, turning 200 this summer, gets a nod as most scenic. Considered the oldest continuously maintained footpath in the country, it’s part of the Appalachian Trail. Use it with the Ammonoosuc Ravine Trail for a memorable 9-plus mile round-trip trek on the mountain’s westside. Washington’s challenges are real, and the notorious Huntington Ravine Trail has the well-deserved reputation as the most difficult in the White Mountains. Steepness, scrambling up a precipitous talus slope called The Fan, severe ledges and exposure can create a nerve-racking day for some, while a formidable challenge for others. Throw in wet surfaces and ice, and the trail can be downright dangerous. Descending it is not suggested, as a fall in certain spots can have serious consequences. The trail is used as a 4.4-mile, one-way trek along with the Tuckerman Ravine Trail and Nelson Crag Trail to the summit. So choose your trail wisely. — Marty Basch
courtesy photo
The hotel’s location offered the opportunity to visit the area’s rugged natural attractions, such as Mount Washington, with the luxury of game rooms, parlors, library, lawn tennis and croquet. Unfortunately, the hotel was devastated by fire three times between 1884-1893. After the third fire, the hotel survived a number of years before burning down yet again in 1967. Howie Wemyss, general manager of the Mount Washington Auto Road, played a large role in the recent opening of the fifth hotel in the Glen House line. “We’ve been talking about bringing this historic hotel back for years,” says Wemyss. “It is nice to return to our hospitality roots, and complete the picture that we started talking about 25 years ago.” The new Glen House Hotel has been a long time in the making, but Wemyss says extra time to plan turned out to be a blessing in disguise. “We were ready to start building in 2008, but the recession put it on hold,” he says. “That added time allowed us to come at it again with fresh eyes and a greater push for sustainability, and the finished result is unlike anything we could have ever imagined.” The new hotel opened in September 2018, and is complete with geothermal heating and cooling, LED lighting, energy-efficient elevators and more. The hotel also features 68 rooms, an indoor heated saltwater pool, and full-service restaurant, The Notch Grille. “The hotel was built with the future in mind,” says Wemyss. “We wanted to make sure we honored the hotel’s history and family legacy, while also giving people a place to create memories with their families for years to come.”
photo by joe klementovich
62 Glen House
photo by jim salge
64 The High Huts
The Lake of the Clouds AMC hut
Within the Appalachian Mountain Club’s hut system, there are eight locations in the White Mountains known as the high huts. Placed about 6 to 8 miles apart along the Appalachian Trail, they give thru-hikers (those tackling the entire trail) and others a chance for a good night’s sleep and hot meals or simply a place to rest before moving on. The highest and most popular of this elite group is Lake of the Clouds, which is perfectly situated for those who want to climb Mt. Washington. You can get there via the 7-mile Crawford path, then use the hut to recharge before finishing the last 1.5 miles to the summit. The hike to the hut is difficult, but the views are unbeatable. If you’ve never experienced the unique beauty of the alpine world above the tree line, put Lake of the Clouds on your bucket list.
65 What’s in a Name?
bicknell thrush photo by brett hillman
Presidential Range The 19-mile Presidential Range is located mostly in Coös County, and consists of 13 mountains all named after US presidents (with one exception — see below). The tallest mountain in the range is Mt. Washington and the next is Mt. Adams. Mount Washington The famous mountain was technically named after Gen. George Washington, as he was not yet president when it was designated Mt. Washington. Manasseh Cutler In 1784, Reverend Manasseh Cutler made a statement containing the words “the base of the summit of Mount Washington,” and so the name was born. Washington This might be the most popular place name in the country, but only two
towns are named Mount Washington. Mount Washington (a city) is found in Kentucky, and Mount Washington (a town) is found in Massachusetts.
66 Bicknell’s Thrush
You need to get up pretty early in the morning in late May and early June to catch the downward spiraling bzz-bzzbzz-chic-chic-chic-churEE-churEE song of a Bicknell’s thrush — but it’s worth the effort. This rarest and shyest of the northern thrushes breeds on Mount Washington at elevations of about 3,800 to 4,500 feet. It starts singing before dawn to attract its mate, and usually stops before the sun gets much above the horizon. Luckily, the Mount Washington Auto Road company understands birders’ passion for this elusive thrush, so they offer special tours beginning at 6 a.m. during the breeding season. Tour guides know exactly where the birds can be found, giving you the best chance of laying eyes on one. Visit mtwashingtonautoroad. com/events/bicknells-thrush-tours for the schedule. — Randi Minetor, author of “Birding New England”
67 Peak Wildlife
Although it may appear inhospitable, a surprising variety of animal life thrives — or at least survives — above Mt. Washington’s tree line. Mammals are rare — only mice, shrews, fox, meadow vole and the occasional northern flying squirrel are seen. Strong winds discourage birds, although summit observers report seeing saw whet owls, grey jays and ravens. A notable exception is the rare American pipit, the only bird species found in New England that can nest only in alpine zones. Mt. Washington’s alpine zone is the only place in the world to see two species of butterfly, the White Mountain arctic, and the bright orange White Mountain fritillary. — Barbara Radcliffe Rogers nhmagazine.com | June 2019
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70 Sunrise Ascent 68 The Rise of Alton “Mr. Mount Washington” Weagle
69 The AT and Mt. Washington
Anyone who’s hiked part of the Appalachian Trail knows that the trail part is secondary; it’s a path made of mountains. There’s Clingmans Dome, the highest mountain on the trail. And then, of course, there’s Katahdin — the terminus of the AT in Maine — where the famous weather-beaten sign welcomes finishing thru-hikers. But for me, the apex of the trail, the mountain I was always walking toward, was Washington. Although I was from New Hampshire, Maggie Wallace at the summit I hadn’t actually climbed Washington when I started the AT. I was saving it, hiking the peaks that overlooked it, and knowing that one day I would “earn” the summit (with all the romance of being in my early 20s) by walking there from Georgia. I think, as a result, I had Washington built up in my mind as this unconquerable Goliath, all rime ice and rock edge. True to its reputation, when I finally climbed up onto the ridge in early September, I had to hike 5 miles in a low-visibility hail storm and seek shelter on the floor of the Lake of the Clouds Hut. Thru-hikers can’t be choosers; hiking an unbroken line from Georgia to Maine means that you can’t always pick your weather. But being caught in that storm also meant I could summit just after dawn, when the cloud sea gave way to a rare day of max visibility. I summited in time to see the first train of the day come puffing up the mountainside and unleash a crowd of people. It was a surreal experience. After nearly 2,000 miles of continuous hiking and a lifetime of standing in the shadow of the mountain, I waited in line to take a picture of the pinnacle sign. All around me stood tourists in flip-flops and jeans, eying my teal long-johns. “Did you hike up here?” One of them asked me, and I was able to answer them, “Yes, I did.” — Maggie Wallace 58
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When the Mount Washington Carriage Road (as it was known then) began in 1854, a small house was built at the 4-mile mark to house supplies and shelter workmen. Climbers stopped there to rest even before road reached the shelter in 1856. Road construction continued, and in 1857 a new structure was built to collect tolls and provide a stop for travelers on the mountain. It served that purpose until it burned in 1984. Today the site is a scenic pullout where motorists and Mount Washington Auto Road vans stop to cool brakes and engines; in the winter it is the destination of SnowCoach tours.
photo courtesy dan szczesny
71 Halfway House
72 News from Among the Clouds In 1874, Massachusetts journalist Henry Burt spent a stormy night in the Summit House on Mt. Washington. The winds inspired him to start a summer newspaper up there. Three years later, inside the old Tip-Top House building, Burt published the first Among the Clouds. By 1885 he’d built its headquarters. Chatty articles promoted the region, predicted weather, and — in brilliant marketing — printed names of guests at local hotels and riding the Cog Railway. Tourists eagerly spent 10 cents on souvenir copies. An article described the view of distant Portland, Maine, “as a low white hill, with a long light blue line beyond it.” In 1881, Burt described the moon over clouds as “almost in fairy land.” Burt died in 1899, and his son Frank H. Burt took over. The building burned in 1908, but Frank rebuilt and continued until 1917. A journalist can’t ask for a better beat. — Christine Woodside, editor of the Appalachia Journal
courtesy photos
I'm a half-mile from the summit, but today I have no view. I see only words from my copy of “Leaves of Grass” by Walt Whitman, which I am reading out loud as I walk up the road. I'm taking part in the Mount Washington Auto Road’s Alton Weagle Day, an annual event where hikers attempt to set the craziest records they can imagine in the spirit of the most famous individual associated with the mountain that you've never heard of. I am attempting to become the first person to read poetry out loud while walking. Born in 1911, Weagle set his Mt. Washington records while he was a state-registered Journalist Dan Szczesny channeling poet Walt Whitman for Alton Weagle Day mountain guide in the 1930s and 1940s. His most famous records include climbing the mountain backward, walking up barefoot, and hiking the road blindfolded. Most (in)famously, he pushed a wheelbarrow full of sugar up the road without setting it down. He set these records out of love and reverence for the mountain, like a priest paying homage to a holy place. Now, once a year, the auto road encourages mountain lovers to walk in his shoes. I do reach the top, setting a record and amusing tourists as I read from my book at the summit sign. A stiff wind blows, and I’m pretty sure Weagle is in the air signaling his approval. Have an idea for a record-setting hike? Alton Weagle Day takes place every May. Call the Auto Road at (603) 466-3988 to register. — Dan Szczesny
On August 4 before sunrise, teams will gather at the base of the Auto Road to begin this unique benefit for Adaptive Sports Partners of the North Country (ASPNC). Each group includes an adaptive athlete and “mules,” those who help the athlete get to the summit by any means necessary, making this a true team event. adaptivesportspartners.org/sunriseascent
cartoon by don bousquet originally appeared in yankee magazine
73 The Bumper Sticker
There’s surprisingly little authentic New Hampshire kitsch, probably due to the fact that the kitschiest Granite State offerings — say embroidered Yankee aphorisms, lobster keychains and moose droppings in Lucite — are all equally associated with neighboring states. Thank goodness for the “This Car Climbed Mt. Washington” bumper sticker. Last year alone, 49,000 of these simple blue, white and red stickers were distributed (along with a certificate of authenticity) to brave souls with good brakes and transmissions who made the 7.6mile drive up the Mount Washington Auto Road. There’s no official total, but they’ve been awarding them in various forms since the 1950s. Regina Ferreira, operations manager of the Auto Road, says that the sticker is world-renowned and, while you have to take the Auto Road to get one, they do replace stickers on cars that lost bumpers or incurred damage, as long as the owner supplies some evidence of what happened to the original. They get about a dozen requests in a year for such replacements, some from as far away as England, Israel and Germany. Variations have been created for special events on the mountain (such as “This ATV Climbed Mt. Washington” or “The Driver of This Car Ran Up Mt. Washington”) and there are smaller versions and even a magnet. And while, as a cartoon that ran in Yankee Magazine back in 1989 suggests, you’d think there was a huge industrial print shop cranking them somewhere, the sticker has been produced from the start by the tiny
This Don Bousquet cartoon from 1989 hangs on the wall at Sunflower Graphix.
Sunflower Graphix screen printing operation in upstate New York. Owner, manager and printer Carol Hammer says it’s been a long, friendly relationship. The original hand-rendered design came from an artist, Jim Palmer, who worked there in the ’50s and has since passed away. “Howie [Wemyss, general manager of the road] once asked me for the typeface we use, but it doesn’t exist,” says Hammer. “When they want a new one, I create letters by taking apart the original and them putting it back together again.” — Rick Broussard
74 Pinkham Notch Visitor Center and Joe Dodge Lodge
courtesy photo
It’s not the place to go if your goal is roughing it in the wilderness, but the Joe Dodge Lodge at Pinkham Notch is full of rustic touches and within easy reach of the top of the world or the middle of nowhere. Open year-round, the lodge offers accommodations like private rooms and bunkrooms with hallway bath, plus towels, linens and soap. Dinner and breakfast are included in most room packages. Guests can also enjoy a wide variety of free, walk-on programs, from guided day hikes to evening talks on astronomy and other topics.
75 Joe Dodge, the Mayor of Porky Gulch “He knew they liked to hear him swear, so he would accommodate them,” the Saturday Evening Post wrote of Joseph Brooks Dodge, beloved, admired and sometimes feared around Pinkham Notch, at the base of Mount Washington, for 51 years. Porcupines dominated the area in 1922, when Joe Dodge brought his outsize personality to the Appalachian Mountain Club’s cabins there. By 1928, Dodge had been promoted to AMC hut system manager. Until 1959 he built and transformed the huts. Dodge not only ran huts and trained their staff, he rescued hundreds of the lost. He once said he would find them by heading away from where a sensible person would go. In 1932 he cofounded the Mount Washington Observatory. In 1955, Dartmouth College awarded him an honorary degree and called Dodge “a legend of all that is unafraid, friendly, rigorously good and ruggedly expressed in the out-of-doors.” — Christine Woodside, author of “Libertarians on the Prairie” nhmagazine.com | June 2019
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76 Ancient Names
According to “The Indian Heritage of New Hampshire and Northern New England” edited by Thaddeus Piotrowski, long before European settlers arrived Mt. Washington was known by the locals as Kodaak Wadjo (“the top is so hidden” or “summit of the highest mountain”) or Agiochook or Agiocochook (“the place of the Great Spirit” or “the place of the Concealed One”). The Algonquians called it Waumbik, or “white rocks.” Contemporary natives often affectionately refer to it as simply “the Rockpile.”
Photo by Kathie Fife — Pictured is Pondicherry Wildlife Refuge in Jefferson, overlooking Moorhen Marsh and the Presidential Range. This multiuse trail is used by hikers and mountain bikers in the summer, and is groomed for snowmobiles in the winter.
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You’ve probably seen the frigid photos that look like the Mt. Washington Observatory was sprayed with white sugar frosting. Those layers and folds and spikes of white are something called rime ice, made up of a coating of tiny, opaque ice crystals formed by supercooled water droplets (or fog) freezing upon contact with an object. With so much supercooling, so much airborne water and so many curious objects, Mt. Washington is an ideal spot to observe this fascinating weather phenomenon. Rime is similar to the long lovely crystals found in lower altitudes known as hoar frost, but rime is much harder and heavier.
