Pinkham Notch facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Pinkham Notch
The steep, glacier-carved walls of Pinkham Notch can be seen in this topographic map.
Elevation	2,032 ft (619 m)
Traversed by	NH Route 16
Location	Pinkham's Grant, Coos County, New Hampshire, United States
Range	White Mountains
Coordinates	44°15′27″N 71°15′13″W / 44.2576°N 71.2537°W / 44.2576; -71.2537
Topo map	USGS Stairs Mountain, Jackson, Carter Dome, Mount Washington

Pinkham Notch is a mountain pass in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, United States. It sits at an elevation of about 2,032 feet (619 meters). This deep valley was carved out by huge sheets of ice during the last ice age. The ice shaped it into a "U-shaped" valley, with tall mountains on either side.

Pinkham Notch is surrounded by the Presidential, Wildcat, and Carter-Moriah mountain ranges. Because of the wild weather and rugged land, many special plants and animals live here. People first wrote about the notch in 1784. Today, New Hampshire Route 16 makes it easy to visit. It is a popular spot for hiking and skiing.

Exploring Pinkham Notch's Geography

Pinkham Notch separates two important mountain ranges. The Presidential Range forms the western side. The Wildcat Range forms the eastern side. Two rivers flow through the notch. The Ellis River drains the south end. It flows into the Saco River. The Peabody River drains the north end. It flows into the Androscoggin River.

Western Side: Mount Washington and Glacial Valleys

Mount Washington, which forms the western wall of Pinkham Notch, holds several glacial cirques. From left to right are Tuckerman Ravine, the Ravine of Raymond Cataract, and Huntington Ravine.

Most of the western side of the notch is Mount Washington. This is the tallest peak in the northeastern United States. It rises over 6,288 feet (1,917 meters) above sea level. Mount Washington stands more than 4,000 feet (1,200 meters) above the valley floor.

You can find several bowl-shaped valleys called cirques on this side. These were carved by glaciers.

• The Great Gulf is the largest cirque in the White Mountains.
• South of it is Huntington Ravine. This area has steep, rocky walls. It is famous for rock and ice climbing.
• Next is the Ravine of Raymond Cataract. This valley is "V-shaped" and has a notable waterfall.
• Then comes Tuckerman Ravine. It has a smoother, uniform wall. It is well-known for its excellent skiing.
• After the Gulf of Slides, the notch widens. It continues all the way to Jackson.

Eastern Side: Wildcat and Carter-Moriah Ranges

The eastern side of the notch includes the Wildcat and Carter-Moriah Ranges. These mountains are a bit lower than the Presidential Range. The Wildcat Range has five peaks. They are named A, B, C, D, and E. Wildcat A is the highest, at 4,422 feet (1,348 meters).

The slopes drop very steeply from the main ridge to the valley floor. The Wildcat Mountain Ski Area is on the western slopes of Wildcat Mountain. It goes up to the low point between D and E peaks. As the notch curves past E peak, the slope becomes very steep. The Wildcat Ridge then drops towards the end of the notch.

The Carter-Moriah Range is north of Wildcat Ridge. It forms the eastern side of Pinkham Notch up to the Androscoggin River. The peaks overlooking the notch are:

• Carter Dome (4,832 ft / 1,473 m)
• Mount Hight (4,675 ft / 1,425 m)
• South Carter Mountain (4,420 ft / 1,347 m)
• Middle Carter Mountain (4,600 ft / 1,402 m)
• North Carter Mountain (4,530 ft / 1,381 m)
• Imp Mountain (3,720 ft / 1,134 m)
• Mount Moriah (4,049 ft / 1,234 m)

Understanding Pinkham Notch's Climate

The weather in Pinkham Notch changes a lot. It depends on how high up you are and which way the land faces. A weather station has been recording data here since 1930.

Pinkham Notch has a subarctic climate. This means it has long, cold winters and short, mild summers. The hottest temperature ever recorded was 93°F (34°C) on July 20, 1982. The coldest was -32°F (-36°C) on February 16, 1943.

