F 57 .G8 04 Copy 1 From ye Marble City Press THE TUTTLE COMPANY Printers of Vermont its Resources and Opportunities Vermont Historical Reader, Conant and Stone's \'ermont Rutland, Vt. THE Lure of Vermont s Silent Places 'The Green Mountains" By RODERIC MARBLE OLZENDAM Issued by The Vermont Bureau of Publicity, Office of Secretary of State, Essex Junction, Vermont iiiiiiiiHiniriiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiriiiiiiiiMiiiiiiiiiiitiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiitiilir MAD RIVER 'And a laugh from the brook that runs to the sea" Qiv ='l"""|"i mi.llMiniMimi{illir l iliiiiiiiiilillliir i nni ii iiiiiii iiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiii imu i mini i iiiii i m m i t i= ' '" ' I"" ""'""•"" """ 1 1 iiiiiiiiii , iiiiiii , ii'ii'i,,,i;,"m';""M"i""""mi;"i||""|u = T FOREWORD . 'HIS hook is issued for tlie purpose of ac- quaintiug the public with the beauty and II charm, the rest and recreation, to be found if in the Green Mountains of Vermont. jl In a(hlition to this book any of the following ll publications will be sent on application: Ij " Vermont Farms," an illustrated book setting 11 forth in detail the agricultural resources and II opportunities of the state. If ''Industrial Vermont/ ' a book describing the ft mineral, manufacturing and water power re- i[ sources of the state. II "Where to Stop When in Vermont," a directory 11 of hotels and boarding houses. II A road map of Vermont, issued under the II supervision of Hon. Stoddard B. Bates, State Ij Highway Commissioner. if The autoni()l)ile laws of Vermont. II A pocket edition of Vermont fish and game jl laws, prepared under the supervision of Hon. II John W. Titcomb, State Fish and Game Coni- Ij missioner. II Special information will be furnished gladly If upon request. ll All inquiries should be addressed to It Guy W. Bailey, Secretary oj State, II Publicity Department. 11 Essex Junction, Vt. (Evnh nf i\)e ®ut-of-ioor0 ^i IBpUpUP in the wonder of the out-of-doors, in the ^ inspiration of the stars, and in the allurements of life in the open. 31 IBpltPUP in the strength of the hills, in the silence of the night, and in the music of the birds and trees. 31 IBflirUP, also, that my body was made for action, that my mind was made for thinking, and that my heart was made for loving in unison with the life in nature. 31 ISpUpUP that to laugh and sing, to swim and walk, to study and play, to eat and be happy, to be kind and free, to grow strong and good, is my God- given right. 31 IBpUpUP too, that to be happy I must be good, that to be worthy I must be kind, that to be loved I must think love. 31 iBpliPUP that God is as near as man, that I can hear Him in the brooks and pines, and that happiness and lasting peace are mine, as I live in the atmosphere of kindness so near me in the life of the open world. Rudolph Carl Stoll The Lure of \'ermont's Silent Places WHERE ten thousand hills push skyward their shaggy, wooded crests; where a hundred rock-crowned peaks mount up like breakers on a wind-swept sea; where echo answers echo and sparkling lakes reflect the sun; where deer browse lazily in verdant upland pastures; where the she-bear rears her cub in the depths of virgin forests; where countless brooks and rivers hide the shy and wily trout; where all Nature seems a-calling; there, there you'll find the Silent Places of Vermont. SHERBURNE VALLEY "Smooth runs the water where the brook is deep" nine The Lure of Vermont's Silent Places '^ If thou art worn and hard beset With sorrows that thou wouldst forget, If thou wouldst read a lesson that will keep Thy heart from fainting and thy soul frorn sleep, Go to the woods and hills. No tears Dim the sweet look that Nature ivears.'" The Silent Places The part played by the mountains and hills of Vermont in the vividly romantic history that crowns her bygone years is truly a leading one. It was inevitable and natural that "the high, far hills" should have been so prominent in the life of the state, for since history began, ever\" new- born babe in Vermont has opened its eyes upon the eternal hills. Lulled to sleep at nightfall by the sighing of the wind as it sweeps from hill to hill and from valley to gorge; awakened in the morning by the songs of myriad birds as they circle from crag to crag; playing through the long cool days of summer in the sheltering shadow of some green hill or mountain, countless generations of Vermonters have grown to maturity with the Spirit of the Mountains so instilled within their hearts, that, whether laboring at home, or enriching the life of other states, the people of this commonwealth have ever exemplified the true spirit of Vermont's Silent Places. The mountains and hills of Vermont have stood and still stand for that ruggedness of life, that sturdy manhood and womanhood, that wholesome strength of character so typical of the true Vermonter. Thoroughly appreciative, but not demonstrative, loyal to native state and yet beyond all question true Americans, conservatively and sanely pro- gressive in industry and government, her people always ten The Lure