The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1871-10-10
OrMall. Sent. 2hfh. lR7I

hr. EdH0r.-Perhaps you would ike
a line this time, not from the fire seek
ers, nor the water worshippers, but from
the mountain ranges. Your correspon-
dent has just returned from tour in the
genial company of DR.. Post and his son,
of st. Louis, among the Adirondacks.
The region sought among these mountains,
must depend largely upon the tastes and
objects of the adventurer.
If it is fishing merely, perhaps the
vicinity Of Long Lake Racket and
Saranac will afford as good yet no better
facilities for such pleasure, as the most
wild and less frcquented retreats among
these mountain Businesses.
1t is possible that the hound and the
hunter may find their sports without en-
countering the giants Of the Adirondacks
But if mountain grandeur and mountain
climbing are the objects sought, there can
be no region so desirable as Mud Pond
and its surrounding solitudes. Few peo-
pie living in the Chsmplain valley, UNDER
stand their proximity to scenery rarely
equalled for its wild picturesque beauty
and grandeur in the world. They have
been accustomed to look upon the highest
peaks of the green mountain range at a
distance. They have looked across the
Champain waters to the mass of noun
tains known as the Giant of Essex, crown.
ed with its lofty dome, and further in the
distance the Adirondacks which touch
the sky and hide from their vision the
setting sun. But they know almost
nothing of what it is to be there. Until
within very few years the region around
Mud Pond has been bat comparatively
little known, and yet it affords the most
feasible route to the grandest points Of
interest among these mountains. The
giants of these regions are most accessi-
Bile from this point. Standing on hill
lock on the east shore of this beautiful
lake, with your face northward and west
ward you have one of the grandest land
scapes ever beheld right before you. On
the right is McColmb rising to u height
of about 5000 feet with its vast slides
marking its green sides from base to sum.
nit and worn into the rock in some plac-
es to depth of more than 80 feet. Next
to this may be seen the less pretentious,
though by no means Insignificant Camels
Hump, separating McColmb from its lof-
ty neighbor Dix whose summit is often
hid by the clouds. Next to this stands
Nipple Top which unlike most of its re-
lations must ever strike the beholdcr as
the mountain rightly named. On the
west Of this, completing the circle, stands
the Boreas range over whose serratod
submits may be seen the heads Of Mar
cy and Mcintyre piercing the clouds. On
the south are the Ragged mountains and
a little beyond are the Blue mountains.
With the lake at your feet and these
mountains at your fingers ends, and the
dense forests which cover their sides, and
fill all the valley and ravres with their
variegated glory, the picture is complete
Your eye rests upon it and you feel that
you can desire nothing more.
But let us leave this point Of vision
and explore the region. beyond. Let u:
take one Of the boats at the dock and
row across the lake and down West creek
winding over way some 2 IL miles to-
ward the lioreas mountains. Here We
strike the Marcy trai which leads ovel
the Borcas range. Following this trai
about 3 A miles We strike the stream
that leads into the upper Ausable lake
Here We take boat and row down tn,
stream toward the north, through a love
ly, picturesque valley, until all at one,
we burst upon the lake and its granC
gothic scenery. On the right are tn,
Boreas mountains aud on the left tn,
Gothic mountains rising in sublimit,
hcavenward in exact conformity to tina
ancient style OF architecture. Thei
rocky faces and sharp sngles kindle witt
the morning sun into grandeur and glo
ry unsurpassed. They seem like hug
crystals, fashioned and combined in taste
ful proportions by the Great Architect c
the universe. We encamped for tn
, night on the east bank of the lake, light
ing our camp fire under cloudy sky be
meath these venerable heights. After
night Of refreshing sleep amid these dee
solitudes of nature, We pursued our cours
northward in the direction Of Keen
Flats until We reached the Lower Ausablt
a The mountains gradually approach eac
other as they extend northward leavin
only narrow basin for the lake that nel
ties between them Their sides becom
{ moro precipitous and rugged until {
.. length they seem like the walls of cal
4 yon built iu defiance of whatever shoul
attempt to scale them. The lghtniu
. may play around them and fash throug
;. them, still they stand and doubtless wi
Y stand n barrier for all time.
e 1t is hard to tell which is the grand,
|. view, that at the Ausable or that at Mu
& Pond. The former is more preciptitol
k and rocky, and impresses you as beir
nearer at hand, while the latter gives yo
" higher mountains and a wider grand,
e range We reached our head quartz
II at Mud Pond after ramble of two da,
e feeling that we had seen in vision and r
It ality what we should never forget.
9, But our best things were still held
q reserve for US.
On Thursday we made the ascent
10 Dix. The storm of the day previo
4. had entirely cleared the atmosphere
| haze and smoke, rendering vision almo
1t as perfect as on the plains and mountai
Is of Colorado. About 9 O'Clock our We
o cradle friend removed his night.cap
vapor and mist and showed his visage s
4 rene in the light Of the morning sun. Z
r. erything now seemed auspicious, and '
4 piled our oars and nerved our limbs
the feat of the day. Before IL o'clo'
@ Dr. Post, his son Truman Post. and m
n self stood on the rocky apex of this de
N ant mountain. | feel utterly impotent
IF describe the pleasures OF the hour. IT
e atmosphere was mild and balmy, like O.
I. Indian summer without its haze, and Il
n sweep of our vision was uninterrupted