The summit of Mount Washington is known for its inclement weather. Even when it’s warm and sunny on the veranda of the Mount Washington Hotel, it could be snowing at the peak of Mount Washington. So when parking your car at the trailhead, step into the Pinkham Notch Lodge run by the Appalachian Mountain Club and make sure it’s a good day to bag the highest peak in the Northeast. The first 2.4 miles of trail is a gradual ascent through a shaded forest of birches and firs. Eventually, you reach Hermit Lake Shelter, a popular hangout in the spring when skiers make their way down Tuckerman Ravine. On the Lion’s Head Trail, you rise above tree line and are thus vulnerable to any weather. Eventually, you reach the hut at the top, where you can purchase an “I Climbed Mount Washington” T-shirt and grab a sandwich or hot cup of soup. If you prefer not to climb down, you can take the coal-fired Cog Railway that leaves you off near the Mount Washington Hotel. Then you have to drive back to pick up the first car in the Pinkham Notch parking lot.