of Vermont's Silent Places have remained solidly true to the great principles which mountains forever have represented and which make a nation clean and true and full of vigor. No large cities have sprung up with their attendant evils and advantages. Life in Vermont is true country life, more so than in any other Eastern state. There are no grimy cities where hearthstones are cold and tables bare, where poverty brings misery and crime rages r a m p ant. Most of Vermont life is farm-life, mountain and vil- lage life, where the home is a very ha- ven from which able men and wo- men go forth well equipped for the problems of the twentieth century. To-day Vermont is one of the few re- maining places in New England where the ideals of our forefathers have a chance to be nur- tured and brought to a full realiza- tion. WOODSTOCK "Out to old Aunt Mary's" eleven RANDOLPH "He made (he East and made the West, Amid the hills set sunny vales" twelve The Lure of Vermont's Silent Places " They have cradled you in custom, They have primed you with their preaching. They have soaked you in convention through and through; They have put you in a show case; You're a credit to their teaching — But can't you hear the Wild? — It's calling you. Let us probe the Silent Places, Let us seek what luck betide us, Let us journey to a lovely land I knoiv. There's a whisper in the night-wind, There's a star agleam to guide us. And the Wild is calling, calling, Let us go." The state of Vermont lias flung wide open the gateways of her Silent Places. She wants her friends in other states to come within her borders, that they too may enjoy the health of mind and strength of body to be gained in summer and winter from association with and friendship for her ever- lasting hills. She ofl^ers nothing pretentious. Her ways are the ways of simplicity yet sincere cordiality. The pages which follow will tell of the Lure of her Silent Places, the charms for the mountain climber, the angler, and the Nature lover. " . . . the stars throng and in their glory They sing of the God in man, They tell of the Mighty Master And the loom His fingers span. Where a star or a soul is a part of a whole. And weft in the wondrous plan. There in the camp fire's flicker, Deep in my blanket curled, I long for the peace of the pine gloom. Where the scroll of the Lord is unfurled. And the wind and the wave are silent, thirteen And world is singing to world." The Lure of Vermont's Silent Places The Green Mountain Club The people of Vermont always have been interested in the Green Mountains, hut only a comparative few ever have journeyed to the summits of any of the higher peaks. Early Vermonters were concerned with clearing away the forests that they might build homes and grow crops. They did not have time for cutting trails to the mountain tops, even had they the desire. The higher mountains have had trails to their summits for many years, but it is only recently that there has been any widespread interest in mountain climbing in Vermont. In 1910 a group of enthusiasts, under the leadership of James P. Taylor, organized the Green Mountain Club to arouse interest in mountain climbing among Vermonters and to make the Green Mountains accessible that people from other states might become acquainted with Ver- monters and that together they might enjoy the freedom of the hills. For a definite object the Club decided to build "The Long Trail," a mountain pathway along the Green Moun- tain range from Massachusetts to Canada. The main trail is to be supplemented by branch trails leading to the summits of all the higher peaks. To accomplish the task of constructing the trail the state was divided into sections, each section having in charge the building and maintenance in its own vicinity. It has been a problem to arouse the latent interest in mountain climbing, but each year more and more people are finding their way back into the hills, and the ''Long Trail," once but a dream, is slowly extending from one end of the state to the other. Constructive work is under the direction of a committee composed of club members, with State Forester Hawes of Vermont as chairman. Without the co-operation of the fourteen The Lure of Vermont's Silent Places Forestry Department it would have been impossible to build as much of this pathway as already is completed. Trails will aid very materially in the protection of the forests from fires as they furnish an entrance into the fastnesses over which fire -fighting apparatus may be transported. Trails are being con- structed just as rapidly and thoroughly as funds are available. The Club plans to build well wherever it builds ; to equip all trails with adequate shelter- houses every tw^elve to fifteen miles; to main- tain a grade which will not be too tiring, and to mark properly all official trails with white metal arrows lettered in green. This pathway now extends from Smug- glers' Notch to Camel's Hump. The trail from Smugglers' Notch north to Sterling Pond, Ma- donna Peak, Sterling Mountain and John- son has been worked fifteen OPPOSITE SMUGGLERS' NOTCH CAMP "To the Silent