78 Cog Crash
In its 150 years of operation, there have only been two fatal accidents on the Cog Railway. In 1929 photographer Daniel Rossiter was killed in an accident on Old Peppersass. The worst of the two, which claimed eight lives, happened on September 17, 1967. At the time, it was the brakeman’s job to throw the switches, a complicated series of nine moves that was considered the most difficult such system in the world. For those who haven’t ridden the Cog, after the train reaches the Halfway House, which marks the middle of the trip, you approach the imposing Jacob’s Ladder, the highest and steepest railroad trestle in the world. After that daunting portion of the journey is over, the steep climb continues to Long Trestle. The track then levels off a bit as you reach Skyline Switch, located just below the summit. It was here that things went terribly wrong on that day 52 years ago. The final train of the day began the descent with a packed passenger car. As the train reached the Skyline Switch, it didn’t stop — which was perfectly normal. Back then, trains didn’t stop for switches, and the crew had no reason to believe that the switch wasn’t left in the straight position, but it wasn’t. Unlike traditional trains, the Cog uses its namesake — a cog (picture a wheel with teeth) that engages a ladder-like rack to propel the train. When the engine hit the switch, the engine rose up suddenly and crashed back down, knocking the front and rear cogs out of the rack. The engine then fell off the track, leaving the coach by itself. There were just seconds to hit the brakes before the coach’s front cog hit the switch, just as the engine’s had. The brakeman wasn’t quick enough. After it hit, the brakeman and a passenger tried to apply the brakes to the up-mountain axle, where the cog was still in the rack. It didn’t work, and the coach was riding on its wheels only, picking up speed as it started down Long Trestle. With now-useless brakes, there was no way to stop. The car fell off the trestle, smashing one end and killing eight people, three of them children. Despite that awful tragedy, the Mount Washington Cog Railway has the best safety record in the world. Today, the switches are solar-powered and automated, and the trains stop before each one, assuring it’s in the correct position. 62
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In 1911, the Weeks Act was passed and signed by President Taft. Industrial innovation was beginning to take its toll on the White Mountains region — hills were stripped of trees, and streams were clogged with sawdust and silt. The Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests, the Appalachian Mountain Club and other New England organizations hoped to conserve the area, and sought the support of Massachusetts congressman John W. Weeks. The eponymous act allowed the federal government to buy private land if the purchase was deemed necessary to protect rivers, watersheds and headwaters. It also allowed the acquired land to be preserved and maintained as a national forest. This ultimately led to the creation of the White Mountain National Forest, which includes Mt. Washington.
80 “The White Mountain”
In “The White Mountain,” journalist Dan Szczesny explores the history and mystique of Mt. Washington. Read about how this rugged landscape has reflected back a timeless history of our obsession and passion for exploration and discovery. From Hobblebush Books, $25. Learn more at danszczesny.com or hobblebush.com.
rime photo by jim salge
77 Rime Ice
79 Weeks Act
81 Annual Mt. Washington Auto Road Bicycle Hillclimb
photos courtesy of the mount washington auto road
This race is known as the toughest hillclimb in the world. The average grade is 12 percent, with long sections at 18 and the final push — the last 50 yards — is 22 percent. For nonbikers, that’s pretty much just very, very steep the whole way up. Spectator tickets go on sale at 7 a.m. on race day, August 17. mwarbh.org
83 Climb to the Clouds 82 Winging It
One of the most audacious trips to the summit was taken by Carmeno Onofrio, who made aviation history by landing the first airplane there on March 12, 1947. Because of treacherous weather, he had to try three times before he set a skiequipped, 65-horsepower 1937 Piper Cub down on the peak. He went on to make a dozen more trips the next day and a total of more than 40 landings over several weeks, hauling equipment, supplies and passengers for a weather project on the summit. Onofrio was manager of Berlin Airport, north of Mt. Washington, during those years as World War II raged across the sea. A UPI news report of Onofrio’s death in 1982 quoted Clarence Brungot of Berlin, an amateur pilot who had known Onofrio for 40 years. “‘[Onofrio] built his first airplane way back in the ’20s. He just experimented, learned to fly himself,’ said Brungot. ‘He was quite a mechanic. He built all kinds of different machinery. He was a welder, a licensed airplane mechanic. He was always puttering with something. He built his own snowblower to blow snow off the runways at the airport,’ Brungot said.”
Last held in 2017, the Mt. Washington Hillclimb — also known as The Climb to the Clouds — will return in 2020 on July 10-12. This race is one of North America’s oldest motorsports events, first run in July 1904, seven years before the first 500-mile race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and 12 years prior to the inaugural Pikes Peak Hill Climb in Colorado. The 80-car field includes some of the best drivers in the world, all competing to make the fastest drive up the Auto Road. Everyone will be vying to break Travis Pastrana’s record time — an astonishing 5 minutes, 44.72 seconds, which he set the last time the race took place in 2017. That’s quite a bit quicker than the first official time by F.O. Stanley in his Stanley Locomobile, a lengthy 2 hours and 10 minutes. Climb to the Clouds is one of the ultimate challenges for both driver and car. The 7.6-mile auto road is serpentine, lined with trees on the lower half and dramatic drop-offs that begin about halfway up. Think about that when you imagine Pastrana flying up the road with an average speed of close to 90 mph, with a top speed in excess of 130 mph above the tree line. nhmagazine.com | June 2019
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84 Muster in the Mountains
87 By the Numbers
45,000 Number of cars per season that travel the Auto Road
7.6 6,288 6 Miles in the Auto Road
Summit height in feet, making it the tallest peak in the Northeast
Alan Whitney of New Haven, Vermont, demonstrates the making of birch baskets, moccasins and knives.
On the weekend of September 6-8, Colonial reenactors, representing the French and Indian War, Revolutionary War, and Mountain Man periods from 1750 through 1840, gather at an encampment at the base of the Auto Road. It’s open to the public Friday and Saturday from 10a.m.-4p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Visitors can check out the cooking competition, 1800s firearm and cannon displays and competition, archery, blacksmithing, tomahawk and knife throwing, and other fun events. mtwashingtonautoroad.com
85 Footpath Founders
In 1819, early settlers Abel Crawford and his son, Ethan Allen Crawford, built the first footpath to the summit. It is the oldest continuously maintained footpath in the eastern US.
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86 Summit Salute Last year’s event was postponed but, thanks to sponsoring businesses, veterans of all branches of the US military will unite again at the base of the mountain for the 2019 Summit Salute this July. It’s an afternoon of fun and storytelling capped with a grilled barbecue dinner and a sunset trip to the summit (at discounted rates). For details, visit mtwashingtonautoroad. com/events/summit-salute.
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Number of acres in Mount Washington State Park, located on the summit
750,000
Number of acres in the White Mountain National Forest, which surrounds Mt. Washington
250,000 Estimated annual registered summit visitors. If you factor in hikers, it’s closer to 280,000.
photo by kathie fife
Number of states plus one country you can see from the summit on a clear day — Maine, Vermont, New York, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Canada
88 First Motorized Ascent
Completed in 1861, the road to the summitof the Northeast’s highest mountain was originally referred to as the Mt. Washington Carriage Road. Motorized vehicles were still several decades away from invention, and hearty travelers braved the elements and rough conditions in horsedrawn wagons for the four 4-hour trip to the summit. On August 31, 1899, that changed with the first motorized ascent of Mt. Washington. Freelan O. Stanley, of Stanley Steamer fame, climbed the road as a publicity stunt for the Locomobile Company, which had recently bought the manufacturing rights to his new invention. Freelan and his wife Flora drove their Locomobile from Newton, Massachusetts, to the summit of Mt. Washington — a trip which took five days to get to the base of the mountain, and then 2 hours and 10 minutes to drive to the summit. Mrs. Stanley wrote of the event: “We went on and up, up, still up, the continuous climbing being varied only by a steepness so excessive that as we looked ahead to it, we felt a sickening anxiety lest each brilliant dash should be our last ... Our engine, panting and quivering, never failed us, but pushed us bravely over seemingly impassable heights.” — Crispin Battles, marketing director for Mt. Washington Auto Road
89 It’s the Worst?
It’s the mountain’s favorite catchphrase: Home of the World’s Worst Weather. But is it true? Many weather geeks have challenged the assertion, so one named Ken Jones decided to do the research. Jones, a retired engineer who has traveled extensively, may have a tiny bias; he’s a longtime trustee of the Mount Washington Observatory. But he came away more convinced than ever that, in fact, when it comes to weather in all its forms, the summit of Mount Washington has it bad. He examined Canada’s Eureka weather station near the North Pole, Russia’s Vostok Station in the Antarctic and other likely suspects. His conclusion: “I’ve looked at data for Siberian locations from Vladivostok to Provideniya to Murmansk. None of these ticks off each box — the cold, wind and wet conditions — that Mt. Washington claims. Alaska, from Ketchikan to Barrow, offers no comparable combined bad climate. Pending further evidence, therefore, I have concluded that the summit of Mt. Washington, where cold, wet and windy conditions reign, is indeed the location of the world’s worst weather. Visit nhmagazine.com/so-is-mtwashington-really-the-worst for the complete story.
“The White Mountain Guide” is AMC’s comprehensive guide to hiking trails in the White Mountain National Forest. Hikers have relied on this book for over two centuries. With expert advice, trail coverage, trip planning, safety information and even a checklist of New England’s 4,000-footers, this guidebook is the perfect companion for planning a hike.
90 Sherman Adams Center
Once, I hiked Mt. Flume via the Osseo Trail. I heard, “Help us!” from the Flume Slide, a dangerous trail. A couple hiked past the warning signs and ended up stranded. Later, I drove them back to their car. Such scenarios happen in the White Mountains. Tourists, even experienced hikers, make mistakes, sometimes deadly. “Hike Safe” is a guideline encouraged by the NH Fish and Game and the US Forest Service. Be prepared, be knowledgeable, leave a plan. Stay together, turn back in bad circumstances. Share the code and be diligent for emergencies. There’s been two deaths on Mt. Washington in 2019, a climber in February, and a skier in April. Soon, visitors will be flocking to the White Mountains. Many visitors will ignore warning signs and attempt photo shoots or dangerous climbs. Follow the Hike Safe guidelines as though your life depends upon it, because it might. — Marianne O’Connor, author of “Haunted Hikes of New Hampshire”
Despite the recommendations of a special covernor’s commission to study the options, when the Mt. Washington summit buildings and Cog Railway were offered for sale to the state of New Hampshire, the state decided to buy only the summit and to replace the hotel with a single building. The Sherman Adams Visitor Center opened in 1980, accommodating a maximum of 400 people, far short of the numbers anticipated even then. The building houses a small cafeteria and tables, the post office, restrooms, a gift shop, the Mount Washington Observatory and its museum. — Barbara Radcliffe Rogers
91 Summit Museum photo courtesy barbara radcliffe rogers
92 The Guide
Downstairs in the Sherman Adams Visitor Center, the small Mt. Washington Observatory Museum contains exhibits on extreme weather, the formation of rime ice on towers and buildings, cold weather gear, animals of the alpine zone and other subjects relating to the summit and its weather. — Barbara Radcliffe Rogers
93 Follow the Rules and Hike Safe!
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94 A President on the Mountain
In August 1869, soon after the opening of the Cog Railway, President Ulysses S. Grant and his family made the ascent behind the Old Peppersass engine. They are pictured here on a stereopticon card, seated with other passengers in front of the Tip-Top House.
95 Marty on the Mountain
“Thirty-eight years ago, I had no idea what adventures I was in for. But it’s been a good life. The company, Channel 8, has been good to me and the Lord has been good to me but now the time has come to turn it back to the studio for the last time.” — Final broadcast by Marty Engstrom, the engineer with a Maine accent, a deadpan delivery and a infectious grin who was assigned to take care of the WMTW Channel 8 broadcast tower functioning on Mt. Washington but was told, on his first day, that he would also be doing live weather reports from the summit. Marty obliged for nearly four decades and became a beloved face and voice of the mountain.
96 Not So Dandy
Early each summer, volunteers gather to remove dandelions growing among the rocks of the summit, carefully removing any heads that have gone to seed and digging plants out by the roots. If allowed to flourish and spread their wind-borne seeds, these invasive plants could endanger other species that are part of the rare native alpine plant communities that grow here. Blowing seeds could also take root on other Presidential Range peaks. Evidently it’s working, because each year there is a decline in the number of dandelions found. — Barbara Radcliffe Rogers 66
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97 Mount Washington on the Silver Screen
Our mountainous geological lodestar has had only a few starring roles in cinema, and in the most illustrious example, it serves essentially as a “stunt double” for a somewhat more famous peak. Peter Crane, who curates the Memorial Library on the mountain, says storm scenes from the IMax documentary “Everest” were filmed on Mt. Washington. “My impression is that, after that terrible spring on Everest, the filmmakers got back and realized that, to tell their story, they needed a few visuals that they did not capture when they were in Nepal.” At the slightly more ridiculous end of the movie spectrum is “Schlitz on Mount Washington.” Lowell Thomas narrates this 22-minute film about a White Mountains tourist who ignores warnings about bad weather, pushes himself up the mountain, and soon finds himself lost in the White Mountain snow. The black-and-white film from 1935 has a certain cult status at Dartmouth College, where it’s shown to new students at the college’s Moosilauke Ravine Lodge complete with “The Rocky Horror Picture Show”-esque callbacks hollered out by members of the lodge “croo.”
98 Alpine Post Office The highest post office in the eastern US is a single tiny room in the Sherman Adams Building at the summit. It is primarily used by visitors to send mail to friends and relatives with a unique postmark. Thru-hikers on the Appalachian Trail sometimes think they can receive mail there, but for that service they must use the AMC Center at Bretton Woods. The ZIP code for the top of New England’s highest mountain is 03589. — Barbara Radcliffe Rogers
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Drive • Tour • Explore MOUNT WASHINGTON Yourself • Drive • Guided Tours
Guided tours run all day on a first-come, first-served basis. Reservations are also available online!
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(603) 466-3988 MtWashingtonAutoRoad.com 1 Mt.Washington Auto Road, Rt. 16, Pinkham Notch, Gorham, NH nhmagazine.com | June 2019
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101 No Humbug
Showman extraordinaire P.T. Barnum gave his highest praise to the carnival of delights offered by Mt. Washington with its “railway to the moon,” amazing views and death-defying inhabitants. After a trip to the top he declared it “The Second Greatest Show on Earth.”
102 Dogs on the Mountain
“Spectacular” and “magnificent” are a couple of the words commonly associated with the White Mountains’ Crawford Notch, but they also apply to the AMC’s premier White Mountains lodge, the Highland Center. Great food prepared by a dedicated staff includes a full buffet breakfast and dinner by the fire or in your room (private or shared bunks) is available. The Highland Center is home to the official AMC Library & Archives, with thousands of documents, maps, photographs, and other items dating back as far as the club’s founding in 1876.
100 The Summit Sign
The official greeter at the Summit House back when the 20th century had just begun was Leon, a St. Bernard that belonged to Col. Oscar Barron, who leased the hotel. According to one report, an annual milestone for Leon was the return of Mattie Clark, manager of the house, from Florida every spring in which “physical restraint of Leon was needed to ensure that Miss Clarke remained clothed.” Cats rule the summit now (see No. 1 on this list). The gopetfriendly.com travel blog lists Mt. Washington as the “top pet-friendly attraction” in New Hampshire but notes the following rules: Leashed pets are welcome throughout Mount Washington State Park and the White Mountain National Forest Pets are not allowed inside public buildings. Pets under voice control may be offleash in undeveloped areas of the White Mountain National Forest, but care should be taken to protect your pet from dangerous wildlife, terrain and waterfalls. Pets are not allowed on the Cog Railway or on the guided tours of Mt. Washington.
