Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-08-26
UP MOUNT WASHINGTON.
a washingtsn Girl Writes OF an Interest
ing Summer Trip

a Washfngten Girl Writes OF an Interest
ing Summer Trip.
Correspondence Of The Evening Star.
ISrKRvALE, Nh. August Is, 1891.
As sit here on the piazza Of my little yellow
cottage surrounded by the great white Hills ="
I want to try to tell you of my trip to the top Of
Mount Washington.
Our going at all was doubtful until the day
before the excursion. and when we did finally
decide TO 60 was nearly wild with joy.
Here at intervale We are thirty Ono miles
from Fabyans, where We change cars to 60 to
the "base station" which they say is six miles
from that famous resort.
Our ride up, up toward the Crawford Notch
became more and more interesting as the
scenery became wilder at each half mile, and
every one OH board was standing At windows
and doors craning necks to get a view OF the
towering, forest-coyered hills and deep, shad-
owed valleys.
But Of the trip up to Fabynns did not take
heed, for the heat and dust noise and cinders
We're very disagreeabie.
But after we changed cars at Fabyans the
sweet bracing air made me alive to verything.
from Fabyans, but it really is six. The track
hes right in the heart OF thick woods. and SO
the trip to the base station wasn't the coolest
one on record But always above and beyond
reaching far into the sky is the king, Mount
Washington, bare and bleak.
TIRE TRACK UP MOUNT WASHINGTON.
AT first when We gazed at the narrow track
(simost perpendicular, 1t seemed to u.s. and
funny little engine our hearts sank with fear
The great mountain towering above us seemed
TO be browning and the track seemed a mere
thread line as it neared the clouds. ] got
standing room only" on the front platform
where impatientiy saw three cars start off
ahead OF us. l must confess was bit afraid
when saw them start, for they almost stood
ON end, the engine behind the car puff putting.
and the wheels crunch-cruuching. making me
reel that pushing IS or 100 people up the sleeps
OF Mount Washington was no easy task. The
rise Is immediate after leaving the base sta
uon and we were soon crawling along above
the trees and buildings in the valley The
building OF this track, which is three and q
quarter miles long, took two years and more
and cost s250,008. But they have paid for it
and more too, for it has been in use now about
twenty-five years.
PUSHED Up THE STEEP MOUNTAIN.
At fret the novelty of being pushed along on
an almost perpendicular track kept us from
commenting OH the scenery, but as soon as we
were assured Of the fact that we weren't going
to be cut off in the bloom of our youth by a
back-sliding engine. we looked about u.s.
however, we said nothing. There was nothing
to say, for we had not words to express the
vastness. the grandeur of it.
After about three-quarters Of an hour we
began to bundle ourselves in an extra wrap.
and, above Jacobs Ladder. we took advantage
OF rest at one Of the water tanks to run to
the edge and LOOK over into the Gulf of
MEXICO. Imagine looking over into a vast
deep bowf-for the mountains surrounding
thls guif we're as steep as the sides of bowl.
AT oul place On the edge we looked over and
70 aoy
But We had not long 10 gaze. for the distance to
the top was not yet half travelled.
ABOVE THE FOREST LINE.
Now we were above all forest growth, and
everywhere as far as the eye could reach all was
bleak and bare and rocky. Ia places beneath
the track the great rocks we're tumbled down
in heaps, and ererywhere-everywher
eye rested on rocks. some on the very edge of
a preclplce. ready, seemingly. to tumble down
into the awful depths below. some towering
above us, gray and sharp, against the sky.
sometimes the trestiework built in and on
these rock beds trembled and creaked with the
weight of our car rs we c,awlcd slowly up,
always up. into the clouds Now and then the
cars above us stood out in bold relief against
the sky before disappearing entirely from sight
to reappear higher up.
LOOKING BACK
Leaning out and looking back we held our
breath at the view below U.S. The vastness of it
all Can only be realized from personal expert
erce. Below us green forests on the hills
stretching miles and miles, sunshiny valleys
with silver lakes. above nil the shifting clouds
and the grandeur of the bare mountains close
around US, and off i'll the distance the hills TAX
ing on the shades of blue from darkest to palest
white.
AT THE TOP.
Ia oct of no rInd 4
rest. for the Understanding up. remember
too-had taken us just two hours. But if you
think our view was grand" magnificent"
we were completely shut in by heavy OPAQUE
clouds. Every one was bundled in shawls or
1nr capes. ovcrcoats or macintoshes. and we
could easily imagine We we're in the midst of
winter. We were in another world, shut off
from the grandcst view in the world by DISC
biging clouds, but there no help for it. so
We swallowed our disappointment with our
boarding house lunch and made the best of it.
AN oCcAsioSAL GLIMPSE OF WONDERLAND.
But when there was rift in the clouds and
We caughta glimpse of the world below there
was wild rush for a view. Just tieeting
glimpse 1t was, but what q view. did not care
to know the names OF mountains or lakes I
was content to only look, SO that for all time
have in my mind the picture of the mob of
mountains around ard below and beyond. the
fair green valleys. with patches of shining satin
here and there. the flashes of sunlight Oh the
hills throwing out into strong relief the great
gray rocks and patches Of ragged cloud shadow,
bringing out bv contrast the warm vclvety
greens in the sun blaze-afi so far beneath us
and all SO wonderful and beautiful as to seem
almost unearthly.
But we had only glimpse, and a. second
cloud shut 1t from view We turned away with a
sigh OF dissatisfaction. wishing for whole
week to look at such fair picture.
on THE Down TRIP
We were fortunate enough to get seats, and IL
possible had finer view than on the up trip
As soon as VIC got below the clouds we were en-
chanted-carried away above all thought of
care and worldly worries. 1 have never seen
so much room on earth before--vast is q poor
word to express it. think we were all filed
with awe and almost fear. The view going
down gave me all the time that sensation one
has on q roller coaster--a kind OF breathless
hurried beating Of the heart-though we came
down as slowly as we went up
Tho glimpses in between of shining valleys
cheered us, contrasting as they did with the
gray menacing rocks and crags.
The trip from Fabyans back to lnteryalc was
glorious, Intoxicating. After leaving Craw-
ford's Hotel above the notch the descent is
immediate but gradual
This main track lies along the side of noun
tain about one-third of the way up, SO that on
the right We look out and up to bushes and
trees, while on the left is deep green valley
with here and there velvety-lcoking pastures