News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1895-08-01
GRAND OLD MT. MANSFIELD.
Magnificent Views to be Obtained From
Its Summit.
Boston Home Journal)

is none more interesting OF dJJrdCllNe
than grand old Mt. Mansfield, which
stands guard as it were, over the
beautiful Lamoille valley with its fer
tile farms and snug villages. Mans
field is the highest peak of the Green
Mountain range and towers 4 ,457
feet above the level of the sea. 1t is
a landmark for miles around, and to
climb to its commanding SUBMITS is
an experience enjoyed no less by the
sturdy lads and lasses reared under
its shadows than by tourists who
find their summer pleasures in this
charming State.
The mountain is accessible only
from two railroad points, but if one
has no choice of routes he will best
enjoy the journey to the top by way
of the pretty little village of Stowe,
which nestles close to the base. By
leaving the train at Waterbury the
tourist will reach Stowe in the royal
style Of the olden time, in Concord
coaches, over what was once a plank
road, but which is now a splendid
stage road, passing through sec
ton whose scenic beauty is unrivalled
anywhere in New England. Stowe is
a prosperous well-kept village, not
unlike hundred other cosy Vermont
hamlets, with a population of about
1000, and widely extended reputa-
ton as the summer home of Julia
Marlowe, the actress, and her hus-
band, Mr.. Tabor.
1t is a glorious drive from Stowe
to the summit of Mansfield. The dis
lance is ten miles, and it is directly
after leaving the village that the
finest view is to be had of the noun
tain in all it's hoary grandeur. 1t
appears to be of peculiar shape, and
by the exercise of the imagination
the outlines of its SUBMITS can be
made to resemble the human face
turned upward to the sky. The
north peak resembles the chin, the
middle the nose and the southern the
forehead. The road to the summit
is a good carriage road, worn hard
by the hundreds of teams that pass
over it every season. The first five
miles is over the Stowe turnpike, per-
fectly level.
The ascent commences when the
base of Mansfield is reached, and
then for two and half miles it is up,
up, up, but the road is good and for
the greater part of the way it is
through a magnificent forest. At
1905 feet above the sea level is the
"half-way" house. Here one may
with profit make a long pause to
admire the splendid view spread out
before him. The lovely valley below,
with it's smooth, green farms, lies at
your feet, and beyond the verdure-
clad hills and the higher submits of
the mountain range. In a clear day
the White Mountains are plainly visi-
BILE, and it is possible to distinguish
several of the Presidential group.
The remaining two and a half miles
from the halfway" house is an
easy climb and is full of surprises for
the climber. Three hours and half
is the time usually allowed for the
trip from Stowe village. During the
last part of the journey the views are
grand in the extreme, and it is we'll
nigh impossible to describe the SEN
Stations they give. Occasionally one
catches glimpses of the wooded ra-
vines stretching to the very base of
the mountain, and Smugglers'
Notch" between the halfway"
house and the summit, is a point of
attraction that affords several views
of distant points through it's flowing
walls. The notch is a narrow pass,
wild and impressive, supposed to
have been worn out by the action
OF water that, at some remote period,
swept through it. Here and there
huge bonlders have fallen from the
mountain side, and on them large
trees are now growing. just above
a little way is the Summit House,
finely situated and commanding a
magnificent view of what appears at
first view to be pretty nearly all OF
northern Vermont, with sections OF
Canada, New Hampshire, the Lake
Champlain region, forming the frame
to the wonderfully beautiful picture.
Directly over the Summit House
towers the nose," which is reached
by a rough path, much resembling a
flight of stairs. 1t is not hard
climb and the views are worth the
effort. To ascend "the chin" how.
ever, requires more time and more
effort, and as it is about 500 feet
higher than the nose it commands a
more extended view. The scene that
is here spread out before one il
equalled nowhere in grandeur and
picturesque beauty. In the far east
are the rugged mountains of the
Granite State, while to the west
stretching away to the silvery wa.
tiers of Lake Champlain, are the fer.
tile valleys of western Vermont, with
the deep blue of the Adirondacks in
the far distance beyond. The hills o.
Montreal may be seen to the north
and on'a pleasant day the glsteninR
spires of the city. The whole of Lake
Champlain, from Ticonderoga to the
extremenorthern point, lies stretched
out before you. Burlington, the
Queen City of Vermont, is easily
identified. At the south rise Camel's
Hump, Ascutney, Killington and
other lofty peaks of the Green Noun
tain range. In fact the view for q
hundred miles in any direction il
4 FrNH