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Is the summit sign the most photographed image of all time? Probably not, but it sure makes a ton of appearances. Hikers and other summit visitors often wait in lines to have their picture taken with the unassuming elevation marker. It’s even recognized as a symbol of New Hampshire by the folks at Trader Joe’s, who created their own version (with an incongruous lobster trap) at their new Bedford store. 68
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“If I had my way, the New Hampshire state quarter wouldn’t have shown the Old Man of the Mountain: It would have shown somebody being blown over while standing on Mt. Washington. With the possible exception of border-hugging liquor stores, the “worst weather in the world” is the most New Hampshire-y thing there is. — David Brooks, “Granite Geek,” Concord Monitor columnist and reporter NH
Where the wilderness blends with city sophistication to bring you unique, quality merchandise Spruce Hurricane has been the Mt. Washington Valley’s premier specialty boutique since 1992. Family owned and operated, our goal is to provide the best in personal service and fabulous merchandise in our distinct mountain chic style. Our inventory includes world renowned designers, one of a kind items, as well as your favorite manufacturers of clothing and accessories. We welcome you to join us for a shopping experience that delights the senses with color, texture and artistry.
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“To forget how to dig the earth and tend the soil is to forget about ourselves.” – Mahatma Gandhi
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Local Dish 74 Health 76 Seniority 78 Events Listing 84 Dining Out 91 Ayuh 96
FIRST PERSON
Rescuing the Rhubarb
Some trespasses require no forgiveness by Rebecca Tuttle
I
t was a cold day in early April and almost dark when I set out to rescue the rhubarb. I was trespassing, with my shovel and bushel basket, on what had been, until just a few months before, my family farm. My brother Will, 65 years old, in debt, in pain and discouraged, had sold the land that had sustained our family on Dover Point since the 1630s. Will, our sister Lucy and I were to be the last of 11 generations to work the soil that was the Tuttle Farm, the oldest continuing family farm in America. Heartbroken as I was, still I was glad that the buyer was another farmer, one who could bring new energy and ambition (not to mention new capital) into cultivating the land, and who would revitalize the famous farmstand my parents had opened in 1956. It was deep winter when the new owner took possession. The Oven Field was covered with snow. So were the Gilman Field, the 300 Field and the lower pasture near where the barn used to be. In that lower pasture was the rhubarb, 10 rows of it, lying dormant under its snowy winter blanket. For at least a century, those same rhubarb roots had, year after year, survived the New Hampshire winters and pushed their new spring shoots up through the frosty April soil, unfurling wrinkled green leaves as their tender red stalks grew longer and thicker. By mid-May, decade after decade, there had been a reliable crop of rhubarb for the generations of my family to pull, trim, wipe with a rag, and sell to our eager customers. About every five years or so, when the rhubarb patch got too weedy and the stalks too thin from competition, the underground crowns would have to be dug up, divided, and moved to a new field. This would be done
in the early spring, just as the season’s new growth was emerging. First, the new field would be plowed and harrowed smooth, then lines drawn in the soft soil to keep the rows straight. The big gnarly crowns, with their long roots and just-awakened buds, were split into pieces with a spade, then each piece dropped into a hole and covered with soil. Then the aisles between the new rows would be mulched with straw, and the original line would continue, in a different place, more bountifully than before. Rhubarb is such a wonderfully early crop, arriving on the heels of a long New Hampshire winter. When I was growing up in the 1950s and ’60s, there wasn’t much fresh food to be found out of season, and what there was was of poor quality (said my father) and too expensive. After months of canned and frozen food, it was a treat for me to run across the pasture, where there might still be a few lingering patches of snow in the shady spots, and then down the farm road to see if the rhubarb was up. If it was, I could pull a short red stalk and bite the tender end, puckering up with delight from the tart springtime freshness of it. When the rhubarb was big enough to sell, we’d open the farmstand for the season. The stalks of our rhubarb were such an unusually bright, deep red that when they were cooked, the resulting sauce (slightly sweetened and still warm, delicious on vanilla ice cream) was a bright, almost neon, pink. Customers and other farmers would often ask what the variety was, but none of us could say. There was no one still living who knew the answer. Who had planted those first crowns so long ago? My brother Will didn’t know, nor did my father, or my grandfather. It could have been my great-great-granduncle William, the white-bearded Quaker I knew nhmagazine.com | June 2019
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FIRST PERSON
The author, Rebecca Tuttle, poses with her dad for a photo in front of the fields near Tuttle’s Red Barn circa 1980.
only from a few ancient photographs in the farmhouse where my grandparents had lived. It would be a good guess; Uncle William, who had died in 1911, well into his 80s, was the one who had, just after the Civil War, built the first greenhouse on the farm. He had sold boxes of petunia plants for passersby to take home and transplant into their gardens. He had grown and sold the first tomatoes (they were then widely thought to be poisonous, but he disagreed). It was Uncle William who had taught his favorite grand-nephew, my grandfather Penn Tuttle, the history of our family on that piece of fertile land between two tidal rivers on the New Hampshire seacoast. We were direct descendants of John Tuttle, who had sailed from England in 1635 with a King’s land grant for 20 acres in the settlement of what would become Dover, New Hampshire. The succeeding generations of Tuttles, for well over three centuries, had continued to live on and cultivate that land, gradually adding acreage to the original grant. They survived wars and diseases, massacres, failed crops and hurricanes. No doubt they also experienced love and joy and pride in their work and in their sons and daughters and grandchildren. Over the centuries they built a log cabin, and then a four-square Colonial house. They put up a barn to shelter their livestock and store their hay. They were founding members of a Quaker meeting house and a one-room school. They cut ice from a nearby pond, and built an icehouse in which to store it. They built a sawmill and made their own bricks on the riverbank. And one of those Tuttles, one spring day long forgotten, planted a few crowns of rhubarb. 72
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When my brother was giving the new owner a tour of the farm late that fall, he proudly showed him the rhubarb patch and related what he knew of its history. Soon the papers were signed, the check written, the agreement final. The farm, the famous farmstand, and the four-square Colonial house our ancestors had built now belonged to someone else. On that cold April day some months after the farm had been sold, my brother called me with some bad news: the entire rhubarb field had been plowed and harrowed under. Worse, it had been sprayed with Roundup, the broad-spectrum herbicide that kills every living plant it touches. Whether it was a mistake by the new owner or deliberate, the news gutted me. Somehow it was easier for me to accept the loss of the farm than the loss of the rhubarb. Or maybe the loss of the rhubarb was something more tangible; something I could fathom. Something not so enormous and overwhelming. And maybe, unlike with the more monumental loss, there was something I could do about it. Late that afternoon I pulled on my boots and warm coat and gloves. I grabbed a shovel and a basket and tentatively stepped onto what was now someone else’s land. When I got to where the rhubarb had been, I dug and dug, with no luck. The pieces I found were too small, too damaged, to save. I moved to the outer edges of the field, where I thought the tractor could have missed a plant or two. Just under the surface I found a few partial crowns, sliced by the harrow but evidently missed by the plow, with a few bruised roots still attached. There would be no way to know if they would live through their dousing with
With the closing of our farmstand a year before the land was sold, my sister and I had needed new jobs. The two of us went to Riverside Farm, just over the border in Maine. We asked the owner, our cousin Dave Tuttle, if he could use a couple of strong and willing farm girls, even if we were, like him, nearing retirement age. He said yes, and we began to take root there. Dave’s father and our grandfather had been brothers, both farmers. Dave had his own fond memories of the Dover Point farm and, like us, had mourned its loss. When I explained to Dave what had happened to our rhubarb, he agreed immediately to try to help save it. He prepared a new spot for the torn and battered crowns and planted them in a separate row, alongside his own rhubarb. We were both skeptical; Roundup is strong stuff and we didn’t want to get our hopes up. On a warm day in May, a few weeks after he had planted the crowns, Dave came into his greenhouse where I was busy transplanting tomato seedlings. “Come look at this!” he said with an excited grin. I climbed into his muddy pick-up and off we went across his fields to the rhubarb patch. And there they were: the first wrinkled green leaves just beginning to emerge from the soil. During its long life on Dover Point, that original rhubarb had survived its own catastrophes: droughts and floods, botrytis, stem borers, spider mites and hungry deer. Not even Roundup and that merciless steel harrow could kill it. Not all of it. One spring day a few years from now, it’ll be time to dig those Tuttle crowns at Riverside Farm and separate them yet again, increasing their number. A new generation. Cousin Dave’s grandkids and mine will know the story. The rhubarb is home. NH
Left: Author Rebecca Tuttle today Right: This children’s book on Tuttle’s Red Barn helps keep alive the story of America’s oldest continuously operated family farm.
photos courtesy of rebecca tuttle
Roundup until I planted them somewhere else. I filled the basket with the few wounded survivors, wiping away tears with a muddy glove. I knew where I would take them.
Savor local flavor.
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LOCAL DISH
Tiramisu With Strawberries A traditional Italian dessert with a fresh twist
The decadent tiramisu from the former Bellini’s in North Conway was formidable in size, with a flavorful combination of eggs, mascarpone and cocoa. Today, that Seavey Street location is Vito Marcello’s Italian Bistro. Chef Marcello bought the restaurant in 2010, changing the name but keeping an epic tiramisu on the menu. Marcello did make some changes — he built a beautiful bar and patio, and added his father and grandfather’s Italian recipes to the menu. His tomato sauces are legendary, and can be ordered at vitofoods.com. If you’d like to skip right to dessert, Marcello shares his summer take on tiramisu.
3 large local eggs, yolks and whites separated 1 cup espresso or strong coffee 1/2 cup sugar 1 pint strawberries, sliced (reserve 4 berries for garnish) 2 tablespoons dark rum 8 ounces mascarpone cheese at room temperature 2 tablespoons cocoa powder 12 ladyfingers (dry ones work best) Combine the 3 egg yolks, 1 tablespoon espresso, sugar and rum in a large bowl. Beat 2 to 3 minutes. Add mascarpone and beat until smooth, about 3 to 5 minutes. In another clean bowl, combine egg whites and a pinch of sugar. Beat until stiff peaks form. Gently fold into mascarpone mixture. Quickly dip each ladyfinger into remaining espresso and layer on bottom of small glass dish, wine glass or individual parfait cups. Arrange the strawberries around and over the ladyfingers, spread mascarpone mixture over the ladyfingers and strawberries, and sprinkle with cocoa. Refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving. Garnish with strawberries. Please note: Only use fresh, local eggs to avoid risk of salmonella. If unsure, there are directions on the internet for how to pasteurize them. Pasteurized eggs can also be purchased, but the whites will not whip as quickly.
Vito Marcello’s Italian Bistro 45 Seavey St. North Conway (603) 356-7000 vitofoods.com Dinner only, closed Monday and Tuesday From left: Special guest Salvatore Ferragamo, vinter from Il Borro Wines in Tuscany, will be at the Bistro June 21 to suggest wine pairings with Vito Marcello’s dishes.
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June 22: The Cranmore Food & Wine Event will feature cooking demonstrations by Chef Vito Marcello and wine sampling from Pine State and Southern Glazer’s paired with food samples from Vito Marcello’s Italian Bistro and Cranmore Mountain. Tickets are $75 per person. New Hampshire Magazine is a proud sponsor of this event.
Q&A: SPECIAL PROMOTION
CCSNH an affordable, accessible path to in-demand careers With higher education costs soaring, community colleges are giving New Hampshire residents access to opportunity, convenience and transfer options at a fraction of the price. The pathway to in-demand careers, quite often, begins at a community college. We reached out to Shannon Reid, Director of Communications for the Community College System of New Hampshire, to learn why there is such a buzz about these colleges, and how they can open doors for so many Granite Staters. Why are we hearing so much about community colleges lately? “Because community colleges are a very smart choice for today’s students. This is true if you want to begin a four-year degree pathway at a more affordable cost, as well as if you want to learn the skills for a profession. Community college graduates who earn a 2-year associate degree enjoy among the highest employment rates in the state and nation, because our programs are aligned with the exciting opportunities in today’s economy. Community colleges are also among the most affordable options for students – in-state tuition for a full-time NH student is about $6,500 per year, well under what most colleges charge, plus financial aid can offset that cost. How would you like to graduate with a great educational experience, exciting opportunities for your future, and a fraction of the student loan debt others will have?” Can I earn my four-year (bachelor’s) degree? “CCSNH has many transfer pathways and partnerships with four-year colleges and universities. Every year, hundreds of students earn a two-year associate degree at a New Hampshire community college and transfer into a bachelor’s degree program at another college or university. Students can also complete a certificate program in less than two years and accelerate into a career – there are a lot of options at community colleges!”
Taking the next step to higher education
Students can enroll in a specific major, like computer science, culinary arts or radiologic technology. Others may have a general idea of what they like – for instance healthcare, hospitality or business – but are not sure exactly what program to major in. That’s OK – our programs are grouped into broad ‘focus areas’ so you can take courses that match your general area of interest and then refine your course choices and major as you go. Or you can start in a field like general studies, which provides a broad foundation for many options as you go forward.” I like online learning for convenience, but wouldn’t want a totally online experience. Can I combine how I earn my degree? “Students have many options to choose from, including courses taken on campus, online, or in ‘hybrid’ courses which combine some class time with some online aspects. Many students access all of these formats on their way to earning a degree.”
The Path Starts Here!
I’d like to play sports in college – do you offer interscholastic teams? “Two of New Hampshire’s community colleges – NHTI in Concord and Great Bay Community College in Portsmouth – offer interscholastic sports programs. Students compete as members of the Yankee Small College Conference (YSCC) and the United States College Athletic Association (USCAA).” Where are NH’s community colleges? “Main campuses are located in Nashua, Portsmouth, Manchester, Concord, Laconia, Claremont, and Berlin. We also have academic centers in North Conway, Lebanon, Keene, and Rochester – so a start to your college education is close by.” How do I learn more? “From www.ccsnh.edu , you can find links to all seven of New Hampshire’s community colleges and see what programs are offered by each, which campuses offer housing, and more.”
