Final answer:
Benjamin takes 4.5 hours to ascend Mt. Washington and the round trip takes 8 hours. Subtracting the ascent time from the total time, it takes him 3.5 hours for the return trip.
Step-by-step explanation:
If Benjamin takes 4.5 hours to hike from the Pinkham Notch Visitor Center to the summit of Mt. Washington, and the round trip usually takes 8 hours, we can calculate the time it takes for the return trip by subtracting the time taken for the ascent from the total time of the round trip. The return trip is usually faster as it involves descending.
So, we calculate the return trip duration as follows:
- Total round trip time = 8 hours
- Time taken to reach the summit = 4.5 hours
- Time taken for the return trip = Total round trip time - Time taken to reach the summit
- Time taken for the return trip = 8 hours - 4.5 hours
- Time taken for the return trip = 3.5 hours
Therefore, it takes Benjamin 3.5 hours to hike back from the summit of Mt. Washington to the Pinkham Notch Visitor Center.