Pinkham Notch's Diverse Environment

The climate, plants, and animals in Pinkham Notch change a lot with elevation. As you go higher up the mountains, the environment becomes more like places found much farther north. The types of natural areas, called biomes, range from forests at lower elevations to cold, treeless areas near the mountain tops. These high-up areas are similar to what you would find in Labrador, Canada.

Below 2,500 ft: Northern Hardwood Forests

The floor of Pinkham Notch, looking toward Mount Washington

The lowest parts of Pinkham Notch have northern hardwood forests. These forests are mostly made of trees that lose their leaves in the fall. You will see sugar maple, American beech, and yellow birch. Many smaller plants grow here too. Some common ones are wild sarsaparilla, painted trillium, hobblebush, and Indian cucumber-root.

These hardwood forests have the most different kinds of animals in the notch.

• Mammals include chipmunks, raccoons, white-tailed deer, black bears, and moose.
• Birds like red-eyed vireos, hermit thrushes, and ovenbirds are often seen.
• Amphibians are also found here. After heavy rains, you might see many red efts. These are young red-spotted newts. American toads, spring peepers, and wood frogs also live here.

Around 2,000 feet (610 meters) up, trees from higher forest zones start to mix with the hardwoods. This is called the "transition zone." As you go higher in this zone, some lower hardwood trees disappear. By 2,500 feet (760 meters), only yellow birch remains. The forest then changes into a spruce-fir forest.

2,500 ft to 4,000 ft: Spruce and Fir Forests

As you climb higher, the forest gets colder and wetter. The soil also becomes acidic and less fertile. Because of this, conifers, or "softwoods," become the main trees. Red spruce and balsam fir grow throughout this zone. You might also see paper birch, striped maple, and mountain ash at lower levels.

Like the hardwood forest, the spruce-fir forest has many smaller plants. You can find wood sorrel, Indian pipes, Canada mayflowers, and bluebead lilies. Fungi are also common in this moist environment.

Most animals in the spruce-fir forest also live higher up in the balsam fir forest.

• Birds like warblers are very common. More than ten types live here. Other birds include brown-capped chickadees, spruce grouse, and yellow-capped woodpeckers.
• Mammals include the red squirrel and the pine marten.

4,000 ft to Timberline: Balsam Fir Forests

Even higher up, only the toughest trees can survive. The forest here is almost all balsam fir. Most of the smaller plants and animals from the spruce-fir zone can still be found here. The constant moisture washes nutrients from the soil. Also, dead plants break down too slowly to replace these nutrients.

At the very top of the balsam fir zone, strong winds and cold temperatures make the trees grow in strange, stunted shapes. This is called krummholz, a German word meaning "crooked wood." The trees are often bent by the wind, cold, and ice particles. Branches facing the wind often die, leaving "flag trees" that point in the direction of the wind. Eventually, the conditions become too harsh for any trees to grow. This point is called the tree line. In the White Mountains, it is usually around 4,500 feet (1,400 meters) high.

Above Timberline: The Alpine Zone

On the highest slopes of the notch's west wall, trees cannot grow. This area is an "alpine zone" with special plants that grow in cold, high places. These plants are usually lichens, sedges, or small, low-lying plants. They can handle the strong winds. Most plants here live for many years. The growing season is too short for plants that only live one year.

Alpine plants often grow in groups among barren, rocky slopes. Cushion-shaped Diapensia lapponica grows in the windiest spots. In less windy areas, you can find sedge, heath, snowbank, and alpine bog plant groups.

Pinkham Notch's Fascinating History

Pinkham Notch was once a "V-shaped" river valley. Then, a giant ice sheet called the Laurentide Ice Sheet reshaped it. This happened during the Wisconsinian Ice Age, about 25,000 to 50,000 years ago. The ice stripped away softer rocks, leaving only strong mica schist. As the glaciers melted, they left behind a layer of rocky material and large boulders called glacial erratics. A famous one is Mount Washington's Glen Boulder.