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What if I’m not sure what to major in? “Some students know exactly what their career interest is and what program to take. nhmagazine.com | June 2019
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HEALTH
— Nancy Ramirez, RN, IBCLC
Lifting the Guilt
Natural doesn’t necessarily mean easy — breastfeeding struggles are common BY KAREN A. JAMROG
Y
ears ago, I heard a lactation specialist describe breast milk as “liquid gold.” She was referring to the panoply of health benefits that breast milk bestows upon infants. These days, many women are aware that breastfeeding provides a range of advantages over feeding babies formula. Breastfeeding is not always an easy thing to do, though. And for those who struggle, breastfeeding can be a source of tremendous distress. With some regional differences, nationwide and in New Hampshire, about 80 percent of women initiate breastfeeding, according to Wendy Jordan, BS, IBCLC, a lactation consultant at Seacoast Lactation Services in Exeter. Many women fail to exclusively breastfeed for the recommended
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six months, however, and often stop breastfeeding much earlier — in some instances, due to feelings of frustration, defeat and failure as a mom. “When a mom can’t breastfeed her baby and that’s what her plan was,” Jordan says, “it’s very emotional. We’re talking about our babies, and we feel very strong emotions. ... Whether it’s breastfeeding or something else, we feel guilty when we can’t give our children everything.” One of a parent’s primary tasks in the early days after a baby’s birth is to feed the child, “so having that first thing not work out is really a blow to mom,” Jordan says, “and it’s not just because they want the best for their baby; it’s also tied up with thinking about ‘What kind of mom am I?’ It’s all
wrapped up in a lot of things.” Breastfeeding difficulties can be especially tough on women whose social circle or culture stresses the importance or expectation of breastfeeding. Women who want to breastfeed but don’t “can feel a sense of grief and loss, just like they can feel a sense of grief and loss when they had a cesarean delivery instead of a vaginal delivery,” says Nancy Ramirez, RN, IBCLC, a lactation consultant at Elliot Hospital. “[But] they shouldn’t feel judged or stigmatized. They should be supported no matter what [their] feeding choice is.” It’s clear, however, that science supports breastfeeding over formula. “We say, ‘breast is best’ because there’s really no point of comparison,” Jordan says. “Breast milk is a biochemical, live substance, specific to the mom and the needs of the baby.” Formula-fed babies can be perfectly healthy, of course, but they are at greater risk of certain health problems, including ear infections, diabetes, obesity and some cancers. In comparison, breast milk provides complete nutrition for baby’s growth and development and lowers the baby’s chances of an array of health troubles, including asthma, sudden infant death syndrome, diabetes, childhood leukemia, ear infections, diarrhea, respiratory infections, childhood obesity and eczema. It also helps the mother
illustration by emma moreman
“They shouldn’t feel judged or stigmatized. They should be supported no matter what [their] feeding choice is.”
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recover from childbirth faster and lowers her risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and breast and ovarian cancer, Ramirez says. Still, some mothers choose not to breastfeed for a variety of reasons — they believe it will be too big a commitment and will virtually tether them to their baby. Others are uncomfortable with the idea of breastfeeding, or just don’t have any interest in doing it, Ramirez says. They like that formula is measurable and allows anyone to feed the baby. Many women who do choose to breastfeed are surprised to discover that it requires some guidance and practice. “There’s this misconception that it will be easy,” Jordan says. “There are many natural processes that we do have to learn, and that’s what [breastfeeding] is — it’s a process.” Finding breastfeeding awkward or difficult, she says, is more common than feeling that it is a breeze to master. Indeed, breastfeeding is a learned skill, and cultural and societal
factors have created a dearth of what might have been women’s teachers. “Mother Nature intended [for] us to learn how to breastfeed our whole lives long by watching our mothers breastfeed our younger siblings, our neighbors breastfeed, [and] our friends breastfeed,” Ramirez says. “But in 2019, in the US and in New Hampshire, we miss out on that natural learning, and the link — our own mothers — might not have breastfed. Our natural teachers aren’t always skilled or available.” Fortunately, professional help is readily available to more women today, with hospitals, doctors’ offices, and communities providing resources and support groups. “The majority of women are biologically capable of breastfeeding, barring very few medical disorders,” Ramirez says. “Mostly it’s the management of breastfeeding that women get into trouble with.” “The majority of women,” she says, “given time and support, will succeed with breastfeeding.” NH
Breastfeeding at work
Good news for Granite State moms: New Hampshire has earned high marks for its initiatives that support new moms and infant nutrition, and on the federal level, employers covered under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) — which includes most, though not all, workplaces — must now provide time for women to express milk, and a private space that is not a bathroom for women to use each time they need to pump breastmilk. “It’s been a huge step forward in workplace support,” says Nancy Ramirez, RN, IBCLC, a lactation consultant at Elliot Hospital. Plus, thanks to the Affordable Care Act, Ramirez says, breast pumps are covered in most cases. Increased access to breast pumps — lifesavers for many women, regardless of whether the women work outside the home — “has actually helped increase breastfeeding rates, because it allows flexibility for the mother. She can go back to work, she can go out for an evening with friends, she can go out on a date.”
For more information: See womenshealth.gov/supporting-nursing-moms-work/what-law-says-about-breastfeeding-and-work/what-breastfeeding-employees and dol.gov/ whd/regs/compliance/whdfs73.htm.
Here for you when you need us. Whether it’s a routine checkup or treatment for an illness, CMC’s Primary Care is dedicated to keeping you and your family well.
Where heart meets health.
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Catholic Medical Center has been recognized as an NCQA Patient-Centered Medical Home for committing to continuous quality improvement and comprehensive care.
NOW WELCOMING NEW PATIENTS. Call CMC’s Access Line at 603.314.4750 to find a provider who’s right for you. CatholicMedicalCenter.org nhmagazine.com | June 2019
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SENIORITY
Stopping Abuse
Steps you can take to prevent elder abuse BY LYNNE SNIERSON
H
ave you heard about the latest grandma scam? The honest answer is, “Which one?” There are so many con jobs to trick vulnerable seniors into handing over their life savings that it’s hard to keep current. Financial exploitation is but one of the different types of elder abuse, with physical, verbal, emotional and sexual abuse, and neglect and self-neglect as the others, and the effects are devastating and often irreparable. Watchdog groups find there are more than 5 million victims being taken for more than $3 billion each year in the United States through financial abuse alone, and the numbers for all types of abuse cases are climbing even though the widespread problem remains seriously underreported. New Hampshire is no exception. “This is a vulnerable population. The victims cut across all socioeconomic and educational levels. Elder abuse of all
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types can affect anyone and come from anywhere,” says Rachel Lakin, the adult protective services administrator for the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services. She adds that in state fiscal year 2018 the agency received 3,156 reports to be investigated because they met the criteria and, of those, 2,456 were for people over the age of 60. “We’re the second-oldest state in the country, and as the population continues to rapidly age, this problem is only going to get bigger.” The standardized definition of elder abuse is to knowingly commit an intentional or negligent act that causes harm or serious risk of harm to a vulnerable adult. Those working in the banking industry are all too familiar with the fallout. “We see all the scams. The romance scam, the Publishers Clearing House scam where they think they’ve won a million dollars or are getting a Mercedes, the sheriff called and
is coming to arrest me if I don’t send money to pay back taxes scam. The my grandchild is in trouble scam. All of them,” says Susan Bonenfant, the compliance officer for the Salem Cooperative Bank and its branch across the border in Massachusetts. “Generally, the scammers tell them to take out the cash from the bank and go to a store and get a money card and then call them with the numbers on the back.” Federal banking regulations require that suspicious activity involving an elder is reported to the government, but there is no mandate to file a report with elder services. Nonetheless, some financial institutions, from a local bank to a major monetary concern, now have set up guardrails to combat the problem. Bonenfant is a warrior for the senior set. “We’re not social workers here, but we are hot on the trail looking out for any elder who is taking out an unusual amount of money. There are different red flags. We have a process in place, and although it’s not a policy, it is a guideline for employees to recognize the certain types of elder abuse, exploitation and even the diminishment of their capabilities,” she explains. “I provide all employees with a form to fill out with why they are worried about an elder. We are trained to handle it. We immediately will look at the account activity, talk to the customer and may ask further questions, and then we decide whether a report needs to be made to elder services.” Isolation and loneliness are open doors to abuse and the telephone often is the weapon. Predatory practitioners know this all too well and are manipulative and controlling when sweet-talking a targeted senior. “My best advice is don’t answer your phone. I’m serious. I say that to elders all the time. If it’s important and the caller is legitimate, they will leave a message and then you can go back and listen to it when you’re relaxed and not put on the spot, and you can think about it and then decide whether to call back. I promise you, though, you’re not going to want to once you can take a breath and think it over,” Bonenfant says. “If you do answer these calls, don’t engage. Not at all. There is a value to the lists that the scammer sell to each other so, if you answer your phone, you’re on a list that you are a person who may bite and then you have more value. The more you don’t answer your phone, the less value you have to them.” Experts say that the best defenses against
illustration by victoria marcelino
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elder abuse of all types are to have open conversations — without lecturing — to raise awareness and empower seniors to report if they have been victimized, and to always check on family, friends and neighbors. “There is no easy fix to stopping elderly abuse, but awareness is huge. Have those conversations. This is great advice that I share: If you have an elderly person who is vulnerable in any way who you’re concerned James Folan, Jr.; Lynda Brislin, Windham Terrace Executive Director; and, resident James Folan, Sr. about, you should visit them every day. If you can’t visit them every day, you should at least contact them every day. That’s when you’re going to pick up on things they might say like ‘I’ve got a new friend now,’” says Lakin. “Keep an eye out. Be aware. Pay atLocation. Laughter. And Lynda. Call (603) 437-4600 today! tention. But in New Hampshire that’s a hard thing. We tend to think inherently that good Premier Community • Apartments /Studios • Long & Short Stays • Activities fences make good neighbors. But looking Dining • 24-Hour Care /Assistance • Medication Management • Memory Care out for others is a good thing to do.” New Hampshire was one of the first states to enact an Adult Protection Statute [RSA Best Assisted Living Community 161-F:42-57] and was also one of the first to 3 Church Rd | Windham, NH 03087 include mandatory reporting in its law. The WindhamTerrace.com reporting requirement, enacted in 2015 and updated since then, is comprehensive and not limited to professionals as it stipulates that all individuals are required to report. Immunity is granted to those who do. Moreover, in 2016 New Hampshire’s WINTJ7809 NH Magazine Complimentary.indd 1 3/28/19 Department of Justice established the Elder Abuse and Exploitation Unit, comprising prosecutor Brandon Garod and victim advocate Sunny Mulligan Shea, to prevent, investigate, and prosecute crimes involving elderly victims of abuse, neglect and financial exploitation on a statewide basis. “Brandon is doing great work. We collaborate whenever we can. If we have to interview an alleged victim, we often do it together so we’re not putting the person through it twice. It works out well,” says Lakin, who adds victims are often too ashamed, embarrassed, frightened, ill or incapacitated to self-report. For anyone needing assistance or to file a report, the Elder Abuse Advisory Council of the NH Department of Health and Human Services (dhhs.nh.gov/dcbcs/beas/ elderabusecouncil.htm) has 12 district offices statewide from Berlin to Salem and Keene to Portsmouth, and can be contacted at (800) 949-0470 or (603) 271-7014. After-hours and on weekends and holidays, call local authorities at 911. The New Hampshire Department of Justice unit (doj.nh.gov/consumer/elder-abuse/index.htm) can be reached at (603) 271-3658. All calls are confidential. NH
Why did we choose Windham Terrace Assisted Living?
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Summer Fun
Bringing You Nearer to Nature
nhnature.org | 603-968-7194 | Holderness, NH
Make a day of it! Walk on the wild side to see live animals and enjoy a cruise on Squam Lake.
