Hump Day on Mt. Washington!

Pinkham Notch, NH—On Wednesday, July 8, a camel will make the first ever ascent of the Mt. Washington Auto Road and become the first camel to reach the Northeast’s highest peak. It’s Hump Day on Mt. Washington.

Since the original bridle path opened to the summit of Mt. Washington, all manner of beast and vehicle have reached the top. However, a camel has never trekked up the Mt. Washington Auto Road. Josh, a dromedary camel from Lempster, NH, is looking to be the first to accomplish the feat on Hump Day.

Although Josh will be the first camel on the summit, a variety of unusual ascents have been made throughout the years: a unicycle, a Segway and a man pushing a wheelbarrow with 100# of sugar for example. In fact, when Freelan Stanley made his climb in his Locomobile in 1899, many naysayers doubted that cars had a future on the Carriage Road. Automobiles soon proved their worth, but regardless of the outcome of Hump Day, it seems unlikely that camels will become the norm on the Auto Road.

Josh is already a big star after his appearance on the Discovery Channel’s “Wreckreation Nation.” In fact, he travels with an entourage and has made very specific hay requests before his Hump Day climb. He will not be signing autographs, but he will be happy to have you photographed with him.

Hump Day on Mt. Washington is scheduled to begin pre-dawn on Wednesday, July 8, weather permitting. Josh and crew hopes to reach the summit before the Mt. Washington Auto Road opens to private vehicles. Josh and crew will spend the day on the summit and return to the base after the Auto Road has closed for the day.

The Mt. Washington Auto Road is open daily to cars, not camels.