Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1908-08-25
Two Days White Mountain Tramp.

| There are many thousand lifelong res.
idents of Boston who never climbed
Bunker Hill Monument, and even people
living within an hours ride of 1t who
have never set eyes on that memorial OF
an American defeat which was virtually
q victory. And it Is not particularly
cause for wonder that many people have
lived within forty miles of the White
Mountains all their lives and never got
nearer view of that enormous pile OF
rocks than is afforded by looking from
the Oxford hills, or through car win
dow at the SUBMITS miles away.
And yet it is a neglect of opportunity
mot to visit this highest elevation IN the
Northeast. No one except the dullest
can do it without getting new sense OF
the majesty of nature, and deeper feel
| ing of reverence and awe for his Creator.
OF a party of four who started from
South Paris on the afternoon of Monday,
the 10th, for two days in the mountains,
only one had ever visited the mountains
before, and that one only on single oc-
casion two years since. As we intended
to become, not tramps but "trampers, ?"
when we reached the mountains, our
luggage was light. 1t comprised sufti-
cient clothing to keep US warm in any
weather which we were likely to meet,
without change, a tooth brush, towel
and comb apiece, and enough ready
cooked food for four lunches. 1t Is
hardly necessary to say that our attire
was of clothes not easily injured by rain
or rough usage, and boots which would
''stand grief"
At Gorham, N. a., which is the gate
way of the mountains on the east side,
we got good supper at the Mount Mad
isou House-beg pardon, though, this is
a summer hotel and it was dinner-and
then got team to take us to the Glen
House. The distance is eight miles, up
the valley between the Presidential
Range of mountains and the Carter
Range, which tower abave on both sides.
1t is mostly in the woods, with only two
or three farms and houses along the way.
In the waning day and the early evening,
with a full moon coming above the
mountains, it was pleasant ride, and
it's interest was not lessened by seeing
the white flags of two deer skipping
along the back side of meadow aud in
to the woods-a very common occurrence
on this road.
At the Glen we shouldered our packs
and started up the Mount Washington
carriage road. The average grade of this
road is one foot in eight, and it is a good
uphill walk, but it is so built that abso-
lutely every step of the eight miles
counts. We can but admire the genius
and courage of the men who built this
road to the summit of the highest New
England peak, nor do we wonder that il
was several years in building and that its
first cost was hundred thousand dol
lars, with large yearly expenditure
necessary for maintenance.
The first half of the way is through the
woods. 1t was beautiful summer even.
ing, and the moon poured its light out OF
a cloudless sky between the walls OF
trees which enclosed our way. AS we
went along we congratulated ourselves
upon the conditions and quoted with ap-
proval the Frenchman's remark, "If yes
terday as good day as tomorrow, by
gar, that what l hope" Like many
hopes, ours failed of fruition, but OF that
later.
At 10 o'clock we reached the Hall
way House. This is just below the tim
ber line, and somewhat sheltered behind
a projecting ridge of the mountain, never
theless the wind is such factor in the
situation that the building has chains
over it to hold it down. Here we paid
toll of sixteen cents each, and the toll
keeper, to whom we had telephoned from
the foot, gave us chance to lie down
for a few hours rest. The full moon
had started other parties out for the walk
up the mountain, and we learned that
there were some ahead of us, and still!
others coming who were to leave the
Glen at midnight.
Two-thirty in the morning turned us
out, and after light lunch we resumed
our winding way up the slopes. The sky
had clouded over during our rest, and
there was a little spit of rain at intervals
as we went along, but not enough to do
any harm. The sun was scheduled to
rise at 4:37 that morning, and by a leis-
urely trip we made our arrival at the
summit almost to dot with the sun.
1t was in cloud just at that time, but
shortly emerged from it into narrow
open lane of mist-covered sky. An ell
lipse of FURNISHED copper, with the hori-
zontal axis considerably longer than the
perpendicular, surrounded by rosy
mist. For about ten minutes it hung
there, and then disappeared under the
cloud, and at almost the same moment
there came downpour of rain.
As is generally known, early in the
summer fire destroyed the Summit
House and all other buildings on the
summit except the stables, which are
several rods lower, and the picturesque
old Tip-Top House. Since that time a
stage office has been built by the owners
of the carriage road, and into this we
hustled. The outer room had for furni-
ture a stove, bench and two or three
boxes, but it made good shelter for the
trampers, a number of whom were on
the summit at sunrise, and others, fairly
we'll soaked, arrived later, until there
were twenty or twenty-five in all. Here
we ate breakfast out of our packs, and
tried to catch few winks on the floor
to make up for what we had sacrificed
during the night, and toward s o'clock
the rain stopped.
For two hours weather conditions were
varied. Periods of driving mist so thick
that we couldn't see five rods would be
succeeded by riffs in the clouds, with
blue sky overhead and some beautiful
cloud effects. At times the surrounding
peaks within ten miles would stand out
clear, and then they would be Obscured
in clouds, while the valleys below were
at one time clear and at another time we
would look down on sea of pillows.
In the course of the morning we visit
ed the old Tip Top House, secured cup
of coffee at the lunch counter, and did
our duty among the souvenirs. The
Tip Top House, for some years used only
for storage, was the only building on the
peak not burned in the fire of June. 1t
was erected over fifty years ago, in 1853.
The walls were laid of rough rocks, and
inside it was sheathed and finished with
lumber brought up at great expense, as
no form of road except trails then exist
ed. The height of the first story obliged
tall man to look out for his head. In
the upper story some small sloping
chambers furnished what would not be
considered habitable accommodations
down on the level, but at that time and
under existing conditions the house was
haven Of refuge.
Since the fire the house has undergone
repairs, and it now contains two necessi
ties of any point sought by ,tourists-an
eating place and a souvenir store. The
eating place is lunch counter, and the
prices are necessarily twice or thrice
those of the valley. The larger half OF
the lower floor is devoted to the sale OF
souvenirs, chiefest of which, of course,
are post cards. The tourist picks out a
dozen cards or so, goes to the long writ
ing shelf on the other side of the room
writes up part of the cards, and then