urs a s o Din
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Calendar OUR FAVORITE EVENTS FOR SUMMER 2019
Circus director Mark Lonergan and a team of professional circus artists team up with Opera North again this summer for Singers and Swingers, Volume 2. Join the incredible team at Blow-Me-Down Farm as they celebrate American dreams with the music of Copland, Gershwin, Rodgers and Hammerstein and more. $25-$50. Times vary, BlowMe-Down Farm, 364 New Hampshire 12A, Cornish. (603) 448-0400; lebanonoperahouse.org
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7/12-7/14 Hoedown at Blow-Me-Down Big Apple
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Preston St., Hillsboro. (603) 464-5858; balloonfestival.org
7/13-7/14
30th Annual Craft Fair at the Bay Celebrate summer by attending this crafty event. The Lake Winnipesaukee waterfront will come alive with color, flavor and music. Over 75 artisans from around New England will display and sell their handmade arts and crafts. Delicious specialty foods will also be available to sample. Free. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Alton Bay Community House & Grounds, 24 Mt. Major Hwy., Alton Bay. (603) 332-2616; castleberryfairs.com
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7/18-7/21
7/19-7/21 Foxwoods Resort Casino 301 If you haven’t taken the plunge to attend a NASCAR race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, here is your chance. The weekend features three days of exciting on-track action for one of New England’s biggest parties of the summer. The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series will be taking center stage for the Foxwoods Resort Casino 301 on Sunday. The weekend will also feature the NASCAR Xfinity Series and the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour. Be there to see Kevin Harvick defend his 2018 Foxwoods 301 victory. Prices and times vary. New Hampshire Motor Speedway, 1122 NH-106, Loudon. (603) 783-4931; nhms.com
Fairs & Festivals 6/2
Fairy, Wizard and Dragon Festival Dress up your little fairies, wizards and dragons, and head down to the Kimball Jenkins Esate for arts and crafts, a puppet show by Lindsay and her Puppet Pals, a tea party, fairy houses, a magical dance party and so much more. Proceeds for this event will go toward scholarships for local children to attend their summer arts camp. $10-$12. 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Kimball Jenkins Estate, 266 N. Main St., Concord. (603) 225-3932; kimballjenkins.com
6/14-6/16
Ribfest & Food Truck Festival This amazing festival will feature great food, music, kids’ activities and beer. While you enjoy pulled pork, other delicious barbecue and games, your kids can take part in bounce houses, obstacle courses and more. Proceeds from the event will support the Merrimack Rotary Club. The new organizers are hoping to attract about 20,000 visitors, so don’t forget to snag your ticket before they are gone. $4-$25. 4 to 7 p.m., Budweiser Brewery, 221 Daniel Webster Highway, Merrimack. greatamericanribfest.com
6/20-6/22
Concord Market Days Festival Celebrate summer in the capital with this annual free fest. Throughout the weekend, visitors — who generally number in the tens of thousands — can enjoy hundreds of vendors and exhibitors, concerts in both Eagle and Bicentennial Squares and a beer tent smack dab in the middle of the festival. The
weekend also coincides with the Capital City 10K, in case you like your street food served with a side of athleticism. Free. Main Street, Concord. (603) 226-2150; intownconcord.org
7/2-8/1
New Hampshire Music Festival Classical music lovers, your season has arrived. Venues throughout Plymouth and Wolfeboro come alive for this festival with the sounds of orchestras, choruses and professional soloists on instruments and voice. Highlights of the five-week fest include Beethoven’s Triple Concerto and Prokofiev’s “Romeo and Juliet.” Dates, times and locations vary. Wolfeboro and Plymouth. (603) 238-9007; nhmf.org
7/11
White Mountain Jewish Film Festival This five-film series presents an array of unforgettable films describing the Jewish experience and culture. At each pre-film reception, the film will be introduced by a unique guest speaker who will be leading a lively Q&A session following the film. The line-up includes “The German Doctor,” “Trumbo” and “The Women’s Balcony.” $45. 6 p.m., The Colonial Theatre, 2050 Main St., Bethlehem. bethlehemcolonial.org
7/11-7/14
Hillsboro Balloon Fest and Fair From live music and a parade to a fairway full of carnival rides, this legendary festival is packed with activities. These majestic hot air vehicles take off daily at 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. For a free spectacle, stick around till dusk on Friday night. Grimes Field, 29
Stratham Fair Fair season gets underway in July, and the season-opener honors go to Stratham. For the classic fair experience, grab some fried food, stroll the fairway, and settle in for a concert or tractor pull, but don’t overlook the 4-H festivities. Dog shows are shows that are great for little animal lovers, rowdy swine shows are perfect for rambunctious boys, and the buildings housing “nonwalking” projects, such as photography and sewing, are tailor-made for moms and dads who need a break from funnel cake fumes and July sun. $5-$10. Thurs 3 to 10 p.m., Fri-Sun 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., Stratham Fairgrounds, 270 Portsmouth Ave., Stratham. (603) 772-4977; strathamfair.com
8/1-8/3
SoulFest Celebrating music, love and action, this annual festival is held in the picturesque mountains and lakes region of Gilford. As New England’s largest Christian festival, SoulFest has become a summer staple for people to come and camp, shop, and enjoy three days of speakers and music. This summer’s lineup includes performances by Bethel Music, Switchfoot, For King & Country, Sarah Reeves and many more. Go for an evening of fun or stay the whole weekend and make an adventure out of it, either way it is sure to be a one-of-a-kind experience. $50-$3,000. Times vary, Gunstock Mountain Resort, 719 Cherry Valley Rd., Gilford. (978) 3464577; thesoulfest.com
8/3-8/11
League of NH Craftmen’s Fair Start clearing out the car — you’ll want plenty of trunk space for this. Artisans and crafters from around the state set up shop at this massive fest, which boasts 25,000 attendees annually and the title of the oldest continuously running craft fair in the US. Come ready to shop or just ready to learn and admire, either in the learn-how-it’s-made workshops scattered throughout the week or in the exhibition building full of curated art shows. There’s also live music, chances to meet artisans one-on-one and other fun events held throughout the week. Mount Sunapee Resort, 1398 Rte. 103, Newbury. (603) 763-3500; nhcrafts.org
8/23-8/24
Moose Festival Head to Colebrook the weekend before Labor Day to celebrate all things “moose.” This year’s festivities include live music, arts and crafts vendors, horse and wagon rides, and rumor has it there is even a moose-calling contest. There will also be a dog show, maple syrup tasting contest and the classic car show. Bring the whole family to this old-time fun event that showcases the many diverse talents and services in the North Country. 3 to 8 p.m., Downtown Main Street, Colebrook. (603) 237-8939; chamberofthenorthcountry.com nhmagazine.com | June 2019
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6/8
Hoofbeats 5K-NH Rare Disorders Association Enjoy live music, snacks and great door prizes at this all-abilities 5K. The level wheelchair-and-stroller friendly course is 5K certified and professionally timed. Proceeds benefit the NH Rare Disorders Association, which provides medical education, advocacy and outreach to support those with rare conditions. $20. 8 a.m., NHTI, 31 College Dr., Concord. nhraredisordersassociation.org
6th Annual Newmarket Veterans Memorial Golf Tournament This event will feature 18 holes of golf (with carts included) in a four-person shotgun scramble format. There will also be lots of side contests, an air cannon, raffles and prizes. A continental breakfast and barbeque lunch will also be provided. This tournament will benefit the Newmarket Veterans Memorial Trust Committee efforts in building a new Veterans Memorial to be located at the town library. $90. Rockingham Country Club, 200 Exeter Rd., Newmarket. (603) 205-5314; newmarketnh.gov
6/3
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6/1
Paws on the Pavement 5K Join the Animal Rescue League of NH for their dog-friendly 5K run/walk. Not only do you have the opportunity to participate with your dog, but when you register, you can feel good about helping animals in need. $5-$50. 9 a.m., Northeast Delta Dental Stadium, 1 Delta Dr., Concord. (603) 472-3647; rescueleague.org
6/13
Sippin’ for Seals Sample delicious bites prepared by local chefs, sip on cocktails by the sea, and tear up the dance floor to live music in support of the Seacoast Science Center’s Marine Mammal Rescue Program. The Atlantic Grill’s master bartender will be concocting a special drink just
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Seacoast Family Promise Charity Golf Tournament Seacoast Family Promise is an amazing local nonprofit that serves families experiencing homelessness. This golf tournament will feature a hole-in-one contest with the chance to win a 2019 Subaru Ascent, a hickory hole challenge and a putting green contest. Players will have the opportunity to win prizes throughout the day for the longest drive, closest-to-the-pin and overall winners. There will be an additional opportunity for foursomes from local faith communities to play for the Swing for Seacoast Challenge. The winner will take home the Swing for Seacoast trophy and gift certificate. $125. 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., Pease Golf Course, 200 Grafton Rd., Portsmouth. (603) 658-8448; seacoastfamilypromise.org
for the event. Purchase tickets to try your luck at winning your favorite bottle of wine in the Wall of Wine Raffle, or buy a signature seal light-up pen and join in on the heads-or-tails raffle game for a chance to win the grand prize basket. $50. 6 to 9 p.m., Seacoast Science Center, 570 Ocean Blvd., Rye. (603) 436-2235; seacoastsciencecenter.org
7/19-7/20
Seek the Peak Hike-a-Thon There are plenty of charity jogs out there, but how often can you say you bagged the tallest peak in New England for a cause? This fundraiser for Mount Washington Observatory bills itself as the nation’s premier hiking event. The centerpiece is a trek up the mountain’s 6,288 feet, but you can also participate through a shorter climb or walk (organizers have several suggestions available near the center of the action) or as a donation-only “virtual hiker.” $10. Fri 4 to 9 p.m., Sat 6 a.m. to 7 p.m., Mount Washington Observatory, 2779 Mount Washington Hwy., North Conway. (603) 356-2137; seekthepeak.org
Sports & Recreation 6/8-6/16
Laconia Motorcycle Week You might know our local Bike Week best as a Lakes Region traffic headache, but if you’ve never stopped in for the festivities, this may be your year. The 96-yearold rally includes as much tasty food, rockin’ live tunes and interesting historical motorcycle programming as rough-and-tumble biker appeal. Prices and times vary with event, Weirs Beach. (603) 366-2000; laconiamcweek.com
6/22
White Mountains Triathlon Not only is this athletic event among the most scenic triathlons in the state, it’s also the only one with a whole festival built around it. Over two days, runner-biker-swimmers can participate in either the sprint, half-Iron man or Olympic distance races, and they can hang around for a Saturday night mountaintop Sunset Social and a post-race BBQ on Sunday afternoon. Prices vary. Fri 6 a.m., Sat 5:30 a.m., Cannon Mountain Ski Area, 260 Tramway Dr., Franconia. (603) 488-1186; millenniumrunning.com Mt. Kearsarge Hill Climb Channel your inner Lance Armstrong (preferably without the doping scandal) at this uphill bicycle race. An 8-mile course takes riders from the town of Warner to the summit parking lot of 2,936-foot Mt. Kearsarge, with prizes for the fastest finishers waiting at the top. For a funkier challenge, grab a friend and enter in the tandem bike division. $65-$85. 9:30 a.m., Kearsarge Business Center, 139 Kearsarge Mountain Rd., Warner. mtkearsargehillclimb.com
Miscellaneous 6/8 7/6 Castle Car Show Bring your family and friends to this incredible gathering of automobiles from the past at this classic country estate. View stunning examples of antique cars dating from the turn of the 20th century in an equally stunning setting, and pick your favorite in the People’s Choice awards category. There will also be a featured 1940s category. Food and beverages will be available at Meadows by Shannon Pond. $5. 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Castle in the Clouds, Route 171, 455 Old Mountain Rd., Moultonborough. (603) 476-5900; castleintheclouds.org
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New Hampshire Cemeteries and Gravestones Rubbings, photographs and slides illustrate the rich variety of gravestones to be found in our own neighborhoods, but they also tell long forgotten stories of such historical events as the American Revolution. Find out more about these deeply personal works of art and the craftsmen who carved them with Glenn Knoblock, and learn how to read the stone “pages” that give insight into the vast genealogical book of New Hampshire. Free. 1 p.m., Plains Cemetary, 157 Main St., Kingston. (603) 642-4665; nhhumanities.org
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8/24
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Market Square Day Grab your family and friends, and join the 60,000-80,000 festival-goers in celebrating downtown Portsmouth. Thousands of people will walk through Portsmouth enjoying entertainment, products, and food offered by local artists, crafters and merchants — many from the Seacoast area. Kick off the day by running (or walking) the 10K Road Race through the streets lined with festive booths and cheering crowds. 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Market Square Day, Congress St., Portsmouth. (603) 433-4398; proportsmouth.org
6/13
Where in the World Did Our Food Come From? Learn about history and eat it too. Explore how some of our favorite foods traveled across the globe before arriving on our plates. History, geography, economics and politics all come into play during this visual, interactive talk. Join in a friendly game of food geography trivia and taste samples of cornbread and apple cider. $3-$5. 7 to 8 p.m., Remick Country Doctor Museum & Farm, 58 Cleveland Hill Dr., Tamworth Village. (603) 323-7591; remickmuseum.org
6/21
Pocket Gardens The historic and charming city of Portsmouth is known for its “pocket gardens” that are tucked behind fences or hidden behind arbor vitae trees. This year, the tour will be in the neighborhoods of Christian Shore and The Creek in the north end of the city. The gardens on this year’s tour were chosen with sustainability in mind, with flower gardens interspersed with vegetable plots and herb nooks. $20-$25. 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., 292 State St., Portsmouth. (603) 380-4849; southchurch-uu.org
