The Washington times., 1931-08-03
True to Type
NEW ENGLAND HILLS
BREAK DOWN PREJUDICE;
A GOOD ROAD SIGN
-RV GILBERT SELDES-

MDV NBMLD Il II SNAIADMIS
One of the strangest impulses in the world the
which makes people leave the comfort and charm Of the foot
of mountain from which the full beauty of the mountain
IS visble and scramble with and tears to the top
in order to look down the spot they started from 1t
has always seemed to form of mania and when
taken to the Alps years ago resoutely stayed
wherever the railway dropped and watched others toll
Not the fact that the only true Alpine climber know
is man of genius caused to in my prejudice
Experience Teaches
The trouble with undergoing experiences is that they
make lose old and comfortable prejudices Under pres
sure and groanng every step of the have climbed
mountain Not Alp; being good czen1 followed our
distinguished exPesidents advice and went to his native
district (The only Who's Who available, of 1915, omts
Mr. Coolidge entirely, I cannot be about the actual
State but New Enganders are loyal lot and New Hamp
shire would certainly satisfy the requirements of
governor of Massachusetts,
Guide Book Stuff
Chocorua the Of the mountain and rises to the
height which alpestrians would desp of 2540 feet 1t is
not of your mountains with and glaciers its entire
height within the timber line and most Of the climb is
through the forest when you walking perpen
in your stride The descriptive writers the middle of the
last century themselves go with considerable abandon and
called the mountain "defan haggard grsly tired gaun
desolate ghoske and torn all of which appro
pirate to the climber than to the mountain itself.
Real Happiness
There is genuine elation in climbing had always
that the amateurs who continually scaling peaks
do for pleasure of telling other people about it, but
know this false In the first place, real climber re-
fuses to associate with noncmbes; he exclusive
wrapped up in his art backgammon player reader of
Prous frechaser. And more important sti the
Of triumph long before you get to the top would
be Just happy you stopped midway provided you had
experienced the utter wearness and the happiness
Of getting your second wind Going to the top merely play
ing the game getting theequarers of the way the triumph
Of your your reluctant and crngng body
No Brains at All
People who live in cities and do city work do not expert
ence unnerving fatigue of climbing because their tired
largely mental the mountain your mind stops
funconing-prhaps that is its greatest joy You alive
with all your senses; the great climber mentioned before
says his perceptions thousand times acute in
the rared atmosphere Of the heights but the dragging
down the mental and system which ordinary work
involves altogether absent The great discovery you make
is your capacity for exertion your resistance-you
learn for the first time that your heart simply will stop
beating.
No View to Annoy
A good solid mist when you get to the top is rather
blessing The pleasure of the climb is not tainted by the
secondary pleasure of beautiful view To get and admire
vew you do better to take cogwheel up Mt. Washing
from which 'on clear day. you the Atlantic
beating the coast of Maine, The incline of the train
makes the pine slant dangerous angle and you
come down you lakes running up hill You mount be-
yond the timber line and great patches Of cloud like
lief maps the lower peaks It scenery and it is mag
nificent, but it is not mountain climbing
Along the Road
should like to make compliment to the State of New
Hampshire for of its many attractions In the White
Mountains you through forest roads, you here
and there huge index board with the words, "Stop and
look"
If you have been badgered like most other people by
mand to buy to eat to refill to keep to the right to crest
awhile at Komfor Inn, to smoke, to chew to try-and
all the other simple imperaves of American advertising
(Which has lost the fine art of caolery) you will ride by the