Buttonwood Inn on Mt Surprise Room 3 – North Conway, NH

History of the Landmark

In 1936, the peak, then known as "Ingalls Mountain", was renamed "Mount Success" to distinguish it from the nearby Mount Ingalls in Shelburne, New Hampshire.

Mount Success is a massive mountain in the rugged Mahoosuc Range with two open, broad glacier-scoured granite summits with dwarf evergreens and blueberries growing from cracks in the rock. The northern summit is higher at 3,565 feet and the southern at 3,364 feet is shorter but offers better views. The lower slopes are covered in a typical Mahoosuc boreal forest of dense fir and spruce mixed with deciduous trees. Mount Success is the first summit in New Hampshire that people hiking the Appalachian Trail reach as well as the first real Mahoosuc summit. It is difficult to hike Mount Success in a day hike and you need a few days to cross the whole range. Take the Appalachian Trail if coming from the north and the trail to Gentian Pond if coming from the south. The main summit is about 2.8 miles from Gentian Pond.

Early on Nov. 30, 1954, a Douglas DC 3 designated Flight 656 left New York for Boston and Laconia, where it continued north towards Berlin as Flight 792. The weather worsened as it approached the Berlin Airport, located in the outlying town of Milan. The pilot approached the airport on instruments. But a combination of factors, including a possible instrument failure that gave him the impression that he was already above the airport, plus extreme rough air, caused him to fly much lower than the glide path and the plane crashed into the east side of Mount Success. It broke apart and came to rest 200 vertical feet below the summit. The cockpit section hit first and shattered. It broke from the main cabin. The tail came to rest further down the mountain.

All seven people aboard survived the crash, but two in the cockpit died of their injuries that night. Despite his severe injuries, the pilot William Carey survived. In the cabin, the three passengers and flight attendant survived without injuries. Soon after the crash, the crew sent out a weak message, initiating a search. A search plane spotted survivors on the summit of Mount Success. All were lifted out by helicopter.

On Mount Success, the wreckage is crumpled yet bright, with rust only on steel interior parts. A couple sections are intact. You can stand in the main cabin section and sign the logbook, kept in an ammunition box that is left on the flight attendant’s food preparation shelf. You can investigate the restroom where the metal toilet is intact.

Mount Success is the last NH summit encountered by north-bound hikers on the Appalachian Trail and the first of the real Mahoosuc summits. South of here, the range is composed of disorganized lumps and bumps. To the north, it becomes a more coherent range of rugged peaks. In a lot of ways, Success is the anchor mountain for the entire range.

Inn Policies

Before your stay, please review our policies:

• Rates - The Buttonwood Inn on Mt. Surprise is dedicated to making each guest stay special. If you have special requests or questions regarding this reservation, please contact the Inn. Rates are for single and double occupancy and our delicious "homemade from scratch" breakfast as well as a selection of homemade and locally baked goods in the late afternoon. Rates are subject to NH rooms and meals taxes.
• Check-In/Check Out - Anyone wishing to check-in before 4PM will be charged an extra days stay. Please keep in mind that a small Inn such as the Buttonwood Inn on Mt Surprise usually has very minimal staff. Hence, time is needed to fully expedite cleaning. If arriving AFTER 9 PM, call to make arrangements for leaving a key for you 603-356-2625. Please keep in mind that with minimal staff of a small Inn it is difficult to be available until late hours when breakfast prep begins at 6AM. CHECK-OUT TIME: 10:30 AM.
• Cancellation - A deposit of 50% of the total cost is required upon making your Reservation. The Buttonwood Inn on Mt Surprise is a privately owned small property where every guest reservation is both important and special to us. If your travel plans change and you must cancel your reservation, please call us at least 21 days prior to your arrival date to cancel your reservation. If cancelled beyond 21 days prior to your stay you will receive a full refund less a $45.00 administrative fee. In the unlikely event that you must cancel with less than 21 days notice, shorten your stay or check out early, please understand that we must ask you to take responsibility for your entire reservation. In all instances you may however, apply the deposit to a future booking. Unlike some hotels, we do not “overbook” our rooms. We hold guest reservations for the dates our guest’s request. Thus, we need to refuse other potential guests. As a result, if a guest leaves earlier than their reservation calls for or they do not show up for their reservation, they will be charged for the entire reservation. Gift Certificates are non-refundable. Please keep in mind some on-line booking agencies require you to cancel through their site and you are subject to their payment and deposit policies. All Rates are for Double Occupancy Only. Additional guests are NOT accepted except for Room 6 where Occupancy is 2 adults and 2 kids only.
• Parking - Parking is available in our large parking lot. There is an unloading and loading zone in front of the porch upon arrival and departure.
• Minimum Night Stays - Two-night stays are required for all reservations.
• Meals - At our Bed and Breakfast, we offer a complete gourmet breakfast experience. Each morning only one entrée is available alternating between savory and sweet options, served from 8:00 to 9:00 am daily. For guests who need to depart before our regular breakfast hours, we are happy to prepare a travel breakfast, provided we receive a minimum of 24 hours' notice. Additionally, we treat our guests to homemade and locally baked goods around 4:00 pm each day.
• Children - We welcome children of all ages. There will be an additional charge of $75 per night, per room, per child.
• Pets - Even though we have had rescue dogs of our own, we do not accept pets at our inn. However, if you plan to travel with your pet, you can reserve an overnight stay at Albany Pet Care located in Albany, NH about 20 minutes from our inn. We have left our dog there on many occasions when we travel and he is well cared for and contentedly happy when we pick him up upon our return. Please go to the Albany Pet Care website for more information on overnight stays and day care.
• Smoking/Vaping - The Buttonwood Inn on Mt Surprise offers a smoke-free environment in the interior of the inn. Please ask us where the designated area is outside of the inn. For safety reasons and out of courtesy to other guests, smoking is not allowed in the inn. If any of the contents of a room have been contaminated or damaged due to smoking, a $150 cleaning/repair fee will be charged.