6/20-6/22
Hampton Beach Master Sand Sculpting Classic This extravaganza boasts 200 tons of imported sand transformed into sand sculptures that will put yours to shame. World-class master sculptors come together to create their own unique sculptures and compete for the $15,000 grand prize. Their masterpieces will be illuminated at night for an unforgettable walk down the boardwalk. Hampton Beach, Hampton. hamptonbeach.org
6/22
Our Big Backyard Series Spring is in full swing and the pond at Prescott Farm Environmental Education Center is alive with all kinds of critters. There are the big ones you would expect like turtles, frogs and ducks, but there is also a hidden world of tiny creatures that live in the water. Bring your family and friends and see what you can find. $6-$8. 10 to 11:30 a.m., Prescott Farm Environmental Education Center, 928 White Oaks Rd., Laconia. (603) 366-5695; prescottfarm.org
7/10
The Making of Strawbery Banke Local legend says Strawbery Banke Museum began when a Portsmouth librarian gave a rousing speech in 1957. This is a dramatic tale of economics, urban renewal, immigration and historic architecture in New Hampshire’s only seaport. J. Dennis Robinson, author of an award-winning “biography” of the 10-acre Strawbery Banke campus, shares the history of “America’s oldest neighborhood.” Tapping into private letters, unpublished records, and personal interviews, Robinson explores the politics of preservation. Using colorful and historic illustrations, the author looks candidly at mistakes made and lessons learned in this grass-
roots success story. Free. 7:30 p.m., Holderness Historical Society, US Rte. 3, Holderness. (603) 968-7487; nhhumanities.org
7/11
Comedian Rob Schneider A household name and a bona fide comedy star, Rob Schneider is known for his trademark blend of character and comedic acting, and has become one of the most popular touring acts in comedy. He has been on “SNL,” and is friends with David Spade, Adam Sandler, Tim Meadows and more. Some of his biggest features include “Grown Ups,” “The Waterboy” and “Benchwarmers.” Upgrade your ticket by adding a meet and greet. You won’t want to miss this. Tickets start at $29.50. 7:30 to 10 p.m., The Flying Monkey Movie House & Performance Center, 39 S. Main St., Plymouth. (603) 536-2551; flyingmonkeynh.com
7/27
52nd Antique Show and Sale The New London Garden Club hold its annual antique show and sale on the New London town green. The Garden Club’s Café will be serving wonderful sandwiches, soups, salads and pies, and the Flower Tent will be full of creative bouquets. The club has joined with Goosefare Antiques and Promotions of Saco, Maine, to bring over 50 quality dealers to the show. The proceeds of the event help keep the pocket gardens of New London beautiful and support scholarship projects. $8. 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., New London Town Green, Main St., New London. newlondongardenclub.org
8/1-8/4
Cirque du Soleil Crystal: A Breakthrough Ice Experience Watch world-class ice skaters and acrobats claim their new frozen playground with speed and fluidity as they challenge the laws of gravity with never-before-seen acrobatics. It will be a new kind of performance as Cirque du Soleil meets the ice to defy all expectations. This will be an unforgettable journey of speed, wonder and self-discovery. Tickets start at $47. Times vary. SNHU Arena, 555 Elm St., Manchester. (603) 644-5000; snhuarena.com
8/8
13th Annual Boathouse Tour Half the fun of admiring a lakefront property is wondering what’s inside, but after this tour, you’ll wonder no more. Take a peek at some of Lake Winnipesaukee’s finest boathouses to see the ins and outs of the sometimes-chic, sometimes-rustic structures that house the lake’s watercraft. You can make this tour self-guided, but we recommend riding in style with the guided versions chauffeured by boat or antique car. $36-$150. 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Meredith. (603) 569-4554; nhbm.org
8/8-8/10
62nd New Hampshire Antiques Show The best antique dealers from across the Granite State are coming together to give you an unforgettable summer show. It is considered “the best show of its kind in New England” and with over 50 exhibitors, it won’t disappoint. The professional antique dealers save merchandise throughout the year and offer a wide range of both country and formal antique furniture and accessories. Look for items like paintings and textiles, Shaker furniture, clocks, lighting and so much more. $10-$15. Thurs-Fri 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Sat 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., The DoubleTree by Hilton, 700 Elm St., Manchester. nhada.org
8/17
7th Annual Cruise in to the Wright Antique Car, Hot Rod & Motorcycle Show Put on your poodle skits, grease up your duck’s tail hairdos, buckle
up and cruise in to the Wright Museum for this annual event dedicated to unique varieties of cars and motorcycles. Only the first 100 cars will be allowed into the show this year, so get your car registered soon. $10. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., The Wright Museum of World War II, 77 Center St., Wolfeboro. wrightmuseum.org
Summer Theatre 7/9-8/22
2019 Bank of New Hampshire Children’s Summer Series Are you a Disney fan? This summer play list is for you. This Summer Children’s Series boasts a variety of well-known and loved stories that include music, dancing, audience participation and more. Even better? Your kiddos have the opportunity to meet the characters at the end of every show. This year’s lineup includes Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, The Little Mermaid, Wizard of Oz, Peter Pan, Jack and the Beanstalk and Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. $9. Shows at 10 a.m. and 6:30 p.m., The Palace Theatre, 80 Hanover St., Manchester. (603) 668-5588; palacetheatre.org
7/17-8/4
“Grease” Your favorite greasers are back for a show of summer fun. Join the Rydell High School’s senior class as they pay homage to the idealism of the ’50s. At the heart of the story is the romance between Danny Zuko and the sweet new girl, Sandy Dumbrowski. The whole gang will sing and dance through hit songs like “Grease Lightnin’” and “Summer Nights.” This show is among the world’s most popular musicals and you won’t want to miss it. $20-$40. Times vary, New London Barn Playhouse, 84 Main St., New London. (603) 526-6710; nlbarn.org
7/29-8/3
“Lost in Wonderland” Following a white rabbit leads Alice on a very strange adventure. In a place where up means down and right means wrong, Alice discovers a world filled with a strange smiling cats, a wild tea party, and a Queen whose temper is as red as the hearts on her dress. Prices and times vary, Jean’s Playhouse, 34 Papermill Dr., Lincoln. (603) 745-2141; jeansplayhouse.com
7/31-8/11
“Mamma Mia!” A mother. A daughter. Three possible dads. What could possibly go wrong? This smash hit musical based on the songs of ABBA is coming to this Granite State stage for a summer of raucous fun. The storytelling magic of ABBA’s timeless songs lead this tale of love, laughter and friendship. $25-$35. Times vary, Interlakes Theatre, 1 Laker Ln., Meredith. (603) 707-6035; interlakestheatre.com
Music
6/7-6/8
Zac Brown Band Pull out your cowboy boots and hat because this iconic country band is coming to the Granite State for a weekend of “Chicken Fried” fun. They will also be joined by Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real. This is the perfect concert to kick off the summer, so don’t miss out. $46-125. 7 p.m., Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion, 72 Meadowbrook Ln., Gilford. (603) 293-4700; banknhpavilion.com
6/22
Josh Groban with Chris Botti Grammy nominated singer, songwriter, and actor Josh Grobin has entertained fans across the globe with his nhmagazine.com | June 2019
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multiplatinum album and DVDs, electrifying performances and comedic film and TV appearances. $59.50-$179.50. 7:30 p.m., SNHU Arena, 555 Elm St., Manchester. (603) 644-5000; snhuarena.com
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photo by kendal j. bush photography
Atlantic Grill Music by the Sea Concerts This summerlong concert series brings some of New England’s hottest bands to the Seacoast on Thursday nights. Enjoy great tunes from bands like Jumbo Circus Peanuts or Joshua Tree and the seaside setting while supporting the Center and their ocean education mission. Bring a blanket or chair, pack a picnic or purchase freshly grilled dinner beverages on site. Concertgoers can also enjoy the Center and its exhibits, free with concert admission. $4-$12. 6 to 8:30 p.m., 570 Ocean Blvd., Rye. (603) 436-2235; seacoastsciencecenter.org
8/16-8/18
White Mountain Boogie n’ Blues Festival With two decades of festival sand and a bevy of national blues preservation awards under its belt, this boogiefest is not to be missed. This year’s lineup includes Soul Box, Joanna Connor and so many more. To really dive into the festival experience, rent a campsite on the Boogie’s sprawling White Mountains grounds. $75-$100. Times vary, Sugar Shack Campground, NH Route 175, Thornton. (603) 726-3867; whitemountainboogie.com
Visual Arts & Museums 6/1-6/7
Frisella Fine Art presents “Served in Style” This exhibition features master pastel artist Robin Frisella’s realistic still lifes. These still lifes are greatly influenced by the old masters. The artist capitalizes on dark and earthy backgrounds met by highly worked and boldly lit subjects to communicate a deeply understood sense of presence. Free. 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Frisella Fine Art, 87 Lafayette Rd. Ste 6, Hampton Falls. (603) 9189392; robinfrisella.com
6/1-8/17
Prescott Park Arts Festival The state’s most sprawling summer arts festival returns in 2019 for yet another season of world-class entertainment for the whole family. A chili cook-off has the “festival” part covered, while an impressive music and theatre roster takes care of the “arts.” In addition to weekly movie nights and a theatrical production of “Beauty and the Beast” on the main stage, big-name performers this year include Jenny Lewis and Drive-By Truckers. To avoid fighting for a spot in the first-come, firstserved outdoor spaces, don’t forget to reserve a blanket or table in advance. Free (donation suggested). Dates, times vary, Prescott Park, 105 Marcy St., Portsmouth. (603) 436-2848; prescottpark.org
6/29-9/22
Medieval to Metal: The Art and Evolution of the Guitar Highlighting the single most enduring icon in American history, this exhibit explores all aspects of the world’s most popular instrument. Visitors will experience the artistry, history, design and cultural influence of the guitar. Along with 40 distinct instruments that showcase the rare and antique to the wildly popular and innovative, this exhibit includes dozens of photographs and illustrations that depict significant musicians and instruments of the last century. Currier Museum, 150 Ash St., Manchester. (603) 669-6144; currier.org
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6/27 Best of NH Party If you’ll indulge us in a bit of events nepotism, we must say: This is one party you don’t want to miss. We’ve partnered with CASA New Hampshire for our 18th annual celebration of the Granite State’s best food, drink and fun. Bring your friends and family to Northeast Delta Dental Stadium (home of the Fisher Cats) to nosh and imbibe while rocking out to live music. $19-$65. 6:30 to 9 p.m., Northeast Delta Dental Stadium, 1 Line Dr., Manchester. bestofnh.com
Food & Drink 6/1
Chowder Festival Seacoast restaurants will come together to bring you their most mouthwatering chowder recipes to compete for the Best Chowder title and take home the Golden Ladle. Music will be provided by WOKQ and there will be country entertainment on the Wilcox Industries Main Stage all day. $5-$12. Event starts at 11:30 a.m., Prescott Park Arts Festival, Portsmouth. (603) 436-2848; prescottpark.org
6/21-6/22
Wine Dinner and the Cranmore Food and Wine Event On June 21, enjoy an Italian wine dinner at Vito Marcello’s Italian Bistro with dishes from Chef Vito paired with wines from special guest Salvatore Ferragamo, vinter from Il Borro Wines in Tuscany. The following day, head to Cranmore, where you can attend cooking demonstrations by Chef Vito and visiting Chef Andrea Alimenti of Italy, plus enjoy a wine sampling from Pine State and Southern Glazer’s, which will be paired with food from Vito Marcello’s Italian Bistro and Cranmore. There will also be live music from members of the American Vinyl All Star Band, featuring Barry Goudreau, formerly of the band Boston, Tim Archibald of RTZ/Peter Wolf Band and Danny Beissel of Fosterchild. Dinner is $125, 5-9 p.m., 45 Seavey St., North Conway. Wine and food event is $75, 3-6 p.m., Cranmore Mountain Resort, 1 Skimobile Rd., North Conway. Find info on both at vitofoods. com/summer-event. New Hampshire Magazine is a proud sponsor of this event.
7/13
New Hampshire Brewers Festival For a beer fest that’s all New Hampshire, all the time, look no further than this sixth annual fête. The event features more than 40 Granite State breweries, making it the largest single collection of NH
breweries found at any event in 2019. $45-$60. 12 to 4 p.m., Kiwanis Waterfront Park, 15 Loudon Rd., Concord. (334) 603-2337; granitestatebrewersassociation.org
8/18
Fire on the Mountain Chili Fest Local restaurants face off in the professional chili-making category, while dedicated home chefs go toe-to-toe for best amateur chili chef. Sample as many as you can stomach (and cast your People’s Choice award vote) and enjoy the fest’s other offerings, including a Kid-Zone and a vendor fair featuring more than 20 specialty food and craft purveyors. $6-$12. 12 to 4:30 p.m., Pats Peak Ski Area, 686 Flanders Rd., Henniker. chilinewhampshire.org
9/6-9/8
Hampton Beach Seafood Festival Close out your summer with the granddaddy of all Granite State food fests. You likely know the drill with legendary ode to oceanside eats, but if you need a reminder, here’s the gist: 60 Seacoast restaurants offering up lobster, fried clams and other surf and turf favorites, plus skydiving demos, fireworks, a lobster roll eating contest and more. Fri 4 to 9 p.m., Sat 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., Sun 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Ocean Blvd., Hampton Beach. (603) 926-8718; hamptonbeachseafoodfestival.com
Find additional events at nhmagazine.com/ calendar, plus find even more summer fun events, attractions and suggestions at nhmagazine.com/summerinnh. Submit events eight weeks in advance to Emily Heidt at eheidt@nhmagazine.com or enter your own at nhmagazine.com/calendar. Not all events are guaranteed to be published either online or in the print calendar. Event submissions will be reviewed and, if deemed appropriate, approved by a New Hampshire Magazine editor.
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AY
Just 25 minutes north of North Conway R AILW
Schedule, Tickets, Events, Special Trains and more at
thecog.com
ADVANCE TICKET PURCHASE RECOMMENDED
Ride to the Top of Mount Washington... Winter Tours on
