Mr. Mount Washington
Alton Oscar Weagle
(1911–1979)
Alton Weagle wasn’t chasing trophies. He was chasing the joy of doing something no one had done before — and inviting others to imagine the mountain differently.
Who was Alton Weagle?
Born in Stark, New Hampshire, Alton Oscar Weagle grew up roaming rivers, woods, and hills. He became deeply connected to Mount Washington, where he would eventually earn the nickname “Mr. Mount Washington.”
Weagle worked a variety of jobs — baker, mountain guide, fire tower guard, square-dance caller — but his reputation was built on a series of unconventional ascents of Mount Washington by trail, Cog Railway, and Auto Road.
A different kind of record holder
Weagle’s “records” were rarely about speed alone. They were about imagination, endurance, and playful defiance of expectations.
Famous ascents & legends
- Climbing Mount Washington backward
- Ascending blindfolded
- Walking up barefoot
- Racing the Cog Railway on foot — and winning
- Pushing a wheelbarrow full of sugar up the Auto Road without setting it down
Many of these feats were self-documented. When asked later whether the records were verified, a family member summed it up simply: “He said he did.”
The article argues that the truth of the records matters less than the creative impulse behind them.
The wedding on Jacob’s Ladder
On September 10, 1955, Weagle became nationally known when he and his bride, Cora Carter, were married on the Cog Railway at Jacob’s Ladder — one of the steepest sections of track on the mountain.
The event drew widespread media attention and cemented Weagle’s public identity as “Mr. Mount Washington.”
Beyond the mountain
Later in life, Weagle founded the Keene Horseshoe Club, organized public square dances, worked as a fire tower guard on Mount Monadnock, and donated more than 50 pints of blood to the Red Cross.
The spirit behind Alton Weagle Day
Alton Weagle Day, launched by the Mount Washington Auto Road in 2011, isn’t about beating records. It’s about creativity, humor, and finding a personal challenge that feels meaningful.
Participants arrive in costume, attempt unusual ascents, and celebrate the wonderfully absurd — exactly the kind of energy Weagle brought to the mountain throughout his life.
“I like to do things that no one has ever done before.”
Blueapple Pie & Weagle Day
Some traditions don’t come from the mountain — they grow up around it. Over the years, Alton Weagle Day has become as much a celebration at the bottom as a challenge on the road.
Blueapple Pie — a New England mash-up of apples and blueberries — feels right at home here. Apples for the hills and farms, blueberries for the North Country. It’s the kind of practical, celebratory food you bring to share after doing something a little ridiculous.
The original Blueapple Pie concept appears here: NewEngland.com – Blueapple Pie
Vegan Blueapple Pie
An original vegan adaptation for Alton Weagle Day.
What you need
- 1 vegan double pie crust
- 6 cups sliced apples (mix tart + sweet)
- 2½–3 cups blueberries (fresh or frozen)
- ¾ cup sugar (divided)
- 4 tbsp cornstarch (or flour)
- Cinnamon, lemon juice, pinch of salt
- Plant milk for brushing crust
How it comes together
- Toss apples with sugar, spice, lemon, and thickener.
- Fill bottom crust with apples.
- Toss blueberries with sugar, thickener, lemon, and salt.
- Layer blueberries over apples.
- Top with crust or lattice, vent well.
- Bake at 425°F for 20 minutes, then 375°F for 35–45 minutes.
- Cool completely before slicing.
Best eaten outside, preferably after a long walk.
Sources & further reading
This page is based primarily on:
Dan Szczesny, “Mount Washington’s Quirky Record Holder: A Writer Follows the Intensity of Alton Weagle,” Appalachia, Vol. 69, No. 1, Winter/Spring 2018.
Published by Dartmouth College Digital Commons.
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