Places" Th Lure of Vermont's Silent Places considerably but is still difficult climbing. From Camel's Hump south for fifteen miles the trail is in excellent con- dition, having been cut out by a club member and his friends who are summer visitors. Lincoln Moun- tain is ascended best by way of Bristol. North of Killing ton the trail is blazed over Carmel and on to Mt. Horrid. Several iVdiron- dack shelters af- ford camping fa- cilities between Killington and Horrid. At the present time it is advisable to tramp the trails in the proximity of the highest peaks and not to attempt any prolonged trips from one peak to another. The region about Breadloaf Inn is accessible by short trails to Silent Cliff, Pleiad Lake and to the summit of Breadloaf Mountain. Equinox and surrounding mountains may be climbed by trails from Manchester. Bennington CHARLOTTE 'And the latch string's out J or the casual guest" sixteen Th Lure of Vermont's Silent Places has a very active section of the Chib and excellent trails lead into the mountains from many points. Jay Peak, the most northern of the Green Mountains, has a good trail to the summit and the country in this part of the state, as soon as it is well opened up, will prove a stronghold for followers of the gods of the hills. The work of the Green Mountain Club is valuable to the state for two reasons: First, it affords the people of Vermont and their friends from other states an opportunity to become intimately acquainted with the Silent Places; and, secondly, it aids substantially in decreasing the amount of damage caused by forest fires, as it provides an entrance for fire fighters and tools. The dues of the Club are one dollar a year which goes toward building the Long Trail. Persons contemplating trips by trail through the moun- tains should obtain detailed information by writing to the Corresponding Secretary of the Green Mountain Club, Roderic M. Olzendam, Proctor, Vt. seventeen WESTMORE "The clouds are at play in the azure space" The Lure of Vermont's Silent Places DEER'S LEAP TEA llUl.SE "Unheeded let the newsboy call, Aside the ledger lay" Mountain Climbing From Jay Peak in the north to Mt. Anthony in the south and from INIansfield in the west to Ascutney in the east, Vermont is a veritable sea of hills and mountains rising tumultuously, wave upon wave. No other Eastern state can boast of such a formidable array extending, as they do, for 157^ miles, the entire length of the state. The mountains in the other Eastern states are clustered together in groups, while the Green IVIountains, like a great backbone extending from Massachusetts to Canada, eighteen The Lure of Vermont's Silent Places divide the state east and west geographically, but bind in spirit and purpose the people who live west of the moun- tains and those who dwell to the east. It has been said, with more or less truth, that if the hills and mountains of Vermont could be levelled, the area of the state would be larger than that of Texas. There was literally so nuich land that it had to be piled up in heaps to get it into the required area of 9,565 square miles. The Green Mountains, geologically speaking, are the second oldest in the United States, having made their SMUGGLERS' NOTCH "On and up, where Nature's heart Beats strong omid the hills" nineteen UPPER FALLS, SMUGGLERS' NOTCH "The noise of many waters" twenty The Lure of Vermont's Silent Places appearance in the Ordovician age. Just when and how these mountains received their name is not accurately known. Perhaps some French navigator sailing over Lake Champlain looked eastward, and seeing the wall of moun- tains, then clothed with spruce and hemlock, gave to them the name Green Mountains. The name of Vermont, as is well known, comes from the French Verd-mont, mean- ing Green Mountain. *t> Mount Mansfield Mount Mansfield, the highest peak of the Green Moun- tains, resembles at a distance the profile of a human being with face upturned toward the heavens, '^supporting upon her ample bosom multitudes of her human children." It is doubtful if there are many mountains in America which offer such varied attractions as does this giant of the Green Mountains. The ''Chin," the highest point, raises its rocky summit 4,406 feet skyward, and the "Nose," with an altitude of 4,075 feet, offers splendid views. The awe- inspiring grandeur of Western peaks is lacking, but in its place there is a charm beyond description. Fertile farms spread out far below, little rivers winding in and out among the hills, forests stretching away mile after mile, and then to the west, Lake Champlain and the Adirondacks. "Smugglers' Notch, wild and rugged, lay sunk in the cold gloom of a winter's twilight", is Edward Martin Taber's description of the view of the Notch from Mans- field, in his fascinating book "Stowe Notes". To the north and south, mountains and hills interlace as far as the eye can reach. Mansfield itself is approximately five miles in length, extending from the "Forehead" to the "Adam's Apple", twenty-one The Lure of Vermont's Silent PI MANSFIELD "r/ie hills, rock-ribbed and ancient as the sun" the