Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1908-08-25

mountains, instead of being solid ledge
is mass of jagged rocks, OF all sizes and
shapes, tumbled together without any
semblance of order. In places there
ia some coarse soil, bearing scrub bushes
and some coarse mountain grass; but II
many places the trail simply leads ovel
the piles of jagged rocks, where you
make the best footing you can find.
There are numerous trails about the
mountains, which have mainly been laid
out and are maintained by the Appalacn'
ian Mountain Club. This club does It's
work purely from love of the mountains
and has expended considerable sums In
making these trails and building and
maintaining shelters at convenient points
about the mountains, which are open not
only to the members of the club but to all
who come along.
| OF all the trails the one most used Is
that over which we went, known as the
Gulfside Traih or the trail over the
northern peaks. It does not strictly GO
over the peaks, but skirts them In the
easiest course. Leaving the carriage
road near the summit of Mount Washing.
ton, It leads along beside the Great Gulf
between that mountain and the Others OF
the presidential range, then around the
west side of Mount Clay, up the shoulder
of Mount Jefferson and down into the ra-
vine beyond it, then up Mount Adams to
the notch between its main peak and q
lesser peak known as Sam Adams, and
around the north slope OF Adams into
the valley between Adams and Madison,
where is situated the Hut.
In fine weather there is presented to
the traveller along this trail some magnif-
icent scenery in ever-changing views,
now on one side and then on the other OF
this ridge of high hills, most of the time
nearly mile in the air, and sometimes
higher than that. However, we didn't
get much of the scenery on this trip.
Near the top the trail runs along beside
the railroad for some distance. We
reached this part of it just as the daily
train came up the railroad, but though
only few rods distant, We could only
dimly make out the outlines of the train
through the fog. =,
Perhaps half an hour after we started
out it began to thunder, and from then
on it was a series of thunder showers for
the rest of the day, several of which We
literally absorbed until We were quite
we'll soaked But the trampers' rule was
expressed to me by hotel keeper OF the
region, "Oh, If it rains you get wet" and
that is the simple, matter-of.fact way in
which you have to take 1t. Fortunately
we lodged the two heaviest showers of
the day.
| About half way on our days journey,
under the cliff of Mount Jefferson, there
is spring, and beside it lean-to camp,
built facing the cliff, which was original
| ly a private camp. As everything of
which it was built had to be carried sew
eral miles on mans back, it is of rather
light construction, and the roof has a
number of holes in it. We made this
point for dinner, and found party OF
a gentleman and five ladies eating their
dinner there. Almost at the moment OF
our arrival the heaviest shower OF the
day struck, and we took shelter with the
party inside. Eleven people punched in
that small place, with the water running
through the roof in half dozen places,
made things little close, and our lunch
was eaten in rather cramped quarters,
but we managed to keep out Of the rain
mainly.
The afternoon part of the trail was
made in weather quite as thick as that
of the forenoon. 1t is quite long
climb up to the notch in Mount Adams,
but from that point the descent is easy,
and portion of the way the rocks have
been laid into walk as smooth as many
block-paved streets. This part of the
trail is called the plank walk or the BIZ
cycle path.
| A few minutes before we reached the
Mount Madison Hut, again fortunately
| just ahead of a lively shower, though
there were plenty of them during the
day that we didn't dodge.
The Mount Madison Hut is the most
elaborate of the shelters built by the APP
palachian Club, and makes it possible
| for many people to 60 over the noun
tains by this route who could not other
wise do it. The Hut was originally a
small building of rough stones laid In
cement, of one room, with door and
two small windows on the south side,
and hunks on the walls to accommodate
| twelve people. 1t was furnished with a
cooking stove, dishes, blankets, etc., by
the club, and for years stood open for the
free use of whomsoever came along.
But the number who used 1t continued to
grow, and people, as people some
times will, abused that which was fur
nished them without price. So two
years since an addition was built on,
making the Hut about double it's for
mer capacity, in two rooms, one of which
under ordinary conditions is used by men
and the other by women. A keeper has
been put in, who stays through the sum-
mer, and small charge is made tramp
ers for the use of the camp and it's fur
nishings.
As the only animal available for trans
porting materials for this building up
the three miles of mountain trail to this
hut was a trained mountain pony, and
as In fact most of the material was taken
up on mems backs, it may readily be
seen that it is a structure which has cost
something.
To me the name of this Hut has al.
WAYS spelled isolation. Above the tim
ber line, sheltered somewhat from the
winds by the high slopes on the sides,
but nevertheless in the wilderness of the
mountain tops. Almost out of sound
of a steam whistle. No dwelling
within number of miles. No jangling
telephone bell with it's insistent demand.
No sound of a phonograph rendering
popular songs by Bill Murray or any body
else. No way of communicating with
any one, except over at least three miles
of mountain trail. Just the silence and
desolation of the mountain top.
You can imagine, then, the shock that
got, when, inside the door of the Hut
discovered on the wall telephone
And to cap the thing, turning around to
the table in the corner of the room, there
stood a phonograph and a number OF
records!
Verify, the wilderness is getting tanned
very fast, and if this keeps on, we shall
have a trolley line running over the
northern peaks, with refreshment stands
at the base of every mountain.
When we reached the Hut we found
there party of ten made up of the man
ager, one of the teachers, and number
Of the girls of summer camp school
Our party of six increased the nights
party by that number. We settled our
selves comfortably, and prepared to dry
out as we'll as we could. Then tht
trampers began to arrive. Four mer
came up the Valley Way. Two men who
had got lost in Kings Ravine and climb
ell up the steep wall finally struck thu
trail and blew in out of the rain, soaked
to the skin. Four men and three wOmer
showed up from some other trail. Ant
so it went on, until there were thirty
people in the Hut, and the caretaker wal
trying to figure out how they were goinl
to be disposed of in the hunks which
would accommodate twenty-five, whel