Team Alka Treka was an adventure hiking racing team that challenged many people in a hiking race on some of the toughest hiking areas in the world. The team leader was a man named Thomas Markman. His teammates were Paul Tillgis, Van Boston, and a lady named Britney Hauer. Their one claim to fame: they had never lost a race.
Team Alka Treka was sitting at their home base.
āHey, guys!ā Van held up his phone. āThere is an old man who wants to race us to the top of Mount Washington in New Hampshire.ā
Britney glanced at the picture on his phone. āYouāve got to be kidding me. This man looks older than the planet, and he thinks that he can beat us in a race to the top of the highest peak in the U.S. He looks like he needs a walker.ā
āSo, it says here that his name is Old Man Wilcox. What a joke.ā Paul giggled.
āCall him. Tell him that well will take him up on his challenge.ā Thomas said.
One month later, they were at the base of Mount Washington, the highest peak in the U.S. state of New Hampshire. A man walked up to them.
āHello. I am Judge Harold Colton. I will be overseeing the race.ā
āNice to meet you.ā Thomas shook his hand. āI cannot believe a man who is older than dirt would challenge us.ā
Judge Colton moved closer. āDo not underestimate Old Man Wilcox. He has defeated many people including those who could not be defeated.ā
Judge Colton walked away.
āWe will see how stupid this old man is.ā Thomas sputtered.
An hour later, they were at the starting line. Thomas, Van, Paul, and Britney stepped up to the line. Old Man Wilcox, with the help of his walker, and his granddaughter, slowly creeped to the starting line.
āYou have got to be kidding me.ā Van said.
āNope! I am Old Man Wilcox, and I am here to race you to the top of Mount Washington.ā
āWell, see you at the finish lineā¦ five months from now.ā Thomas mocked him.
āGet ready!ā Judge Colton stood nearby. āThe rules are simple. Be the first to get to the top of Mount Washington to win the race.ā
Team Alka Treka readied themselves.
āOn your mark. Get set. Go!ā
Team Alka Treka sped offā¦ leaving Old Man Wilcox and his granddaughter behind.
Thomas, Paul, Van, and Britney were hiking their way up the mountain. The weather was cold. The wind blew hard. In about three hours, they were above the tree line. They were awed by the views.
āIt would be nice to stay here and watch, but we need to get to the top.ā Thomas tried to rush everyone.
They continued upward.
They were three quarters of the way to the top. The weather was getting frigid. Strong winds were blowing. Britney started limping.
āAre you O.K.?ā Van was concerned.
āIt feels like I have a blister.ā Britney was wincing.
āWe will be at the top soon.ā Thomas tried to urge her.
They continued on untilā¦ they reached the top.Ā They had arrived at the summit of Mount Washington, but there was nobody around to greet them.Ā They went into the Visitor Center.Ā Britney sat down and removed her boot and her socks to see the blister on the sole of her foot.
āThat looks bad.ā Van stared at her blister.
āSo, you made it.ā Judge Colton walked over to him. āI see that she got a blister.ā
āYeah! It must be my reward for victory.ā Britney squeezed the blister.
āToo bad Old Man Wilcox beat you here.ā
They were stunned. āWhat do youā¦?ā
āHe had been here for hours.ā Judge Colton added. āHe and his granddaughter had been here for hours. It looks like you got a taste of defeat.ā
Old Man Wilcox slowly creeped to them with the help of his walker with his granddaughter next to him. āI see that you finally got here.ā
āNow how did an old poop like you beat us?ā Britney kept looking at her blister.
Old Man Wilcox pointed. They looked outside.
āWait a minute.ā Thomas was furious.
āThe rule was to be the first to the top. It did not say how to get to the top. It said be the first to the top. Old Man Wilcox and his lovely granddaughter was the first to the top. Therefore, they are the winners. You, Team Alka Treka, are the losers. Have a great day.ā Judge Colton walked away.
āHave a nice day.ā Old Man Wilcox creeped away.
They watched at Old Man Wilcox and his granddaughter made their way to the Mount Washington Cog Railway.
Old Man Wilcox approached the train.
āCongratulations on another victory.ā The conductor tipped his hat.
āThank You.ā Old Man Wilcox smiled. āI always enjoy riding the train.ā
Old Man Wilcox and his granddaughter climbed aboard and sat down. The train began its descent down the mountain. As for Team Alka Treka, they suffered their first defeat along with Britney Hauer suffering the agony of de-feet.
