Mount Washington is a jewel in the White Mountains, sitting like a queen at more than six thousand feet and wild in its weather patterns. In 2023, the peak set a record for wind chill of -108F. So, why visit in winter? Because this frosty landscape offers an escape to a wonderland below the “frozen lady.” Think Nordic skiing on groomed trails, the thrill of a tubing hill, snowshoeing through glazed pine forests, a heated Snow Coach tour to the tree line, or a seat with a view at The Glen House.
Situated below Mount Washington, The Glen House offers classic New England charm and comfort: a fireplace in the bar, locally-sourced cuisine, and rooms with feather quilts. Firepits line the deck, and blankets are there for bundling.
A Great Glens trail pass is complimentary for adventures. I choose a Nor'easter getaway and am rewarded with Great Gulf views between storms, and it’s difficult to leave the fireplace in the lobby. The concierge tells me about the history of this location at Pinkham Notch, “back when the railroads ran folks up” from Boston and Portland, Maine. An original lodge was built in the early 1850s by John Bellows, and over the years, sold to J.M. Thompson, the Milliken Brothers, the Libby Family, and now the Mt. Washington Summit Road Company. Rebuilt many times over the late 1800s, and “caught up in devastating fires between the rebuilds and new ownerships,” this location, with views to Tuckerman Ravine and the Presidential Range, is prime mountain “eye candy.”
The storm passes and the sky clears so I slip on cross-country skis and hit the trails. I head up Clementine Wash to Thumper. Mount Washington is lit up and shining above. Pines are draped in powder. I zip down Dragon Corridor, heading back to the lodge for lunch and sign up for the Snow Coach tour.
“It’s an extreme world out there,” the driver says as we start the ascent up the Auto Road. “But in here, it’s nice and warm.”
I watch the pines disappear into scraggly sub-arctic glens of glacial deadwood. Below, cars, skiers, and hotel turn into Monopoly pieces. Surrounded by ravines, steep ridgelines, the Presidential Range, and undulating views of valleys and peaks, we stop at 3,000 feet and stare over the edges of winter in full iced bloom.
That night, I dine fireside at the Notch Grille. Butternut squash soup and short ribs with mashed potatoes fill me up after an active day—and I top it off with cheesecake with blueberry compote. I look over the trail map for the snowshoe trails and make my plans for the next day.
Winter in Portsmouth is a wonderland of snowy fields, frozen ponds, and seascapes of freezing waves, but, as John Muir said, “the mountains are calling, and I must go.” Two hours from Portsmouth and a world away from stress, the White Mountains call and The Glen House answers with a peaceful retreat in the wild North Woods.
Details: theglenhouse.com.
This location, with views to Tuckerman Ravine and the Presidential Range, is prime mountain “eye candy.”