The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1916-09-12
SEEING VERMONT FIRST,
Smuggler's Notch Rivals New hamp'
shire's Pranoonia Notch But Is
Little Visited.

had occasion recently 10 go by motor
to Smuegler's Notch, located between
Mount Mansfield and Cambridge noun
tain, and found il offers all the thrills
and grandeur that had experienced on a
trip to Franconia Notch IN the White |
mountains. We went first 10 Stowe by |
way of Waterbury and then followed the
road IN the foot of Mount Mansfield. |
There an old stage road branches of and
runs along parallel TO the mountain, al
ways drawing nearer to the deep gulf
formed by the high projecting ellis.
IL is not smooth road but can be
travelled over by an automobile reason
ably well. The best thing about II Is
that il is not very long, about four miles
the guidepost tells us, and there are no
very steep inclines. One cannot go be-
yond the spring located well up in the
notch.
There are three places in this last four
miles where habitations have been built
but at present none OF them are occupied
The second one, a numbering camp built
several years ago, has been used all sum
mer as camp having closed Tor the
season Sept. 5, The other two are tall-
ing into decay where the hedgehogs have
not mutilated them by their gnawing
These animals are present in numbers
and seem TO delight in chewing great
holes in any wooden structure that Is
built Whereabouts. i.
The spring is clear sparkling cold
stream of water that gushes out OF Cam
bridge mountain at the base OF the over
hanging cliffs on that side. Enough wa
Ter constantly flows from it 10 form
sizeable brook that runs down through
the gulf back toward Stowe. One oil the
habitations mentioned is located nearby.
| There is also an old barn across the road
but il has fallen in and IS too lar demol'
ished for practical purposes. II Is here
that one must abandon the automobiie'
T, for the road becomes exceedingly stony
and makes sharp ascent.
Most people who go into the notch
camp at this place or if there only for
\ the day. have their lunches near the
spring. The clearing is attractive ana
proyides an excellent place for such
things. The surprising thing is that so
few ever come there, most people not
knowing a great deal about is scenic OIL
ferings or prefering TO make the ascent
of the mountain because the latter pre-
sents more favorable approach, a splen-
did crushed stone road going to the very
door OF the mountain house directly I'M
der the nose
After leaving the spring the notch road
ascends rather rapidly for perhaps a third
of mile and then starts down and out
into the broad valley on the other side.
II Is at the highest point on the road
that one finds some of the most inspiring
scenery offered throughout the Green
mountains. On either side great walls OF
stone tower hundreds Of feet above, the
ragged edges OF the projecting preclpices
taking the forms OF faces and animals
that rival the Great Stone Face IN the
White mountains. All about are huge
stones that have been loosened from the
cliffs in wears gone by and have come
crashing and tumbling down onto the
floor OF the notch.
In places these great stones have piled
m on one another so as to form cold
damp caves where snow is found the
wear around. The latest one to fall has
lain in the valley only II or ID years and
has been labeled King rock. 1t assumes
the proportions of a three-story residence
and left trail hundreds OF feet wide oil
crushed rocks and splintered monarchs
OF the mountain side. A path some 10
feet deep was gouged out in the road as
il tore across. tipped up on end ana
stopped, braced against the wall on me
other side This hole has now been hlled'
A crude ladder has been placed against
the rocks side by some camper and one
can climb to the top and secure splen-
did outlook. Another of these gigantic
stones is called Barton rock 1t has been
living in its present position SO long
however that trees and moss have near
ly hidden it.
Those who have visited Smuggler 5
| Notch at once grasp its powers as tour
| list drawing card. Its remoteness from
railways, however, has served to preserve
| it in all its wildness There is now in
| hand movement among Vermont men
| to have state road built through the
| valley and in all probability bill ask
| ing for an appropriation for the eonstruc-
| ton Of such a road viii be presented at
\ the next general session OF the Vermont
/ legislature. Road builders have stated
| that 100000 would be necessary to com
| pIete the task. Many of US delight in
getting back to nature in just such a
spot as this, where one can be unmolest-
ed by other human beings. However, a
state road through Smuggler's Notch
would bring to greater number OF peo-
, pie the advantages of few as It IS, and
at the same time would serve TO attract
people from other states and give Yer
mont advertising in a direction in which
she is woefully lacking.