Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1903-08-03
A TRAMP TO THE TOP OF JAY PEAK.

Four of US left Barton Landing at |
noon, Monday, July 6, reaching the
Mountain House at the base of Jay |
Peak at six O'Clock. Our lunch pals |
were aided by dozen trout caught
in the brook near by, which we
roasted on a fat stone before our
camp fire. A night of sleep, part |
staying in tent, part in the vacant
hotel. and a start at five O'Clock
Tuesday morning, after hearty
were our plans. Every
body likes mountain climbing. The
climb for half mile was up an old
lumber road, then up a bride path
as far, while the remaining half mile
was a foot and hand climb up the
rocks. Exaltation and exhilaration
come to the mountain climber. Both
were ours. But with these were some
pufings and WEAKNESS. But the deep
woods, the soughing wind, the sing
ing birds, the vista views through
the openings of the trees, broaden
ing the higher we climbed, were we'll
repaying US for the WEAKNESS. The
trees gradually grew shorter, though
frs, spruces, and birches, those trees
of cold air. were large and fine; the
birches being, with their thick trunks
and wide assertive tops, easily the
monarchs of those woods. Tiny
brooks gurgled along, cool and de-
licious for US to drink, ferns and
MOSES covered the ground, our Pro-
lessor collecting choice ferns for his
Maine herbarium. A rare bird, the
northern wren, sang thrilling song of
marvellous compass and sweetness,
while warblers, the wood thrush, the
white headed sparrow, and other
fine singers enraptured our hearts as
we toiled upward. The cool, clear
air made the blood Jingle. This
helped US to enjoy the fragrant
beauty of a large orchid, while the
tiny wood sorrel blossoms, and those
of the two-leaved Solomon's seal,
with others, added to our joy. A
mother partridge boldly sought to
defend her little brood of scurrying
chicks, even though she boldly hut-
tered under the very feet of great
merciless human.
Once upon the crest the view was
superb. Sloping down from our post
were the wooded sides, the first trees
no taller than a clover field. On
every side, beyond the forests and
lower mountains, were farms, the
fields, buildings, orchards, roads, and
pastures, showing in delightful con-
trast to the dark grim woods. Fifteen
or twenty villages could be distin-
guished, Barton, Newport, Jay, West
field, Enosburgh Falls, Sheldon, and
others. Far away to the east arose
the giant White Mountains of New
Hampshire, the Presidential Range,
Washington, Jefferson, Maids O. q,
standing in triple grandeur. To the
west, beyond St. Adams, lay the sill
very stretch of Lake Champlain, low
between the hills and banks, a mere
thread of the once wide ocean stretch
reaching from the bay of New York
to the Gulf of st. Lawrence, making
New England an island. Vast
geological changes have passed owe,
this same Jay Peak, besides those
which have left the pool We call Lake
Champlain. was questioning, sc
sharp is Jay Peak, if the glacier once
over New England was above this
crest. AS we toiled upward I could
not detect any pebbles or glacial sol
among the rocks above the timber
line, but once on the apex, the I'M
mistakable glacial scratches, running
north and south across some of tn.
jutting ribs of rock, at once convinced
us that the glacier called by professor
Agassiz "God Almighty's Plow' ha.
piowed across the very top of ia,
Peak. But the wonder was that tn,
J rock there should retain the scratches
The rock is metamorphic, tough, dis
torted mica schist, franklinite, an,
greensboro, and this would not q
rapidly disintegrate as would
granite one.
Of charming interest to me also wa
the sight of the familiar Adirondacks
Mt. Tahawus, Whiteiace, Sautanons
and especially the peaks abou
Schroon, my native town. Three @
. these, Mt. Hoffman, Hayes, an
Pharoah, 1 could identify, enclosin
., the beautiful Schroon valley. The
j seemed old familiar friends indeed
They were the delight of my boyis
vision, and from their sum mits