in! a r T by
• An amazing 3-hour adventure to
the Highest Peak in the Northeast DRIVE YOURSELF
GUIDED TOURS
• 150th Anniversary Events all season!
Guided tours run all day on a first-come basis Reservations are also available online!
• Ride a steam or biodiesel train •NEW! One-Way Up or Down Hiker’s
tickets- learn more at thecog.com
Mt-Washington.com
BOOK AT THECOG.COM OR CALL 603.278.5404 6 miles from Rt 302 & Bretton Woods on Base Rd, Marshfield Station, NH
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clarksbears.com OVER NINE DECADES OF HIGH QUALITY FAMILY FUN
603-745-8913 •110 DANIEL WEBSTER HWY RT. 3, LINCOLN, NH
Children under 4 ride FREE in Coach! Well-behaved dogs are alway welcome.
ConwayScenic.com • (603) 356-5251 38 Norcross Circle | North Conway Village
nhmagazine.com | June 2019
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ith us at Come party w tal Stadium! n e D a lt e D t s Northea
Thursday JUNE 27 6:30–9p.m. Sample the BEST FOOD & DRINK from more than 50 winners. Enter to win our GRAND PRIZE An all-inclusive week’s vacation for four at Squam Lake provided by RDC Resort.
Enjoy ENTERTAINMENT and our SPECTACULAR finale put on by Atlas Fireworks. For more details or to purchase tickets,
visit bestofnh.com. Grand prize provided by:
Best of NH Party sponsored by:
Celebrating 70 Years! Primary Mark 4 Color
90
nhmagazine.com | June 2019
To benefit:
603 LIVING
DINE OUT
Good Eats
photo by jenn bakos
OUR GUIDE TO FINE DINING
Longtime local favorite MT's Local Kitchen & Wine Bar 212 Main St., Nashua, (603) 595-9334, mtslocal.com nhmagazine.com | June 2019
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603 LIVING
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Our restaurant listings include Best of NH winners and advertisers along with others compiled by the New Hampshire Magazine editorial department. Listings are subject to change from month to month based on space availability. Expanded and highlighted listings denote advertisers. For additional and more detailed listings, visit nhmagazine.com. H Best of NH
$ Entrées cost less than $12 2018 Editor’s Picks B Breakfast H Best of NH L Lunch 2018 Reader’s Poll D Dinner $$$$ Entrées cost b Brunch more than $25 $$$ Entrées cost between ( Reservations recom$18 and $25
mended
$$ Entrées cost between $12 and $18
New – Open for one year or less
MERRIMACK VALLEY 900 Degrees H
PIZZERIA 50 Dow St., Manchester; (603) 641-0900; 900degrees.com; $–$$$ L D
1750 Taphouse
AMERICAN TAVERN/PIZZERIA 170 Rte. 101, Bedford; (603) 488-2573; Facebook; $-$$ B L D
Colosseum Restaurant
ITALIAN 264 North Broadway, Salem; (603) 898-1190; thecolosseumrestaurant.com; $–$$$ L D
The Copper Door H
FUSION/JAPANESE 1105 Elm St., Manchester; (603) 625-6468; mintbistronh.com; $$–$$$ L D b (
Cotton H
MT’s Local Kitchen & Wine Bar
AMERICAN 212 Main St., Nashua; (603) 595-9334; mtslocal.com; $–$$$ L D
The Crown Tavern H
Noodz
GASTROPUB 99 Hanover St., Manchester; (603) 218-3132; thecrownonhanover.com; $$ L D b
RAMEN/ASIAN 968 Elm St., Manchester; (603) 836-5878; Facebook; $-$$ L D
Cucina Toscana
North End Bistro
ITALIAN 427 Amherst St., Nashua; (603) 821-7356; cucinatoscananashua.com; $ L D (
ITALIAN 1361 Elm St., Manchester; (603) 232-3527; Facebook; $-$$$ LD(
Dixie Blues
O Steaks & Seafood H
CAJUN 345 Amherst St., Nashua; (603) 417-6909; New Manchester location coming soon; dixiebluesnh.com; $-$$$ LD
The Foundry
AMERICAN/FARM-TO-TABLE 50 Commercial St., Manchester; (603) 836-1925; foundrynh.com; $$-$$$ D b
Giorgio’s Ristorante
Antojitos Colombianos
Granite Restaurant and Bar
The Bedford Village Inn H
Grazing Room
The Birch on Elm
Grill 603
AMERICAN/TAVERN 2 Olde Bedford Way, Bedford; (603) 472-2001; bedfordvillageinn.com; $$–$$$$ L D (
NEW AMERICAN 96 Pleasant St., Concord; (603) 227-9000; graniterestaurant.com; $$–$$$$ B L D b ( FARM-TO-TABLE/NEW AMERICAN 33 The Oaks, Henniker; (603) 428-3281 colbyhillinn.com; $$–$$$$ D (
NEW AMERICAN/TAPAS 931 Elm St., Manchester; (603) 782-5365; Facebook; $–$$ L D
AMERICAN 168 Elm St., Milford; (603) 213-6764; grill603.com; $–$$$ L D b
Buba Noodle Bar
GREEK 1037 Elm St., Manchester; (603) 218-3869; thegyrospot.com; $LD
VIETNAMESE 36 Lowell St., Manchester; (603) 935-7864; bubanoodle. com; $–$$ L D
Buckley’s Great Steaks
STEAKHOUSE 438 Daniel Webster Hwy., Merrimack; (603) 424-0995; buckleysgreatsteaks.com; $–$$$$ D ( $$–$$$ LD (
Campo Enoteca
ITALIAN/MEDITERRANEAN 969 Elm St., Manchester; (603) 625-0256; campoenoteca.com; $$–$$$ L D
Canoe Restaurant and Tavern
Gyro Spot
NEW AMERICAN 110 Brewery Ln., Ste. 5, Portsmouth; (603) 373-0979; Facebook; $$-$$$$ D
CAVA
TAPAS 10 Commercial Alley, Portsmouth; (603) 319-1575; cavatapasandwinebar.com; $–$$$ L D
Chapel+Main H
NEW AMERICAN 83 Main St., Dover; (603) 842-5170; chapelandmain. com; $$–$$$ D (
Cornerstone Artisanal Pizza & Craft Beer
PIZZERIA 110 Brewery Ln., Portsmouth; (603) 294-0965; cornerstonepizzaandbeer.com; $–$$ L D
CR’s the Restaurant
STEAKHOUSE/SEAFOOD 11 South Main St., Concord; (603) 856-7925; 62 Doris Ray Court, Lakeport; (603) 524-9373; magicfoodsrestaurantgroup.com; $$–$$$ L D
NEW AMERICAN 287 Exeter Rd., Hampton; (603) 929-7972; crstherestaurant.com — Refined, yet comfortable dining with live music every week and a jazz brunch on Sundays. $$-$$$ L D b (
Red Blazer
Cure
AMERICAN 72 Manchester St., Concord; (603) 224-4101; theredblazer. com; $–$$$ L D b
NEW AMERICAN 189 State St., Portsmouth; (603) 427-8258; curerestaurantportsmouth.com; $$-$$$ L D (
Republic H
Ember Wood Fired Grill
MEDITERRANEAN 1069 Elm St., Manchester; (603) 666-3723; republiccafe.com; $–$$$ L D
AMERICAN 1 Orchard St., Dover; (603) 343-1830; emberwfg.com; $$$$$ D b (
Revival Kitchen and Bar H
Franklin Oyster House
AMERICAN 11 Depot St., Concord; (603) 715-5723; revivalkitchennh. com; $$–$$$ D (
SEAFOOD 148 Fleet St., Portsmouth; (603) 373-8500; franklinoysterhouse. com; $-$$$ D
Riverside BBQ
Green Elephant H
BBQ 53 Main St., Nashua; (603) 2045110; riversidebarbeque.com; $–$$ L D
Stella Blu
TAPAS 70 East Pearl St., Nashua; (603) 578-5557; stellablu-nh.com; $$–$$$ D
Surf Restaurant H
SEAFOOD 207 Main St., Nashua; (603) 595-9293; 99 Bow St., Portsmouth; (603) 334-9855; surfseafood.com; $$–$$$$ D b
Taj India H
VEGETARIAN 35 Portwalk Place, Portsmouth; (603) 427-8344; greenelephantnh.com; $–$$ L D
Holy Grail Restaurant & Pub
IRISH PUB 64 Main St., Epping; (603) 679-9559; holygrailrestaurantandpub.com; $–$$ L D
Hop + grind H
BURGERS 17 Madbury Rd., Durham; (603) 244-2431; hopandgrind.com; $–$$ L D
Jumpin’ Jay’s Fish Café
INDIAN 967 Elm St., Manchester; (603) 606-2677; 47 E. Pearl St., Nashua; (603) 864-8586; tajindia.co; $–$$ L D New location in Nashua
SEAFOOD 150 Congress St., Portsmouth; (603) 766-3474; jumpinjays. com; $$$–$$$$ D (
Hanover St. Chophouse H
Trattoria Amalfi
Library Restaurant
STEAKHOUSE 149 Hanover Street, Manchester; (603) 644-2467; hanoverstreetchophouse.com; $$$–$$$$ L D (
ITALIAN 385 S Broadway, Salem; (603) 893-5773; tamalfi.com; $–$$ D (
K’Sone’s Thai Dining & Lounge
ITALIAN 67 Main St., Salem; (603) 952-4875; 581 Lafayette Rd., Portsmouth; (603) 570-3600; tuscan-kitchen.com; $$–$$$ L D b
THAI 493 Amherst St., Nashua; (603) 459-8621; Facebook; $-$$ L D
Casa Blanca
Madear's
Lui Lui H
COLOMBIAN 34 1/2 Canal St., Nashua; (603) 595-1670; casablancanh.com; $-$$$ B L D
CAJUN/CREOLE/TAPAS 175 Hanover St., Manchester; (603) 206-5827; madears603.com; $-$$ D
Chiang Mai
Matbah Mediterranean H
nhmagazine.com | June 2019
Botanica Restaurant & Gin Bar
AMERICAN 32 West Broadway, Derry; (603) 965-3490; halligantavern.com; $–$$ L D
ITALIAN 8 Glen Rd., W. Lebanon; (603) 298-7070; 259 Daniel Webster Hwy., Nashua; (603) 888-2588; luilui. com; $-$$ L D
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mouth; (603) 431-0887; blacktrumpetbistro.com; $$–$$$$ D (
Halligan Tavern
AMERICAN 216 S. River Rd., Bedford; 935-8070; 232 Whittier Hwy., Center Harbor; (603) 253-4762; magicfoodsrestaurantgroup.com/canoe-restaurant-and-tavern $$-$$$ L D (
THAI 63 Route 101, Amherst; (603) 672-2929; chiangmaifinethaicuisine. com; $–$$ L D
Mint Bistro
AMERICAN 75 Arms St., Manchester; (603) 622-5488; cottonfood.com; $$–$$$$ L D (
MEDITERRANEAN 707 Milford Rd., Merrimack; (603) 883-7333; 524 Nashua St., Milford; (603) 673-3939; 270 Granite St., Manchester; (603) 2323323; giorgios.com; $$–$$$ L D (
COLOMBIAN 173 Hanover St., Manchester; (603) 623-3000; Facebook; $-$$ LD
TURKISH/MEDITERRANEAN 24 Henniker St., Hillsborough; (603) 680-4319; mediterranoo.com $ L D
AMERICAN 15 Leavy Dr., Bedford; (603) 488-2677; 41 S Broadway, Salem; (603) 458-2033; copperdoorrestaurant.com; $$–$$$ L D (
ITALIAN 11 Depot St., Concord; (603) 228-3313; angelinasrestaurant.com; $$–$$$ L D (
Angelina’s Ristorante Italiano H
Mediterrano Turkish & Mediterranean Cuisine H
MEDITERRANEAN 866 Elm St., Manchester; (603) 232-4066; matbahcuisine.com; $ L D
Tuscan Kitchen H
SEACOAST Atlantic Grill
SEAFOOD 5 Pioneer Rd., Rye; (603) 433-3000; theatlanticgrill.com; $$-$$$ L D
Bamee
ASIAN 12 Jenkins Court, Durham; (603) 397-5378; bameedurham. com; $ L D
Black Trumpet Bistro
INTERNATIONAL 29 Ceres St., Ports-
STEAKHOUSE 401 State St., Portsmouth; (603) 431-5202; libraryrestaurant.com $$$–$$$$ D b (
Lure Bar and Kitchen
TAPAS/SEAFOOD 100 Market St., Portsmouth; (603) 373-0535; lureportsmouth.com; $$–$$$ D
Martingale Wharf
AMERICAN/SEAFOOD 99 Bow St., Portsmouth; (603) 431-0901; martingalewharf.com; $$–$$$ L D
Mombo
INTERNATIONAL 66 Marcy St., Portsmouth; (603) 433-2340; momborestaurant.com; $$–$$$ L D (
Moxy
TAPAS 106 Penhallow St., Portsmouth; (603) 319-8178; moxyrestaurant.com; $$–$$$ D (
603 LIVING
DINE OUT
Nomads Kitchen
Sonny’s Tavern
INTERNATIONAL 9 Madbury Rd., Durham; (603) 397-5539; nomads. kitchen; $–$$ B L
NEW AMERICAN 328 Central Ave., Dover; (603) 343-4332; sonnystaverndover.com; $–$$ D b
Oak House
Sue’s Korean Kitchen
AMERICAN 110 Main St., Newmarket; (603) 292-5893; oakhousenewmarket.com; $–$$ L D b
KOREAN 74 Portsmouth Ave., Stratham; (603) 777-7604; sueskoreankitchen.com; $–$$ L D
Otis
Surf Seafood H
NEW AMERICAN 4 Front St., Exeter; (603) 580-1705; otisrestaurant.com; $$–$$$ D (
SEAFOOD 99 Bow St., Portsmouth; (603) 334-9855; surfseafood.com; $$–$$$$ D
Paty B's
Tinos Greek Kitchen H
ITALIAN 34 Dover Point Rd., Dover; (603) 749-4181; pattybs.com; $–$$$ L D
Raleigh Wine Bar + Eatery
NEW AMERICAN 67 State St.,Portsmouth; (603) 427-8459; raleighwinebar.com; $$–$$$ D b (
Revolution Taproom and Grill
GASTRO PUB 61 North Main St., Rochester; (603) 244-3022; revolutiontaproomandgrill.com; $-$$ L D
Rick's Food and Spirits
NEW AMERICAN 143 Main St., Kingston; (603) 347-5287; rickskingston.com; $-$$ L D
GREEK 325 Lafayette Rd., Hampton; (603) 926-5489; galleyhatch.com; $$–$$$ L D
Tuscan Kitchen H
Canoe Restaurant and Tavern
AMERICAN 232 Whittier Hwy., Center Harbor; (603) 253-4762; 216 S. River Rd., Bedford; 935-8070; magicfoodsrestaurantgroup.com/canoe-restaurant-and-tavern; $$-$$$ L D (
Casamigos
MEXICAN 276 Main St., Tilton; (603) 729-0062; Facebook; $-$$ L D
Corner House Inn
AMERICAN 22 Main St., Center Sandwich; (603) 284-6219; cornerhouseinn.com; $$ L D b (
Crystal Quail
AMERICAN 202 Pitman Rd., Center Barnstead; (603) 269-4151; crystalquail.com; $$$–$$$$ D (
Faro Italian Grille
ITALIAN 67 Main St., Salem; (603) 952-4875; 581 Lafayette Rd., Portsmouth; (603) 570-3600; tuscan-kitchen.com; $$–$$$ L D b
ITALIAN 7 Endicott St., Laconia; (603) 527-8073; faroitaliangrille.com; $–$$ D (
Vida Cantina
Garwood’s
MEXICAN 2456 Lafayette Rd., Portsmouth; (603) 501-0648; vidacantinanh.com; $–$$ L D
AMERICAN 6 North Main St., Wolfeboro; (603) 569-7788; garwoodsrestaurant.com; $–$$ L D (
Vino e Vino
Hobbs Tavern & Brewing Co.
ITALIAN 163 Water St., Exeter; (603) 580-4268; vinoevivo.com; $$–$$$ D (
ITALIAN 59 Penhallow St., Portsmouth; (603) 436-4000; ristorantemassimo. com; $$-$$$ D (
BREWPUB 2415 White Mountain Hwy., West Ossipee; (603) 5392000; hobbstavern.com; $–$$ L D
LAKES
Inn Kitchen + Bar
Row 34
Burnt Timber Tavern H
Ristorante Massimo
SEAFOOD 5 Portwalk Place, Portsmouth; (603) 319-5011; row34nh. com; $-$$$ L D b (
BREWPUB/TAVERN 96 Lehner St., Wolfeboro; (603) 630-4186; burnttimbertavern.com; $–$$ L D
AMERICAN/FARM-TO-TABLE 28 Shepard Hill Rd., Holderness; (603) 968-4417; innkitchen.com; $–$$$ D (
Kathleen's Irish Pub
IRISH PUB 90 Lake St., Bristol; (603)
744-6336; kathleensirishpub.com; $–$$ L D
Kettlehead Brewing H
BREWPUB 407 West Main St., Tilton; (603) 286-8100; kettleheadbrewing. com; $–$$ L D
Lakehouse
AMERICAN 281 Daniel Webster Hwy., Meredith; (603) 279-5221; thecman. com; $–$$ B L D b
Lemongrass
ASIAN 64 Whittier Hwy., Moultonborough; (603) 253-8100; lemongrassnh.net; $–$$ L D
Local Eatery
FARM-TO-TABLE 17 Veterans Square, Laconia; (603) 527-8007; laconialocaleatery.com; $$–$$$ D (
Mise en Place
ITALIAN/AMERICAN 96 Lehner St., Wolfeboro; (603) 569-5788; miseenplacenh.com; $$-$$$$ L D (
The New Woodshed
AMERICAN 128 Lee Rd., Moultonborough; (603) 476-2700; newwoodshed.com; $–$$$ D
O Bistro at the Inn on Main
AMERICAN 200 North Main St., Wolfeboro; (603) 515-1003; innnewhampshire.com/our-bistro; $$–$$$ D
O Steaks & Seafood H
STEAKHOUSE 11 S. Main St., Concord; (603) 856-7925; 62 Doris Ray Court, Lakeport; (603) 524-9373; magicfoodsrestaurantgroup.com; $$–$$$ L D
Pickity Place
� �
� � � � ��
�
It is in our culinary garden that we find inspiration for creating the recipes used in our five-course, herbal cuisine. We encourage all of our guests to explore our gardens and ‘‘please handle the herbs.” Come enjoy one of our three private seatings: 11:30, 12:45 or 2:00. Reservations by phone. Have a Pickity Day! nhmagazine.com | June 2019
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Osteria Poggio
ITALIAN 18 Main St., Center Harbor; (603) 250-8007; osteriapoggio.com; $$–$$$ D (
Pasquaney Restaurant
AMERICAN Inn on New Found Lake, 1030 Mayhew Turnpike, Bridgewater; (603) 744-9111; newfoundlake.com/restaurant-tavern; $$–$$$ D (
Tavern 27
TAPAS/PIZZA 2075 Parade Rd., Laconia; (603) 528-3057; tavern27.com; $–$$ L D (
Wolfe’s Tavern
NEW ENGLAND TAVERN 90 N. Main St., Wolfeboro; (603) 5693016; wolfestavern.com; $$–$$$ BLDb(
MONADNOCK 21 Bar & Grill
AMERICAN 21 Roxbury St., Keene; (603) 352-2021; Facebook; $–$$ B L D
Alberto’s Restaurant
ITALIAN 79 Antrim Rd., Bennington; (603) 588-6512; albertosnh.com; $–$$ D (
Take Pride in N.H. Visit www.nhmade.com for a list of the state’s finest specialty foods
It’s Your Day to Shine.
Bantam Grill
ITALIAN 1 Jaffrey Rd., Peterborough; (603) 924-6633; bantam-peterborough.com; $$–$$$ D (
Bellows Walpole Inn Pub
NEW AMERICAN 297 Main St., Walpole; (603) 756-3320; bellowswalpoleinn.com; $$ L D (
Chesterfield Inn
AMERICAN 20 Cross Rd., West Chesterfield; (603) 256-3211; chesterfieldinn.com; $$-$$$ D (
Cooper’s Hill Public House
PUB 6 School St., Peterborough; (603) 371-9036; coopershillpublichouse.com; $-$$$ L D
Del Rossi’s Trattoria
ITALIAN Rte. 137, Dublin; (603) 563-7195; delrossis.com $$–$$$ D(
Elm City Brewing H
BREW PUB 222 West St., Keene; (603) 355-3335; elmcitybrewing. com; $–$$ L D
Fireworks
PIZZERIA 22 Main St., Keene; (603) 903-1410; fireworksrestaurant.net; $–$$ D (
The Spring/Summer issue of New Hampshire Magazine’s BRIDE will be on newsstands soon. Inside you’ll find gorgeous photography, inspiration, New Hampshire venues, the latest gown styles and much more.
