What is this mountain seen from I-93N?

Does anybody know what mountain this is?

When you are driving north on I93, just beyond the 70.4 mile marker if you look slightly to the left, there is a very picturesque mountain. You get another more limited glimpse about mile 72. It is a fair distance away, since it is not there when visibility is limited. This past weekend it was very nicely snowcapped.

I think it must be Lafayette, but it doesn't quite look like I think it should. I'm pretty sure it is not Moosilauke.

I tried to use http://www.heywhatsthat.com/ but did not have any luck.

This has been driving me nuts for some years now - some people have such small problems

Can you give us some hints, like what town you are near at the 70.4 mile marker? Or other landmarks?

If you're going north on 93, it's unlikely to be Lafayette, since that's on the right side of 93 going through the Notch. (Unless there are some major twists and turns on 93 N that would somehow make some mountains appear to be on the left side of 93 when they are really on the right???? and there very well could be these big twists, but I'm not envisioning them as I mentally drive up 93...?)

The location is between the New Hampton and Ashland exits. There is enough local curving on the road that Lafayette could easily appear on the left from 40 miles away.

Ah! Well, if there are that many twists and turns, there are plenty of other candidates on the right! Well, good luck. Maybe somebody can post a picture from that location, and I'm sure you'll get your answer quickly.

Cardigan is over that way.

I was thinking the same thing. Cardigan is very visible and has a nice snow cap. But it would be a lot closer; and it would be almost directly to the left, not slightly left.

Lafayette is unlikely - it is at the far end of the ridge from there; lots of other things in the way.

Cannon is a possibility...

Pretty sure Moosilauke fits your description. Sort of looks like a whaleback with south and main peaks visible. It's more prominent this time of year when it is snowcapped.

Bryan

bryan said:

Pretty sure Moosilauke fits your description.

Click to expand...

That would be my guess as well.

One more vote for The Moose.

Mohamed Ellozy said:

One more vote for The Moose.

Click to expand...

Tool shed hill. Look at a map

Does it look like a small pyramid? I believe that would be Liberty. Moosilauke, Cannon, Liberty and Lafayette are all visible long before "entering White Mountain Region". Try entering latitude 43.637535 N longitude 71.649399 W in heywhatsthat.com. The Visibility Cloak (viewshed) highlights Cannon, Lafayette and Liberty, all slightly to the left of the highway. YMMV, literally.

I don't know exactly where miles 70.4 and 72 are, but from about the middle of that stretch I think So. Kinsman or Cannon would be more likely than Moosilauke to give you a dramatic glimpse, slightly to the left.

I have noticed this also. I always thought it was Tecumseh. Really a quite beautiful view. According to heywhatsthat is no different of a view than the moose.

You get both a brief, distant Franconia Ridge view and a very good Moose view over Plymouth which is actually much better once you get beyond Ashland.

The Tecumseh view is not very remarkable from I-93 as it' behind Welch Dickey and the rest of the ridge. Even W-D from a distance blends into the mass until you get closer, then they look more remarkable for the bare rock making up for their height.

On the first curve you can see what I believe is Little Haystack on the next curve you see Cannon

dclynch said:

Does anybody know what mountain this is?

When you are driving north on I93, just beyond the 70.4 mile marker if you look slightly to the left, there is a very picturesque mountain. You get another more limited glimpse about mile 72. It is a fair distance away, since it is not there when visibility is limited. This past weekend it was very nicely snowcapped.

I think it must be Lafayette, but it doesn't quite look like I think it should. I'm pretty sure it is not Moosilauke.

Click to expand...

I'd try this: find your exact spot on Google Earth and go to it. Get to about 500 foot elevation above ground level and look in the direction you cite. See which mountain it is.

I love that drive and enthusiastically look for the big mountains one can see along the way. I've noticed Cannon, Liberty, Little Haystack and, of course, Moosilauke popping up and out at different points from about New Hampton northward. Given that you're pretty sure it's not the Moose, which is so large and so distinctive from that area, my guess is that it's Cannon's first "star turn" as you proceed north. Rounded and bulky, but from that distance, somewhat small on the horizon. I do think I recall it being, remarkably, to the left a bit from a spot in that part of 93 northbound.

It is Franconia Ridge. In particular, little haystack through Lafayette from the south.

Tim

What about Stinson. I always wondered what that peak was when entering that area. I was fascinated by the Notch at the top, until I actually hiked there and was disappointed there was not a notch to be seen.

At mile marker 72.6 heading northbound (prior to the Ashland exit), you're looking at Cannon and the top of the Cannon cliffs.

From the south on Rte 93 in winter, Moosilauke looks like a wide flat white summit off to the left (you are looking side-on at the ridge between the main and south summits), Cannon looks very rounded (the cliffs are unmistakeable) and has the Cannon Balls on the left (also rounded), and the peaks of Franconia Ridge look like a row of sharp summits. IIRC, there is at least one spot where one can see Cannon, the cliffs, Franconia Notch, and Franconia Ridge with Lafayette at the far end.

The views used to be better, but the trees along Rte 93 have been growing...

Doug