guff

Mountain hiking the Ringling Bros. way

Segway riders climb Mount Washington. That, however, is not the important part of the story, which my local paper unfortunately chose to leave out of their report. From the AP, here is a more complete picture:

On top of the world

By Associated Press

MOUNT WASHINGTON - Another first was registered Wednesday for Mount Washington, the tallest mountain in the Northeast - a Segway scooter drove up the mountain’s auto road in about 2 1/2 hours.

The trip required six sets of batteries for the stand-up scooter, invented by Manchester’s Dean Kamen and manufactured in Bedford.

Three drivers took turns piloting the Segway up the road, which climbs to the top of the 6,288-foot mountain in 7.6 miles.

…

“It requires more concentration than I expected,” rider Rob Owen, 54, said during a battery change break. “It’s a very steep road and I’m trying to follow the grade of the road.”

The 190-pound Owen, a former circus clown, rode the final leg of the three-man team to the peak, known for its brutal weather.

Emphasis above is my only comment.