Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1922-10-04
PROF. A. w. STONE WRITES
VIVID DESCRIPTION
Real Nature Lover GlOwingly
Characterizes the Unspoiled
Mountain Group
By Prin. A. W.. Stone. Derby, VT.

north country where the Green Hills |
meet the Land of the Maple Leaf
there is an unspoiled group that has
too long been neglected by the fra
ternity of pack and trail.
This range spans some fifty miles
of latitude. It's southern rampant is
Belvidere's saddled peak; it's northern
outpost is Orford's wooded crest that
lords it over the Flat Lands. To the
eastward of the range beautiful
Memphremagog glitters among her
emerald islands. Across lake and
hills runs the forty-ffth parallel. the
slime, where the Stars and Stripes
ripple in the same breeze with the
Red Ensign. And the wild geese in
the fall winging from their nesting
rice fields of the Gulf look down upon
Memphremagog's white-capped
breakers, and know that their journey
is half done.
On either side of the "line," Sc
parated each from the other by a
score of lesser hills stand Jay Peak
and Owls Head the Peak thrusting
it's treeless shoulders boldly against
the sky. landmark for all the north
country; Owls Head towering
abruptly from the deep waters of the
lake, an enduring memorial to Hoshe-
lagah the Mic-mac chieftain, for on
the selfsame morning in the long
ago the Great Face Glove away from
the mountains front crashing down
upon the shuddering forest, and the
dauntless soul of Hoshelagah broke
away from it's war-torn body and
went up to the Great Spirit.
Of all the SUBMITS of the range
h. 1, h. c4 Ill - L.
mountain-lover, and the most worth
while. lie should be approached from
the north Or east since the only US
able trail to summit begins at the
northeastern foot on the old Jay
Montgomery road. This road, no
longer passable over the notch, is,
however. disable to within mile of
the mountain, although the last mile
or so is certainly not boulevard. If
this road could be opened to the
state road running through Hazen's
Notch. a few miles to the south, the
tourist would find here one of the
finest mountain routes in Vermont.
Years ago the highway extended to
the very foot of the Peak where there
is now a hedgehog riddled shanty
that was once perfectly good hotel.
There is good prospect that the
State will reopen this piece of road
next year.
At the end of the road, where the
trail begins, lives a good friend to all
mountain climbers; but especially is
he the friend of those who come with
blanket and knapsack. The campers
is sure of a royal welcome here. Ii
his own words, he fuses 'emN good"
The trail runs across a mile of open
lands T1l1J7o down into q
little stream run. then almost at once
begins to climb; and there is hardly
rod of down-grade from the foot to
the summit rock. The last few hun
dred feet is over bare, slippery rock
that demands a little real mountain
eering. The summit is a narrow, Y
shaped ridge, each fork of the Y
swinging across a saddle to neigh
boring peak Montgomery on the south
and a lower unnamed summit on the
north. To the westward stretches
Champlain; far in the east loom the
Presidentials; on the northern hori-
zon stand Mt. Royal and the square
bulk of st. Hillaire, with Owls Head
and Elephant Mountain and Oxford
| in the foreground; and to the south
ward stretch. rank upon rank, the
wooded crests of the Green Hills.
~ OH CHG 6dSISII Que VI ILG WldS
valley. facing the purple silhouette of
the range, stands Derby Academy.
! The mountains look back across the
miles, and beckon and beckon, and
call and call. 1t is when October
sets the Gypsey blood astir that the
call comes loudest and clearest. And
when. with the first Haunting of
scarlet and yellow. it becomes ire
sistable. the boys old and young, pack
| their war-bags and are gone over the
hills and far away.
This year the call came to the girls
as well, and they too went and looked
! behind the ranges; and this is the
story of their going.
On a Friday afternoon, when the
tasks of the week had been finished.
they rolled out of Derby in cars that
already had been filled to overlooking
with camp duffle and grub. Ut is an
amazing thing, the amount of good
solid grub that dozen girls can
make away with in camp.) There
were tents and blankets and bags of
straw for beds. There were tin
dishes and frying-pans and potatoes
and timed soup and bread and
dodghnuts (plain and twisted) and
roasting-corn and frankfurts and
and nickers and stout tramping shoes
but never sign of powder-puf or
a how-do-I-look mirror.
Camp was made at the end of the
road, straw and blankets were
spread. supper was cooked. and then
came a never-to4 be-forgotten evening
of songs and stories in the red glow
of the campfire.
Saturday was spent on the noun
tain, and it was a day to be written
in red-a day of blue sky and au-
tumn haze and blazing sun, day of
singing winds and scarlet leaves and
chattering brooks.
Supper again by the campfire, and
more songs and marshmallows. But
tonight eyes began to close, and heads
began to nod, and dozen weary girls
rolled into their blankets.
Sunday was day of rest, and
everyone was willing to rest. Then
came the cars, and the homeward trip
and work again.
There were many adventures along
the way-the peach-apple tree; the
too-friendly cows that pushed the
tents down, and ate the straw; the