Computer-generated image from satellite data of the Presidential Range and vicinity on a rare clear day, 2014
The Presidential Range is a mountain range located in the White Mountains of the U.S. state of New Hampshire. Containing the highest peaks of the Whites, its most notable summits are named for American presidents, followed by prominent public figures of the 18th and 19th centuries. The Presidential Range is notorious for having some of the worst weather on Earth, mainly because of the unpredictability of high wind speeds and whiteout conditions on the higher summits. Because of the poor weather conditions, the Presidential Range is often used for mountaineering training for those who go on to climb some of the world's highest mountains, including K2 and Everest.[1][2]
Mount Washington, long home of the highest winds recorded on the surface of the Earth at 231 mph (372 km/h), is the tallest at 6,288 ft (1,917 m), followed by neighboring peaks Mount Adams at 5,793 ft (1,766 m) and Mount Jefferson at 5,712 ft (1,741 m). The range is almost entirely in Coos County.
Notable summits
The highest mountains in the Presidential Range are named principally for U.S. presidents, with the tallest mountain (Mount Washington) named for the first president and the second tallest (Mount Adams) for the second president.
Among the range's most notable summits (in sequence from southwest to northeast):
Mount Adams has four subsidiary peaks besides its summit that are also commonly recognized by name. Two are listed above (Sam Adams and John Quincy Adams). The third and fourth are:
The summits marked with an asterisk (*) are included on the peak bagging list of 4,000-foot and higher mountains in New Hampshire; the others are excluded, in some cases because of lesser height and in others because of more technical criteria.
Presidential Range in winter (summits and Cog Railway labeled)
Aside from the notable summits, the Presidential Range contains a number of additional named peaks. Several of these peaks, drained on their west faces by the Dry River, are less accessible than the main and most-visited ridge of the range.
Mount Pickering (1,945 ft) (family name of first president of Appalachian Mountain Club)
Mount Stanton (1,716 ft)
The summits marked with an asterisk (*) are included on the peak-bagging list of 4,000-foot and higher mountains in New Hampshire; the others are excluded, in some cases because of lesser height and in others because of more technical criteria.
The so-called Presidential Traverse is a hike that traverses each major summit along the 19 miles (31 km) of the Presidential ridge. The traverse encompasses over 8,500 feet (2,600 m) in elevation gain. It can be done in a single day in summer, but during winter it is generally a two- to four-day venture. The traverse is considered strenuous.[4]
Hazards
Sign warning of weather.
The range is notorious for its unpredictable and inclement weather, with some of the deadliest mountains in the continental United States. Due to its unique location relative to other geographic features, it holds the world record for highest recorded surface wind speed not within a tropical cyclone. Fatalities in this area are dominated by those that occur on Mount Washington, the highest peak in the range. The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department conducts an average of 200 rescues a year for hikers in need of assistance.[5]
