The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1854-03-04
A Trip 20 T:io,:nt Washington in Winter

Mi. E.ri'"E.-Gn tue III; Of Eclc.ar
| made an a;tcml. 70 ascend Mt. Wa,!n.:o:
which has become \ point of great interest {:
the travelling publ, AMI 20 all lovers OF tn
works Of nature. This mountain. which i
COS feet ala-r ;hc 'gvcl az the sea. ha~ m2vci
to nv KNOWLEDGE lccn assembled il winter
home in En-; Burke on the 9Th inst deter
mined. ii possible, 70 sec Tic top of Mount
Washington IL winter At Lancaster en-
listed 4 :,ar:ncr for the occa>;on-Mr = +.
Spauldin~. We set out from Randolph l.
minutes before o'clock. \. ". on snow
shoes the distance was rinc miles and forty
rods. The first miles and ( rods. we made
in one lour and - minutes. We struck at
the foo: OF Jacobs Ladder. 50 called. on the
Fabvan road. within two miles Of thc summit
When we started the wind blew cold from
the North West. Here we left our snow
shoes, for we hal no more use for thcm-thc
snow was so harI that we could walk without
Stamping. Here the atmosphere was clear.
and language cannot describe the beauty of
the scene before Us. The face of nature
spread ont. clothed in its win.ry robe, and
above. in the direction of the summit. Law a
dark cioui.& when we had advanced | mile
further We found ourselves at the top of ia
cob's Ladder. and about to enter the cloud.
p to this time we had suffered no inconycn-
fence from cold, but had rcrspircd freely.
while nslng every cxcrtion to accomplish our
design. Here we left the snow behind. and
the only thing that seemed to obstruct orr
way was ice that had run down the mountain
sides and made sliding places some hundreds
OF feet We had to use the greatest caution
les; some ns-ster mi ht send us sliding into
some NM nown ravine, or lard us in the top
of trees that had almost reccdcd from our
view. few moments more ana we enter
the cloud. The scene is changed: but we
hurry on anxious to place our feet on the
highest point of land in America. When
within a few rods ofthc top, my partner. who
was short distance in the rear. called 10 mc
and said his ear was frozen. I told him N
cover 1t np and hurry on, for nv coat was
frozen quite hard. When nv partner came
up his nose, as we'll as his ears was frozen
and he informed me that nv nose and ears
were also frozen. which I found to be a fact
as well as my fingers and toes. The little
dog that accompanied us, manifested great
nneas'ness and trcmblingly crouched to the
ground as if to ask protection. Mr. Spaula.
ing became dizzy and VIC found the ONLY way
to escape immediate death was to retracc our
steps as fast as possible. We were within =
lew rods OF the summit. The cloud seemed to
be a complete vapor OF frost. Our LUNGS wcrc
quite sore inhaling the frost. DESCENDING
we reached the point Of starting. about : ~.
clock, well satisfied with what VIC had ,ccon,
p''shed' resolved never again to 20 into the
clouds in winter.
IL appears that there has been quite a
nav IN the vicinity of Mount WASHINGTON
W. crossed two branches of The Ammonoosuc
At 'he base OF the mountains. The leo had
'ecn broken up, and the streams cleared mt
while seven miles below, We were informed
NAT there had been no thaw for the w;n,cr
'oars truly JOSEPH $. HALL.
Ia~' Bark. Eel -. =.