Artist Samuel Lancaster Gerry's 1877 depiction of Pinkham Notch, entitled "Tuckerman Ravine and Lion's Head".

The notch first appeared in written records in 1784. An expedition led by Jeremy Belknap camped here before climbing Mount Washington. Pinkham Notch was very isolated. The first settler, Hayes Copp, arrived in 1827. He built a home near where the Dolly Copp campground is today. Copp and his wife lived alone until Daniel Pinkham built the first road through the notch in 1836. This road finally connected the Copp home to other towns.

In 1851, a railroad was built to Gorham. A hotel, the Glen House, was built for travelers. Mount Washington was the main attraction. A path for horses was built from the Glen House to hotels on the summit. This path later became the Mount Washington Auto Road. When the road was finished in 1861, many more tourists came to the area.

Logging also began in Pinkham Notch. After most of the White Mountain region was deforested, the White Mountain National Forest was created in 1911. The Mount Washington area was added in 1914. With the land now protected, the focus changed from logging to outdoor fun. The Appalachian Mountain Club turned an old logging camp into the Pinkham Notch Visitor Center in 1921. The Appalachian Trail was built through the center. This made it an important starting point for climbing Mount Washington. Later, ski trails were built on Wildcat Mountain. The ski resort opened in 1958.

Fun Activities in Pinkham Notch

Pinkham Notch is easy to reach by New Hampshire Route 16. There are many fun things to do here.

Hiking Adventures

Lost Pond in Pinkham Notch

Climbing Mount Washington is a common goal for hikers. Many trails start from the Appalachian Mountain Club's visitor center. Even though the trails might seem short, climbing Mount Washington is a serious challenge. Most trails involve climbing at least 4,000 vertical feet (1,200 meters). This includes climbing the rocky summit. The weather can change very quickly, so hikers must be ready for extreme conditions. Sadly, sometimes people do not survive.

• The Tuckerman Ravine Trail is the most popular trail. It goes up to the summit through the steep wall of Tuckerman Ravine.
• The Huntington Ravine Trail is thought to be the hardest trail in New Hampshire. It climbs the very steep wall of Huntington Ravine. You can find rock climbing spots here.

On the other side of the notch, the Wildcat Range is also popular. You can reach its five peaks using the Wildcat Ridge Trail. The first two miles are very difficult. They require skill on short, exposed rock scrambles. Many people skip this part by following the ski area's Polecat Trail to the top of D Peak.

The Appalachian Trail is a very long trail, over 2,150 miles (3,460 km) from Georgia to Maine. It runs along the Presidential Range. Then it crosses the notch and climbs to the tops of the Wildcat Range.

There are also easier hikes that are great for families with younger children. Popular spots include Glen Ellis Falls, a waterfall on the Ellis River. Square Ledge offers a great view of Mount Washington for a short effort.

Skiing and Winter Sports

The Wildcat Range, as seen from Tuckerman Ravine, forms the eastern slope of Pinkham Notch. A ski area operates on the range's northwestern face.

The area offers many chances for both downhill and Nordic skiing.

• Tuckerman Ravine is famous for its extremely steep backcountry skiing. Long lines are common in April and May, during the best spring skiing season.
• Wildcat Mountain has groomed ski trails and lifts. It is a better choice for skiers with less experience. The main attraction is the gondola. It runs in the summer and offers views of the Presidentials without any effort.

For Nordic skiing, Great Glen Trails has a large system of groomed trails. It also includes the lower half of the Auto Road. Several warming huts are along the trails. One is the Great Angel Cabin, with views of the Great Gulf. Great Glen also allows biking on the trails in the summer. It is the only mountain bike facility in the notch. Another cross-country trail system is in the town of Jackson. It goes as far as the summit of Wildcat Mountain.