All for the New Hampshire Bride
Visit us at bridenh.com. 94
nhmagazine.com | June 2019
Fox Tavern
TAVERN 33 Main St., Hancock; (603) 525-3318; hancockinn.com; $-$$$ L D (
The Grove
AMERICAN The Woodbound Inn 247 Woodbound Rd., Rindge; (603) 532-4949; woodbound. com; $$–$$$ B L D b (
The Hancock Inn
AMERICAN 33 Main St., Hancock; (603) 525-3318; hancockinn. com; Prix fixe, $48.; $$–$$$$ D (
The Hungry Diner
FARM-TO-TABLE 9 Edwards Ln.,
Walpole; (603) 756-3444; hungrydinerwalpole.com; $–$$ B L D
Nicola’s Trattoria
ITALIAN 51 Railroad St., Keene; (603) 355-5242; Facebook; $$$–$$$$ D
The Old Courthouse H
NEW AMERICAN 30 Main St., Newport; (603) 863-8360; eatatthecourthouse.com; $$–$$$ L D b (
Papagallos Restaurant
ITALIAN/MEDITERRANEAN 9 Monadnock Hwy., Keene; (603) 352-9400; papagallos.com; $–$$ L D (
Parker's Maple Barn H
BREAKFAST 1316 Brookline Rd., Mason; (603) 878-2308; parkersmaplebarn.com; $ B L
Pearl Restaurant & Oyster Bar H
ASIAN 1 Jaffrey Rd., Peterbrough; (603) 924-5225; pearl-peterborough.com $$–$$$ D (
Pickity Place
FARM-TO-TABLE 248 Nutting Hill Rd., Mason; (603) 878-1151; pickityplace.com — A historic place to lunch located in a quaint, 1786 red cottage that Elizabeth Orton Jones used as inspiration for her "Little Red Riding Hood" illustrations. Fresh, local ingredients are used, including herbs grown in the onsite gardens. There are three seatings at 11:30 a.m., 12:40 p.m. and 2 p.m. Reservations are required. $$ L (
Piedra Fina
LATIN 288 Main St., Marlborough; (603) 876-5012; piedrafina.com; $–$$ L D (
Restaurant at Burdick’s
FRENCH 47 Main Street, Walpole; (603) 756-9058; burdickchocolate.com; $–$$$ L D b (
The Stage H
AMERICAN 30 Central Sq., Keene; (603) 357-8389; thestagerestaurant.com; $-$$ L D
Thai Café
THAI 43 Grove St., Peterborough; (603) 784-5448; Facebook; $–$$ L D
Thorndike’s & Parson’s Pub
Bistro Nouveau
AMERICAN The Center at Eastman, 6 Clubhouse Lane, Grantham; (603) 863-8000; bistronouveau.com; $–$$$$ L D (
Candela Tapas Lounge H
TAPAS 15 Lebanon St., Hanover; (603) 277-9094; candelatapas. com; $$-$$$ D (
Coach House
AMERICAN 353 Main St., New London; (603) 526-2791; thenewlondoninn.com/the-coachhouse-restaurant;$ $–$$$$ D (
Farmer’s Table Café
FARM-TO-TABLE 249 Rte. 10, Grantham; (603) 863-9355; farmerstablecafe.com; $–$$ L D
Flying Goose Brew Pub H
BREW PUB 40 Andover Rd., New London; (603) 526-6899; flyinggoose.com; $–$$ L D
Latham House Tavern
TAVERN 9 Main St., Lyme; (603) 795-9995; lathamhousetavern. com; $–$$ L D
Little Brother Burger Co.
BURGERS 420 Main St., New London; (603) 877-0196; Facebook; $–$$ L D
Lui Lui H
ITALIAN 8 Glen Rd., W. Lebanon; (603) 298-7070; 259 Daniel Webster Hwy., Nashua; (603) 888-2588; luilui.com; $-$$ L D
Market Table
FARM-TO-TABLE 44 Main St., Hanover; (603) 676-7996; markettablenh.com; $–$$ B L D b
Millstone at 74 Main
AMERICAN 74 Newport Rd., New London; (603) 526-4201; 74mainrestaurant.com; $–$$ L D b
Oak & Grain H
PRIX FIXE Inn at Pleasant Lake, 853 Pleasant St., New London; (603) 526-6271; innatpleasantlake.com — Take in the gorgeous lake views while enjoying elevated New England cuisine with global inspirations using local ingredients, which come from local partners and even their own onsite herb garden. Reservations required. Prix fixe menu. L (
The Old Courthouse H
AMERICAN/PUB The Monadnock Inn, 379 Main St., Jaffrey; (603) 532-7800; monadnockinn.com; $–$$$ D (
AMERICAN 30 Main St., Newport; (603) 863-8360; eatatthecourthouse.com; $-$$$ L D b (
Waterhouse
Peter Christian's Tavern
AMERICAN 18 Water St., Peterborough; (603) 924-4001; waterhousenh.com; $-$$$ L D b(
DARTMOUTH/ LAKE SUNAPEE
Appleseed Restaurant
AMERICAN 63 High St., Bradford; (603) 938-2100; appleseedrestaurant.com $-$$ D
Base Camp Café
NEPALESE 3 Lebanon St., Hanover; (603) 643-2007; basecampcafenh.com; $-$$ L D
AMERICAN/TAVERN 195 Main St., New London; (603) 5262964; peterchristiansnh.com; $-$$ L D
Peyton Place
AMERICAN 454 Main St., Orford; (603) 353-9100; peytonplacerestaurant.com; $$ D (
Phnom Penh Sandwich
VIETNAMESE 1 High St., Lebanon; (603) 678-8179; phnompenhsandwiches.com; $-$$ L D
PINE at the Hanover Inn H
AMERICAN 2 South Main St., Hanover; (603) 643-4300;
603 LIVING
DINE OUT
hanoverinn.com/dining.aspx; $$$–$$$$ B L D b (
Revolution Cantina H
CUBAN AND MEXICAN 38 Opera House Square, Claremont; (603) 504-6310; Facebook; $-$$ L D b
Suna
AMERICAN 6 Brook Rd., Sunapee; (603) 843-8998; magicfoodsrestaurantgroup. com; $$–$$$ D (
Taverne on the Square
AMERICAN 2 Pleasant St., Claremont; (603) 287-4416; claremonttaverne.com; $–$$$ L D
Three Tomatoes Trattoria ITALIAN 1 Court St., Lebanon; (603) 448-1711; threetomatoestrattoria.com; $–$$ L D
Tuk Tuk Thai Cuisine
THAI 5 S. Main St., Hanover; (603) 277-9192; tuktukthaicuisine.com; $–$$ L D (
NORTH COUNTRY Bailiwicks
AMERICAN 106 Main St., Littleton; (603) 444-7717; bailiwicksfinerestaurant.com; $-$$$ L D (
Barley & Salt Tap House and Kitchen
GASTROPUB/INTERNATIONAL 1699 White Mountain Hwy., North Conway; (603) 307-1037; barleyandsalt. com; $-$$$ L D
INTERNATIONAL 111 Main St., Lincoln; (603) 745-4395; gypsycaferestaurant.com; $–$$ L D
The Beal House Inn
Horsefeathers
PUB 2 W. Main St., Littleton; (603) 444-2661; thebealhouseinn.com; $$-$$$ D
The Burg H
PIZZA 8 Back Lake Rd,. Pittsburg; (603) 538-7400; Facebook; $ D
Chang Thai Café
THAI 77 Main St., Littleton; (603) 444-8810; changthaicafe.com; $-$$ L D
Chef’s Bistro
NEW AMERICAN 2724 White Mountain Hwy., North Conway; (603) 356-4747; chefsbistronh.com; $-$$ L D
Conway Scenic Railroad
DINNER TRAIN 38 Norcross Circle, North Conway; (603) 356-5251; conwayscenic. com/dining — Relive the golden days of railroad and enjoy lunch, dinner or one of the special murder mystery dinners on June 8 and 15.
Deacon Street Martini & Whiskey Bar
AMERICAN 32 Seavey St., Conway; (603) 356-9231; deaconst.com; $$–$$$ D
Gypsy Café H
AMERICAN 2679 White Mountain Hwy., North Conway; (603) 356-2687; horsefeathers.com; $–$$ L D
Iron Furnace Brewing
BREWPUB 115 Main St., Bethlehem; (603) 823-2119; ironfurnacebrewing.com; $ LD
Jonathon’s Seafood
SEAFOOD/AMERICAN 280 East Side Rd., North Conway; (603) 447-3838; jonathonsseafood.com; $–$$$ L D (
The Last Chair
AMERICAN/BREW PUB 5 Rte. 25,Plymouth; (603) 238-9077; thelastchairnh. com; $-$$ L D
Libby’s Bistro & SAaLT Pub
NEW AMERICAN 115 Main Street on Rte. 2, Gorham; (603) 466-5330; libbysbistro.org; $$–$$$ L D (
Littleton Freehouse Taproom & Eatery
NEW AMERICAN 28 Cottage St., Littleton; (603) 5755410; littletonfreehouse. com; $-$$$ L D
Moat Mountain Smokehouse H
Table + Tonic
BREW PUB 3378 White Mountain Hwy., North Conway; (603) 356-6381; moatmountain.com; $–$$ L D (
Rainbow Grille & Tavern H
AMERICAN/TAVERN 609 Beach Rd., Pittsburg; (603) 538-9556; rainbowgrille. com — Serving a variety of comfort food from seafood to ribs. The tavern serves appetizers, hearth-baked pizzas and more. $–$$ D (
Thompson House Eatery H
AMERICAN/FARM-TO-TABLE 139 Main St., Jackson; (603) 383-9341; thompsonhouseatery.com; $$-$$$ L D (
Tuckerman's Restaurant & Tavern
Red Parka Steakhouse
STEAKHOUSE 3 Station St., Glen; (603) 383-4344; redparkapub.com; $–$$ L D
Rek'•lis Brewing
BREWPUB 2085 Main St., Bethlehem; (603) 869-9696; redparkapub.com; $–$$ L D
TAVERN 336 Route 16A, Intervale; (603) 356-5541; tuckermanstavern.com; $–$$ D
Vito Marcello’s Italian Bistro
ITALIAN 45 Seavey St., North Conway; (603) 356-7000; vitomarcellositalianbistro. com; $$-$$$ D
Schilling Beer Co.
BREW PUB/PIZZERIA 18 Mill St., Littleton; (603) 4444800; (603) 444-4800; schillingbeer.com; $-$$ L D
Woodstock Brewery H
BREW PUB Rte. 3, North Woodstock; (603) 745-3951; woodstockinnnh.com; $–$$ L
Shannon Door Pub
PUB Rte. 16 and 16A, Jackson; (603) 383-4211; shannondoor.com; $-$$ L D
Shovel Handle Pub
NEW AMERICAN/FARMTO-TALBE 3358 White Mountain Hwy., North Conway; (603) 356-6068; tableandtonic.com; $-$$$ B LD(
Visit nhmagazine.com/food
PUB 357 Black Mountain Rd., Jackson; (603) 3838916; shovelhandlepub.com; $-$$ L D
for more listings, food and drink features or to sign up for the monthly Cuisine E-Buzz.
nhmagazine.com | June 2019
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Top This!
Celebrating 150 Years of Train Trips “to the Moon” By Rebecca rule
W
hen discussing the great mountains of the Northeast, the Mainer says, “Katahdin’s the highest.” “Katahdin?” says the fella from New Hampshire. “What about Washington?” “Don’t count,” says the Mainer. “You can drive up.” Yes, you can, if you’ve got a vehicle with a strong engine, a transmission that’ll gear down, and good brakes for the return trip. (The top hit on a Google search of “Mt. Washington Auto Road” is GEICO.) Be sure to gas up — no Irvings on the Auto Road. And top off the transmission fluid. My husband, John Rule, worried that his mother would be scared of the breathtaking turns along the narrow road with drop-offs that nobody wants to drop off of and no stinkin’ guardrails. But the old lady surprised him. She hung out the window of the pick-up, Polaroid in hand: “Johnny,” she squeaked, “can you get a little closer to the edge for the pitcha?” “No, Ma.” His white-knuckled fingers clamped the wheel. To the left was mountain. To the right nothing but sky. “And slide yourself back in the cab before you tip us over.” The official Auto Road website cites the delights of “ever-changing weather extremes” and “the opportunity to pass through four distinct climate zones.” Mt. Washington is generally a lot colder — three climate zones colder — on top than on the bottom.
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nhmagazine.com | June 2019
“The allure and mystique” of the drive, the site suggests, may be enhanced by “panoramic views,” “dramatic cloud formations” and “high winds.” In 1934, one gust was clocked at 231 miles an hour. Locals call that some brisk. If you and your car aren’t up for the 7.6mile ascent on mostly tarred road, you can grab a guided tour in a van. Or ride the Cog. As every New Hampshirite worth her road salt knows, in 1858 Sylvester Marsh got the idea to run a train to the peak — after he tried walking up, got lost, and nearly died. When he asked the New Hampshire Legislature to bless his plan, a few problems loomed: The mountain’s height — 6,288 feet. The steepness of the slope. The rocky terrain. And the weather, aptly declared “the worst in the world.” The Legislature — in its wisdom — told Marsh to go ahead and build his train, but he might just as well “build a railway to the moon.” Eleven years later, the steam engine, Old Peppersass, was pulling cars of wide-eyed tourists to the top. The hairiest section of track is called Jacob’s Ladder — a 37-percent grade on a 30-foot high trestle. Some days there wasn’t much of a view on account of those “dramatic cloud formations.” “Gorry, Clyde, it’s some foggy up here.” “That ain’t fog, Percy. That’s cloud. And we’re in it.”
On clear days though, tourists exclaim over the view. “Look over yonder, Harry. I believe that’s Vermont.” “Indeed, Mildred. Through these field glasses I can just make out the Holsteins grazing along the Connecticut River.” “Oh, Harry, is that Maine?” “I believe it is. If I squint, I can see a lobster boat bobbing about in Casco Bay.” “To the north?” “Canada, my dear. The lumberjacks are sporting red plaid this season.” “And to the south?” “Massachusetts.” “Why Harry, I can practically smell the Boston baked beans.” “No dear, that’s smoke from the woodfired boiler.” Later coal replaced the wood, making the smoke even more beany. These days most of the engines run on diesel. This year marks the Cog’s 150th anniversary. Recently at a diner not far from the base of the big mountain, a couple of tuckered-out fellas from away, dressed head to toe in Gore-Tex, dragging their mud-splattered backpacks behind them, bragged that they’d just hiked Mt. Washington. Says the local at the counter, “Didn’t anybody tell you there’s a road?” Says the other local, “And a train.” NH
illustration by brad fitzpatrick
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