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Mt. Washington Observatory, Cog Railway Seek Court Ruling On Summit Rights

The Cog with the Mount Washington summit, and Observatory, in the background.
Annie Ropeik / NHPR
The Cog with the Mount Washington summit, and Observatory, in the background.
Annie Ropeik / NHPR

Two of the big players on the Northeast's highest mountain - the Mount Washington Observatory and the Cog Railway – are taking each other to court.

At issue is a 2009 agreement that lets Cog riders visit the nonprofit Observatory's museum for free. In exchange, it says the Cog will pay the Observatory a dollar per visitor.

But the Cog stopped paying in 2016. The Observatory says they're at least $200,000 overdue. Now, they're suing for that money - and seeking legal clarification of the usage rights on the mountain.

Railway owner Wayne Presby says the Observatory violated the museum fee agreement first. He plans to counter-sue.

The ruling on this case could also affect the usage rights of the state park, hiking clubs and the Mount Washington Auto Road.

Copyright 2019 New Hampshire Public Radio

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Annie Ropeik joined NHPR’s reporting team in 2017, following stints with public radio stations and collaborations across the country. She has reported everywhere from fishing boats, island villages and cargo terminals in Alaska, to cornfields, factories and Superfund sites in the Midwest.