Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1885-08-07
THE ADIRONDACKS.
Description of "a Pleasant Trip to Lake
Placid.

So much has already been written about
the Adirondacks that fear | shall be I'M
able to say great deal that will be new
to the general public, but as intend my
letter to be Il description of Lake Placid
and its surroundings, perhaps shall be
able to interest a few of the readers Of the
journal who have not been as fortunate
as in visiting this delightfully."- charming
spot. We started from Boston, July s,
I 1885, at Il. m, for the AdirOndacks via
Fitchburg railroad, and were soon whirled
away from the dust and heat of the city,
out into the bright sunshine and green
fields of the country. =. The route is
through Fitchburg to Bellows Falls over
the Cheshire railroad and by the Central
Vermont railroad to Burlington, VT,
arriving at $40 p. m, and connecting
with the steamer Vermont of the
Lake Champlain Transportation com
pany for Plattsburgh, touching at
Port Kent to leave passengers for
Keesevlle and Ausabe Chasm. The boat
was late, owing to a picnic which was
held at Fort Ticopderoga, forty miles
south of Burlington, so we did not arrive
at Plattsburgh until nearly dark. We were
well repaid for waiting, for we had
glorious sunset. The western sky, bathed
in Il flood of light, seeming Ike liquid
gold, with masses of clouds. tinted with
the most delicate hues Imaginable form
ing Il background for the AdrondacEs
Range, looming up grand and solemn
against the brilliant sky, while to the east
across the lake Mt Mansfield could be
seen, its peak tipped with rosy light, while
the intervening hills were cold and gray in
the coming twilight. 1t was a sight never
to be forgotten. On our arrival at platts-
burgh we were driven to the Foquett house
near by, kept by Phelps smith, a son
of Paul Smith of Adirondack fame. 1t
is well-kept house and travellers will
find in Mr.. Smith n gentlemanly host,
who spares no pains to make his guests
comfortable. Next morning at : O'Clock
we took the train for Ausable, the term
, mus of the Plattsburgh and Ausable rail
, road, distant twenty miles from Platts
bnrgh, where we take the stage for Lake
Placid. The stages for Paul Smiths,
Saranac Lake, Bartlett's and other points
of interest in the woods, also start from
: here, but separate at Ausable Forks, three
miles from Ausable. After the usual de-
, lay i'll looking up trunks, parcels and
: stray umbrellas, we were finally on our
way for our stage ride of - miles to Lake
Placid. The route is thr )ugh the tow ms of
. Ausable Forks, Lower Jay, Upper Jay to
;, North Elba, through the Wilmington
i Notch. WhitetaCe mountain on the west
- rearing its rough and grzzled head
:. toward the skies, 4,S1l feet above sea level.
= while Sentinel mountain, with its perpen-
: diCuar wall of solid rock, 900 feet high,
+ guards the eastern portal. The scenery at
~ this point is grandly beautiful in its ma
( tive wildness, the Ausal4le river, rushing
! along over its rocky bed, and plunging
I over some prccipice into the abyss below,
where it boils and foams in its onward
> rush, almost mOnopolizing the right OF
>, way through this narrow pass, and hardly
~ leaving room for the road. 1t was neal
y. this point that | witnessed the grandest
= storm in the mountains | ever beheld. 1t
!, had been Il very suitry morning, but
a toward noon the sky became cloud
" ed, and away toward t .e south
Z and west it looked at though q
storm was brewing, deep mutterings of
! distant thunder could be heard, while the
=, clouds became darker and darker, broker
= now and then by vivid CLEAN of light
,, ming, followed by Il deatening crash OF
- thunder when as the cloud passed ovel
&c Old Whiteface it became backer, ant
" with Il moaning sound on it came, like /
!" race horse, down the steep sides of the
mountain and burst on us with terrific
~, fury, crashing the great trees of the flores
Is, in its onward md course as though they
ile were straws in the hands of giant. For
N tunately we were near to house, and on
- driver advised us to seek shelter there
d. until the storm had passed We ran int
- the house, barely escaping being drench
~ ed. The storm struck the COACH and W,
~ momentarily expected to see it over
~ turned so violent was the wind Tn
~ horses reared and plunged, and after con
IT, siderable difficulty they were unhitche,
IN and put into the barn connected with tn
Ia house, not, however until the driver wa
- thoroughly soaked. The rain fell in ton
~, rents and the road was soon turned into
lc miniature river; the storm passed on, an
&c soon the blue sky peeped through u rift i
- the clouds and the rain was over. In
80 horses We're soon hitched to the coach, an
'c we resumed our journey. We stopped 4
"a, the Notch house, where we were serve
en- with good dinner. and, feeling Refreshed
TX we lit our cigars, took our places again o
h1 the coach, and We're again on our wa,
w. Nothing OF interest occurred during III
b' remainder of our journey, and we wei
~ soon at the Stevens house ut Lake Placit
a. our place of destination 1t is owned an
ci. kept by the Stevens Brothers and is III eveI
Po sense Il tirst-claSS hotel, accommodation
NJ 100 guests. 1t is located on an emuenc
rs commanding tine view of Whitetace,
on the foot of Lake Placid, which is six mil,
W long on the south ut our very feet
el- Mirror Lake, one mile long, and ava
beyond Mt. Marcy 534+ feet. Mcintyre, 81
feet Avalanche and several other impO
ing peaks tower ma estically above anuI
Der of less important but high mountain
49,, with miles of unbroken forest interve
Hi- ing. No words of mine can picture II
M grandeur of the view. There are sever
I'M other hotels within Il mile or two of tn
ich place, the Mirror Lake house, Allen hou
the and the West Side being the most impO
eet tant: all first class, where the tourist al
we sportsman VIII ma rest ana enJoymer
a Good fishing and deer hunting III its Sc
.ez- son can be found in the immediate vicil
ing ty of Lake Placid At the same time it
ort within reach of those who only seek
ten place Of rest and is specially adapted
arS the ln'allu. Inc airs ury ana delightful
on cool and invigorating at Lake Placid,
an being 220O feet above sea level. The lit
ltly steamer Lily, Captain White, makes tv
ant daily trips around the lake, touching
our Mestslue motel on the west snore, kept
ain OllVer Abel n mile larther we come
be- Camp Pinafore, owned by +. b. Bartlett
DR.. Esq of Brooklyn, \. V, who, with b
ere family spends the summer months here
II it his charming retreat, on the shore of t
OnS lake. fOur miles up lhe lake we pass "a
af- tie Rustlco, camp Dullt OF logs, own
1t and kept by w. +. Leggett 1t is a que
18th but comfort table looking place, with
old communication with the world except
hen boat, there being no roads. There a
'sly three Islands IN the lake, Moose lslal
ime containing 1900 acres, being the larges
has all are densely wooded with spruce,
ing birch and maple; the water is very Gle