Bryan Yeaton's Winter Scenes Photo Gallery

Observatory
After the alpenglow fades from sunrise, the summit buildings dazzle in the morning air. Clouds swirl around the tower, turning the sky to slate, before continuing on to the ocean.

Cold Sunrise
Due to its height, Mount Washington sees the sunset through more of the atmosphere than the valley. More particles in the air scatter the light, resulting in "alpenglow," where the reds and oranges are more pronounced.

Summit Sunrise
An early hiker greets the day atop New England's highest peak. On clear days, this view can include the ocean near Portland, Maine, more than sixty miles away. The farthest visible peaks are to the west: Mounts Whiteface and Marcy in the Adirondaks, up to 130 miles distant

WMNF Sign
At several places near treeline, the White Mountain National Forest has placed these warning signs, a reminder that Mount Washington has claimed more lives than all but a few mountains throughout the world, including peaks miles higher.

Winter on the mountain can present a face of exceptional beauty and of real danger, so any winter visit must be carefully planned.

Below the Summit
The summit of Mount Washington can be a lonely outpost, often rendered completely inaccessible by the weather. Even in good weather, it can seem separated from the rest of the world.

Observatory Deck
In many mountainous regions of the world are found "lenticular" clouds. These "lens-shaped" formations occur when wind carries air up the side of a mountain ("orographic lifting"), causing it to cool and condense. Lenticulars indicate high wind-- maybe a good warning sign to not venture above treeline. Although this disc may appear to stay in one spot, each water molecule is getting hurled by the wind, and constantly replaced.

Bombardier
Built in Quebec, the Bombardier has weathered the Mount Washington Auto Road in winds of over 100 miles per hour. The machine, which can carry eleven passengers, operates without brakes; two large tracks can each go in either forward or reverse. Operator Chris Uggerholt, by using this system, can turn the Bombardier in place.

5-Mile Drift
Bombardier operator Chris Uggerholt clears away 6 to 10 foot drifts to keep the only route available for vehicular traffic passable to the summit while bringing observers up for a shift change.