Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1920-08-05
TOP OF MANSFIELD
| EASILY ACCESSIBLE
Only Two Hours and a Quarter
from Burlington to Highest
Point of Land in Vermont,
and Without Change of Cars

the easy accessibility Of the summit Of
Mount Mansfield TO Burlington was dem
onstrated Saturday when a white wheeled
Essex touring car, driven by Earl Wi.
Iams, took party Of four from this CITY
to the top of the highest mountain in the
state without stop, excepting Is minutes
spent in Stowe in ascertaining IL the road
up the mountain was clear.
NO special trial at speed was attempted.
but the party left Burlington at 1870 and
was at the summit of the mountain at
one O'Clock. Burlington time. The run
ming time on the trip was two hours and
a quarter, and the trip from Stowe up to
the summit took but As minutes.
1t would be unwise for anyone To try
the ascent unless he was a. good driver
and had the right kind % car. There
is hardly place in the five miles up
the mountain where car can turn out
and 1t is necessary to learn If anything in
on the road before leaving Stowe. A spe-
cially geared truck makes the trip on q
schedule, but it was stated at the noun
tain that the Essex was the first small
car to come up the mountain without a
stop. One eiyht-cyinder car had arrived
at the summit without great difficulty.
but all of the others had been pushed
and hauled in order to get them I'D or
had been obliged TO go back. which in It.
self is a difficult accomplishment. The
Essex on Saturday, however, went I'D
without a halt and in some places the
grade is much more than one foot in five.
There are also many places where
break in the steering gear or failure TO
keep control of the car would mean q
catastrophe.
Along with the many other improve
ments that are being made to the noun
tain. the road is being strengthened in
places The truck is able to give good
service between stowe and the summit
and If man wishes to get into another
world in a few hours he now has tho
privilege of doing so. The roads to Stowe
either through Waterbury or through the
LamGle valley, are in excellent shane
and the trip to and fro requires a few
hours. On Saturday everyone's head was
in a cloud part of the time. but the
mist cleared away, opening up the most
extensive view in Vermont and one Of the
most extensive in the East. COR it is a
common thing to see Montreal on the
north and the entire Champlain Valley
on the West, with Mount Washington on
the East.
The work on the road through Snug
glers Notch is progressing well and the
trip through the Notch may now be made
on one Of the best roads in the State It
has not been completed through to JEFF
fersonvile, however. The scenic part Of
the trip may be made under ideal condi-
tons.
Mount Mansfield is becoming better
known among visitors to Vermont from
distance. uut a strange thing about it
is that the mountain is not visited by
people in Vermont to a much greater ex-
'ent than it was many years ago when
e only way of getting to the top was
by trail or a narrow bride path. Under
present conditions the trip up the steep
ascent may be made IN comfort and with
the ever-changing view is one Of ths
pleasantest parts OF the journey.