Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1869-08-05
The AdirOniacks.
RULFILMENT OF PROPHECIES y asst
MISS OF THE MOUNTAIN REGION
HINTS FOR TOURISTS.
Correspondence of the New York Times.
BURLINGTON, July %, 1869.

Correspondence of the New York Tines
BURLINGTON, July %, 1869.
81 have just emerged from the Adiron-
dacks, and one of the Oldest visitors as
am, / may be permitted a pardonable
pride in the new evidences that my pro-
phecies, in print near a quarter ola cen
fury ago, are approaching rapidly their
fulfilment. For all that period, and even
longer, / have visited these regions and
| visit them, not for fish, nor for deer, nor
for canoe voyages or endless lakes, but for
what to me is far more satisfactory, for
the mountains, for nature, when she
adds to unbroken wilderness the ma lesty
of mountain heights, and the deep gloom
of cavernous recesses. | love to breathe
the air of regions SO far above the sea that
the nights are chill, and make no obiec-
ton to sleeping on the tops of mountains
if the moonlight will but give me faint
glimpses of the surrounding unutterable
solitude
How few have any conception of tho
vastness of these regions. Take the view
from Mount Marcy, highest of the group,
$500 feet above the sea. Around you the
scene is indescribably wild and awful,
peaks nearly high rising grandly in
the solitude, their sides now green,
now rocky, never cavernous; and In the
distance, twenty, forty, sixty miles away,
and on every hand-North South, West
and East to the Green Mountaineering
fade to dim azure, barring out all traces
of civilization, and leaving you In COM
munion with nature alone. In the midst
of these mountains are lakes most lovely,
and chasms, cliffs, cascades, without num-
Der. affording infinite variety, and stimu-
hating curiosity which never becomes
wearied or disappointed.
Now, what | wish TO say is, first, that
all this is coming to be appreciated, as L
prophesied, and visitors III little groups
are multiplied to hundreds, if not to
thousands They invade the region at
different points, though still generally
contentng themselves near the borders,
ignorant of what lies further III the inte-
rior, or not knowing how the interior is
to be reached. Aud what | wish to say
next is to give little of this informal
ton. Ii the visitor is after fish or deer,
by all means enter the region by Port
Kent and Keeseville. Tho route is short,
the conveyances regular, and all the com
forts of the hotels ample and satisfactory.
Ii the views of the mountains Is the
thing desired, there are two ways OF APP
proach. The heart of the Adirondacks is
directly west from Westport, little vii
l,ye on Lake Champlain, fifty miles north
of Whitehall. The traveller to the noun
tains should enter here and emerge at
Keeseville, or should enter at Keeseville
and emerge here. There is "a good hotel
at Westport, but not always a certainty
If procuring horses. You can take the
stage to EIizabethtown, eight miles, now
much frequented by visitors. and here
you are fairly in the mountains, having
already crossed one of the ranges. You
will do well to pause here, and ascend
one or more of the neighboring peaks
One, within hall mile of your lodgings,
will give you a charming view of the
valley in which this little village is situa.
ted, and lofty one. Hurricane Mountain
in the next range, easily accessible, will
give You n magnificent view of the noun
famous solitudes beyond. One part OF
this view il grand beyond description
that towards Mount Marcy may be doz-
en- miles away, and whose great summit
seems to be brooding the lesser mountains
which lie grouped around it. If the visi.
tor to this spot does not find the impulse
which sends him into that group irresisti
BILE, it must surely be because he has none
of this kind of music in his soul, and hi
may as well find his way back to civiliza
ton at once.
Returning to Elizabethtown you star
afresh tn next morning; you cross the
Hurricane range into Keene, and here
either ascending Johns river, on the east
branch of the Ausablc, to the base o,
Mount Mary, you make ready to ascend
aud in that aud the descending process
should be content to spend two days. o.
course YOU will pass the next range into
North Elba, but, as you live, be sure that
nobody persuades you to go over Keens
Mountain to get there. Go by Edmunds
understanding lakes, some miles in
length, and in width slender ribbons
stretched between mountains whose pre-
cipitous sides rise abruptly from thei1
waters and constitute a scene alike grand
and beautiful. such as one seldom NAV
hope to see Lodge here in camp
and feast yourself on the trout which you
will take for supper and breakfast from
these tempting waters. Next to SCOTS
in North EIba. He keeps no hotel, bu
he makes strangers at home, and you maj
sit ON bis piazza and select your noun
tain excursions. Henderson and Wal
Face, and Mcintyre, and Golden, and
Marcy, are all in sight, and whatever yor
wnw1Aok ID mot fa:1 -