The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1900-09-05
CLIMBING "HIGH POINT.
An Ascent of 1000 Feet Ina the Catsisiil
Mountains.

Mountains.
10 the Editor of the Journal and Courier
1t had always been my ambition to
make the ascent of High Point" This
lofty peak, one of the highest in the
Catskill range, lowered 1900 feet above
sea level, and the numerous reports of
the wonderful view from its summit
only made me more eager to climb it.
On Sunday morning, August 49, anoth-
er mortal, having the Identical long
ings | possessed, made his desires
known to me, and in compay we sought
after a competent guide to take us up
the mountain.
We started a little after ten at good
brisk pace, leaving our guide somewhat
in the rear, but whenever we looked
back to ask him whether we should
take this or that turn there was most
decided sarcastic smile upon his face.
Our path at first was beautifully level
and lay amid gigantic naples, birch
and hickory. All along the odor of pen
nyroyal, wintergreen and tansy made
one dream of wait in drug store.
After two hours or so of brisk walk
| ing we We're compelled to fall in the
rear and allow our guide to precede us
as the roadway was gradually becom-
| ing narrower and slightly sleeper.
Then for almost an hour it seemed as
| if we were mounting heaVenWard
through dense copse and underbrush;
every now and then an atfrighted rab-
bit dashed in front of US; saucy chip
hunks scolded us from lofty pines, and
oh! how tired we were becoming, Sew
eral times we questioned our guide If
we We're nearly there, and his only an
swer was one typical of the mountain
GERS, Yes, yes" And finally we did
get there, and when my chum cried
out in great JOY Nov Wen see how
things look from High Point" imagine
our dismay when our guide said,
"Youse'll have to wait bit fore we git
on High Point"
Our hearts sank rapidly when we
heard this blunt avowab and tram-
blingly we asked him II this wasn't
High Point what was it. He told us
we We're al the foot of the mountain
and had yet at least two good hours of
climbing before us.
This kinder" took the sand out of
both of us, but after f&y moments
rest up we started once more. Now the
path was very narrow, obstructed here
and there by fallen trees and loosened
rocks. In some places the branches of
trees on each side of the path had in
terlocked, so that one either had to
climb over or crawl under to advance.
1t was now very dark and gloomy, and,
on account of the dense foliage, the air
was close and oppressive, and we soon
began to suffer the torments of thirst.
Sometimes the path seemed to go al
most perpendiculary upward and it
was only by grasping limbs of trees
that one could surrnount
Inquiries to our guide concerning our
nearness to the top were now very nu-
merous, but almost always met the
same reply, We're getting there all
right" 4e
And finally when one imagines his
power Of endurance is at end when the
tongue seems TO protrude from the |
mouth on account of thirst, the cheer
full Here We are" acts as an electrical |
stimulus. Every ache and pain disap |
pears as If by magic, thirst is forgotten |
in the eagcraess to look down from
the summit 1t is a sight never to be |
forgotten. Nothing inpedes the view
anywhere. You arei looking down on a
natural" map of the surrounding
Underreath us was Sampson /
vile, village of some three thousand
occupying a space no lar T.
ger apparently than water pail; off to
our east slmly, could be seen the Green
to our south Long Island
ND. if tnll what
could be seen, or, at least, what our 4
guide said we could see, | could never
finish. Nevertheless, he told us that
seven states could be seen on clear
lay from High Point, but somehow or