Year: 1870

AMONG THE ADIRONDACKS.
THE MOUNTAIN REGION - THE GIANT OF THE
VALLEY.


KEENE FLATS, July 25. - With appetites
whetted by mountain climbing it is not strange we were
in readiness for another expedition when opportunity
offered; and among all the bright days OF this bright
Summer far that stands out the sharpes that gave
us our trip up the Giant of tho Valley This noble noun
tain had made stronger impression upon me than any
other In the valley Peculiar in its outline, only it's
notohed summit towering above the nearer mountains,
had watched it than almost any other watched 1t
when flushed with the early morning light or touched
with the crimson glory Of sunset in its stern and savage
grandeur, when storms were gathering, and when the
clouds hung low the summit; had patiently
watched their lifting, until the old familiar form stood
out again in bold relief against the sky And with what
new beauty the solemn stately head is crowned in the
soft clear radiance Of the moonlight, which seems
brighter he re than 1t esewhere But now we
to have glimpse of the glory we had ad-
mired 80 much afar.


The sun just coming over the mountains as we
started the fesh pure morning air very exhlarat
ing and met guide with ak and knapsao&, we
were as eager children for the days adventure The
first part Of way the old familiar path up Hop
kins Peak one Of which can never weary 1t Is the
most perfect woodland path that can be imagined the
young vigorous trees meeting above you, large ones,
often at regular intervals standing like columns beside
the arched avenue and the early morning sun simmer
ing through the branches, and dotting with light the
mosscOvered powders and logs Let no one who comes
to this valley fail visit Hopkins Peak, and especially
those who may not be able 70 climb more difficult
mountain 1t ia Of easy ascent, the walk one of rare
beauty and the view from the summit seemed to me at
my first visit wonderful The after ascent OF Marcy, and
the Incompatible view from that, dwarfed this on
third visit into nothngness; but II one cannot climb
higher this affords view Of mountain scenery never
dreamed Of in the valley below. It 5000 feet or nearly
4 ofna loxvI If1fin lDaHa ms ~
be seem At second visit since we could not bring
the view down to our friends below filed our lunch
basket with the bueberres that grow such abundance
on the summit II curious TO see such tiny bushes
only few inches in hight, so laden with fruit.


At about Is minutes walk from the summit we turned
| off on new route. Our way led Green Noun
tan about 500 feet higher than Hopkins Peak hence
forth our path was one which mortal foot but
that Of our guide had passed 1t was totally new
experience and had strange fascination beyond any
other walk of my life Our wonder and delight increased
at every STEP and when we reached the long, Level
stretch on the summit of Green Mountain it was like


walk through fary-land. No underbrush was anywhere


to be seen but aI the eye could see was one deep
carpet Of peat This is entirely unlike any other
so peculiar In its shading and Of such exquisite sotness
that we stood spelbound at the sight 1t seemed SIN
almost to deface by human STEP but as is too often
the case it wonderfully pleasant to do it. 80 yield


ing and elastic TO the pressure 1t was luxury TO Walk
III


the woods turning again and again to look at the strange
beautiful picture. No bare, gray summit no outcrop
ping rock even TO hint that you were on mountantop
but the whole landscape clothed with such wealth OF
verdure and beauty that doubt its counterpart can
be found We had eyes thought for nothing else,
until we commenced the steep descent and was hidden
| from our view


In making the ascent OF the Giant in that OF Marcy
we 20 down. that may go up, and accordingly went
Mountain and crossing one OF those streams
filed with mosscovered stones, that are the perpetual
delight OF the Adirondacks we went around another
RIDGE rested ourselves beside second brook and having
filed our canteen addressed ourselves to climbing the
Giant. 1t was not chd's play by any means. In some
places 1t was very difficult climb, so steep we almost
had to 20 on hands and knees; but there was more
poetry about 1t than about most OF the rough places OF
life for the whole mountanside is draped with moss
thought had fine moss before, but this was 30
wonderful its beauty and luxuriance that everything
was forgotten The great rocks hidden by it, show


ing of to finest advantage the brilliant scarlet Of the
dwarf cornell which Illuminated 1t everywhere; there
underbrush not an unsghty log or ragged root
Here, not only the hemocks bury their dead in
tangled roots are concealed by the exquisite drapery
There is something beautiful IN the tender
grace with which this woodland growth hides every
notwithstanding even decay into beauty that far
pleasant to the tread furnished but footing


for wrapping everything as IT ddbrdglng fssures in
1 ~
sometimes waistdeep into waiting chasm. On event
through this perpetual twilight the woods too thick for
any outlook past huge naked rocks which il was hope
less task for the Giants TO except in
patches and this found torn up by panthers in
| climbing the steep side.


A short distance from the summit we came suddenly
upon great platform OF rock, split from the mountain
as smoothly though done by human hand, and here
threw ourselves down not SO much to rest as to feast
lifted out OF the world as on Marcy-you
are far above IL, yet, Of it, You look down,
! far down, on things that assume such magnit-
|
easy 10 form some relative estimate OF their
claims Could We take some such high standpoint and
have human life in general, and our own in particular
pass In review before us, would not IT'S aims and objects
OF pursuit be strangely altered in our estimate
Things Of paramount Importance now seemingly, would
be dwarfed almost out of sight while others that bad
been OyershadOwed by them would In this wider range
clearer vision stand in their true proportions with
startling cearness We were sitting the edge
the cre5cent-the shape this summit takes-Ookng down
upon the slides which, in triple pairs, scar its lace;
tainsbut Marcy lowered above them all IL Is worth
the climb 10 have this view Of Marcythe finest by
cent dome seems lifted bodily out OF this ocean OF noun
tains. IL was a aneyer-tobe-forgOtten sight.


We left our rock observatory very reluctantly, and
pressed on To the summit There IL peculiarly Of
mountain climbing that greatly surprised me However
wearied OF exhausted one De In tong the steep
ascent, when once the summit gained, every vestge OF
weariness gone, and you are left free 20 enjoy the
glorious prospect Whether IL is all due 10 the exhara
tiOn OF the pure mountain air, know the fact
mains. The sturdy trees that crown the summit and
have batted with the storms OF ages and good for
ages yet 10 come will In time be cleared give an
uninterrupted view on both sides On the one side
endless CT mountains the other from this hight
5000 feet apparently level country, ST. etching far
| beyond Lake CbaInplain, which be for many
| miles saboats and a tlny Island IN Westp0rt harbor
distinctly visible, apparently not hau dozen niles
| away. ,,..,. - - j. -., = -,


carpeed with moss where could just ait upright and
sLeitered from the MONDAY sun and took our lunch
close beside well worn path trodden by the wild