So how did Old Man Wilcox, a very elderly man who needs assistance of a walker to stand and walk, win a race against four very experienced very physically fit hikers on a mountain that is known for some of the toughest weather on planet earth?
It began at the starting line. When the race began, Team Alka Treka began their hike up the mountain. Old Man Wilcox called a cab. He rode the cab to Marshfield Station. Yes, it is a train station. It is the train station for the Mount Washington Cog Railway. He rode the train to the top, and made it to the top long before Team Alka Treka arrived.
What is the Mount Washington Cog Railway?
Well, it is the first railroad of its kind in the world. Darlington, England, Great Britain was where the first railroad in the world. Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.A. was where the first railroad ran in the Western Hemisphere. Honesdale, Pennsylvania, U.S.A. was where the steam locomotive was first used on a railroad line in the Western Hemisphere. As for Mount Washington in the U.S. state of New Hampshire, it was the first cog railroad in the entire world.
Some of you are saying, āWow! That is cool. What is a cog railroad?ā
That is a good question. It is a railroad, but it is not your typical railroad. A cog railroad has its two main rails, and it has a center rail that looks like it has teeth. What are these teeth for? A normal railroad would not be able to ascend straight up a mountain.
Some of you are saying, āWell, the Cass Scenic Railroad in Cass, West Virginia goes up a mountain.ā
That is true, but the Cass Scenic Railroad does not go directly to the top but on a normal railroad line using switchbacks to climb the mountain. It is more like driving a winding road except on the railroad.
A cog railway is able to go straight up the mountain on very steep track. (It goes from a twenty-five percent to thirty-seven percent grade. The average railroad, including narrow gauge, could not run on tracks this steep.) The center gear track is how it is done. You may have heard of rack-and-pinion. A wheel, called a cog wheel, on the bottom of the locomotive, connects to this tooth track, and it rides this track up the mountain.
As you arrive at the station, you get your ticket, and you get aboard the train. The train goes on its ascent up the mountain. It is a very slow ride. A slow ride allows you to enjoy the scenery that you will enjoy on your three mile (five kilometer) ascent. Be warned. There will be lots of scenery to enjoy. You are only on one of the highest mountains in the United States of America.
You arrive at the top. You step off the train.
Some of you are saying, āAnd you see nothing, and you are freezing to death.ā
Nope. At the top of Mount Washington is where you will find Mount Washington State Park. You have a visitor center that has a restaurant, an exhibit called āExtreme Mount Washingtonā, a restaurant, restrooms, and, on cold days, heat. You can view the scenery below from the many overlooks. (You can even see the states of Maine to the east and Vermont to the west.) You can see the weather station (not open to the public), and you can put your feet on the summit of Mount Washington. (Please note that the summit is not wheelchair accessible.) Then it is time to descend down to mountain back to Marshfield Station. While at Marshfield Station, you can visit the museum to see how the cog railway looks.
Some of you are saying, āThat is nice. With the steep grades, it is sure a not-so-comfortable ride.ā
Not exactly. The locomotive and the passenger car is designed to handle the steep grades. Yes, the grades are steep, but the engineer and the passengers feel as if they are on level ground.
The Mount Washington Cog Railway is the first of its kind in the world. It is a National Historic Mechanical and Civil Engineering Landmark. The man who design the railroad, well, was Sylvester Marsh. What is special about Sylvester Marsh? He was not a railroad man, but he designed the Mount Washington Cog Railway. When his idea to build the railroad came to the New Hampshire legislature, they laughed at him. When he began running the railroad to the top of Mount Washington on July 3, 1869, it continued to run, and it runs to this day. The man who was laughed at by big dignitaries designed one of the most popular railroad rides in the world, and people still ride to the top of Mount Washington today. Other cog railways have also been built to climb other mountains. Who is laughing now?
Some of you are saying, āThe sad thing is that it only runs from late May to October.ā
The sad thing is that you are wrong. The Mount Washington Cog Railway runs year round. Yes. You can ride to the top of Mount Washington in January and February.
The Mount Washington Cog Railway is located at the base of Mount Washington in the northern region of New Hampshire at 3168 Base Station Road in Mount Washington, New Hampshire. It is a six mile drive from U.S. Route 302 on a paved road. Please note that the weather does change rapidly at the summit so you will want to prepare even in the summer months. The ride up is thirty minutes to the top. You can get more information and tickets at https://www.thecog.com/.
So, what is the best way to the top of Mount Washington? Ride the Mount Washington Cog Railway. It is scenic up and down. Oh, the Mount Washington Cog Railway will not give you blisters on your feet.
John Cowgill: Stories of the Railroad 