The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1871-01-03
The Mountains that are round About
Pitisford.


leaving that station, broad valley Who'll
ly encrcled by hills, which is often said to
be the finest bit of landscape to be found
between Boston and Burlington. This
basin is Pittsford. II comprises large
part of the town, aud not much beyond
its limits except as the loftier mountains
stretch away towards the sky, and recede
into regions known as towns only on the
map. The attention of the traveller is
mostly occupied with the rich meadows
along the river-Otter Creek-and the
plough-lands and pasture-lands on the
hill-slopes. But the inhabitants of the
valley, unobservant of the beauty of those
grounds, of which their farms form
part, fix their admiration and affection
upon the hills which overlook the valley.
Some Of these eminences are as well
worthy of chronicle as the hills of Scot
land or the hills to which Wordsworth
has devoted his powers of description.
The following brief and very prosac
notice of a few of them, may possibly
lead some lover Of fine scenery to visit
these places which deserve to be classic.
These hills may be divided into two
classes; those to look from /, and those
to be looked at.
Ofthe first class we will notice three
Biddy's Knob is near the western line of
the town, about midway between Rut-
land and Brandon. 1t rises slightly
above the points north and south of it, in
a long, narrow range of hills, into which
the Taconic Mountains taper, and which,
between Hubbardton and Pittsford, be.
comes almost knifc-blade. A few miles
north the range wholly ceases-On the
Knob We are raised into the air and
barely notice the grounds Immediately
beneath you. One feels himself looking
down from balloon, rather than off
from hill. The Pittsford valley is so
thoroughly commanded by the position,
that it seems as if one might toss stone
quite out to the center, if not across it,
The Rutland Valley stretches away be.
yond Pine Hill, (of which we shall speak
soon) reaching through Clarendon and
Wallngford. The narrower valley Of
West Rutland, stretching southwark to
Clarendon Springs, seems even more
naked to the view than Pittsford valley.
4 little distance to the west is visible
the monument which commentaries the
only battle ever fought on Vermont soil,
where Seth Warner attempted to make
stand against detachment of Burgoyne's
army But the glory of the view from
the Knob, is the sweep of landscape to
the northwest. The first sensation is that
nothing in the Champlain valley is hid
den from view; the Adiroudacs alone
obstruct the vision Snake Mountain
in Bridport and the high lands about
Ferrisburgh and Charlotte are rather
landmarks than obstacles to the outlook
in that direction. 1t is only that con-
stant foe of hill. -mist-which
hinder. you from looking into the farm
converse with Whiteface and Marcy. 1t
must be confessed, however, that nature
is little jealous in her displays from
this point, and hardly admits man to
share in them Brandon and Middle
bury villages are both hidden by rough,
woody hill, about equal in height to
the crown of Biddy, but by no means so
accessible while Rutland is lost behind
Pine Hill.
Cox Mountain, which should be called
Terrace Hill, hes about mile east of
north from the village Of Pittstord, and
is in the northwest angle of the town.
The hill Of itself Is one to be looked al.
1t has a deep, broad furrow through the
top, running north and south, and two
very distinct terraces on the western
slope. 1t is as readily distinguished by
these marks at Rutland village as at any
point in Pittsford 1t may also be re.
recognized by little careful observation
from Middlebury. Its summit, of about
the same altitude from the river as Bid.
dy'S Knob, is reached by much more
gradual ascent. There should be car.
riage road to the top From this hill
the pittsiori and Rutland vallies ar,
combined as one Pine Hill, which sepa
rates them, seeming Of little account be-
fore It's overlapping ueighbor. The en-
tire valley of Otter Greek is brought un
der the eye from this HILL and there il
probably no position from which the up
per valley from Wallingford to Brandon
is so well seen. The lower valley from
Brandon northward falls wholly within
the range Of vision, yet not with such ;
sense of proximity, as when seen from
Biddy's Knob. But the villages COM
i.to view as they do not from that place
Brandon is almost under your feet, Mid
dlebury clearly seen, and probably Corn
wall and Bridport. The important land
mark northwest is Snake Mountain
which can be seen from many of the hig
points in Rutland county. From Snak
Mountain we easily find Chipman's Hill
and then Addison county can be easil
mapped out.
The third viewpoint to be noticed
Burr Hill, Ito include little more tel
ritory, Spruce Hill. This hill is in tn
southeast corner of the town, and is crosse
at nearly the highest point by good roa,
Burr Hill is not so high by many feet Q
. Cox Mountain, and Cox divides Ii
| northwest view, the only one of note, lint
two parts. The easterly one takes
Lake Dunmore and the region along ii
c Green Mountains, expanding in the di
. tance so as to embrace Middlebury az
n the towns north of it. But the wester
y view is the one to be noticed. This en-
braces the town Of Pittsford as the for
] ground, from no point more lovely in a.
i pearance, and in the distance the A,
3 irondack Mountains. The Champla
valley is indeed before the eye, b,
it presents nothing which can a
> tract the attention. The chaotic was
: of mountains, hills linked with hills, in Il
distance, becomes an irresistible fascin
ton to the eye. 1t is difficult to tell wi
e one prefers this view of the Adirondac
n IN that from Riddv's Knoh hut avar,o,