entire mountain being over 4,000 feet in altitude. The University of Vermont owns most of the main summit^ that is, a strip three miles long and eighty rods in width. Just a few hundred feet below the ''Chin", almost straight down, is the Lake of the Clouds, a most pic- turesque little sheet of water fed by cool mountain springs and surrounded by a thick growth of dwarfed trees. Black bears use this little lake for a bathing pool and now and then, if one is up betimes, the l)ears may be seen performing their morning ablutions in this, the highest body of water in Vermont. On the eastern side of .the mountain, high above the forests of Smugglers' Notch, the Rock of Terror hanas balanced over a tremendous cliff. twenty- twa The Lure of Vermont's Silent Places The Cave of the Winds, also on the eastern slope, is a great cavern or cleft in the rock, with a depth of over a hundred feet. Mountain climbers must have ropes if they wish to reach the bottom which, even in midsummer, is covered with ice. Numerous rock formations resemble the human face. APPROACHES TO MOUNT MANSFIELD A carriage road from Stowe leads to the Summit House, a distance of ten miles. The hotel has accommoda- tions for seventy- five guests. Auto- mobiles occasion- ally make the ascent. Besides the carriage road there are three trails leading to the summit. From Underhill Center on the west there is the old trail which once boasted a half-way house. To ascend })y the Underhill trail, take the train from Burl- ington to Under- hill, then drive or walk over a beau- ^, williamstow.n ^'For men may come and men may go, twenty-three ^^^ j ^^ ^„ j^^^^^^„ The Lure of Vermont's Silent Places tiful country road to the foot of the trail, a distance of five miles. To the peak by this trail is three miles. The second approach is through Smugglers' Notch. Take the Mount Mansfield Electric Railroad from Waterbury, or drive a distance of ten miles to Stowe, from whence it is seven and one-half miles to Smugglers' Notch Camp. Take the trail directly in front of the^ Camp to the Summit House, a distance of two and one-half miles. The third entrance is by way of the Long Trail from Lake Mansfield, a distance of nine miles. Each one of these approaches to Vermont's highest mountain possesses infinite attractions peculiarly its own and the mountain climber will not rest content until he has conquered Mansfield's rocky summit by each separate trail. The possibilities of this great mountain cannot be ex- hausted in many a day. " To climb the trackless mountain all unseen With the wild flock that never needs a fold; Alone o'er steeps and foaming falls to lean; This is not solitude; His but to hold Converse with Nature's charms, and view her stores unrolled." SMUGGLERS' NOTCH Just north of the Great Stone Face of Mount Mansfield, cut deep into the very heart of the Green Mountains, lies Smugglers' Notch, one of Vermont's most wonderful Silent Places. Driving leisurely up from Stowe one enters the woods, having obtained splendid views eastward to the Hogback range and westward to the great wall of Mans- twenty-four The Lu of Vermont's Silent Places field. Where the road divides, one way leading to the Summit House and the other, the road to the right, to Smugglers' Notch, the sight ahead of the great cliffs bathed in the after- noon sun is truly inspiring, approach- ing in grandeur the canons of the West. A short distance be- yond the last farm- house is a mountain road which turns off to the right down through the woods. A large white arrow of the (ireen Moun- tain Club at the junction of the roads tells in green letters, that this is the way to Bing- ham's Falls. Follow this road, preferably on foot, for one- SMUGGLERS' NOTCH "As some tall cliff that lifts its awjul form, Swells from the vale, and midway leaves the stor7n" fifth of a mile and the roar of the falls is clearly heard. The mountain climber finds himself on a rustic bridge looking down thirty feet into the Upper Falls. Smugglers' Notch brook plunges headlong more than eighty feet in a twenty-five SiMUGGLERS' NOTCH 'As the hart panteth after the water brooks" twenty-six The Lure of Vermont's Silent Places very short distance. The action of the sand and water throuiih tli(^ years has gouged a fiunie out of the solid rock iu which the water has a varying depth of from ten to twenty feet, clear as crystal. PVrns and mosses adorn the sides, while overlianging trees shelter from above. Loolving up the Flume one sees a hole, j)erhaps two feet in diameter, through which water spurts as from a hydrant. In the rock just above this curious ()])ening is the clear- cut profile of an Indian looking down into the rapids with mist-splashed face, the Spirit of Bingham's Falls. From the lower side of the bridge one looks into the main Flume thirty feet l)elow, and beyond sees the mist as it rises from the Lower Flails. Cross the bridge, turn to the right and follow the trail nuirked "Lower Falls". Just a few steps and the main falls are before you. Thundering down over the rocks. Smugglers' Notch brook foams and fumes in a w()nd(M-ful rock })ool thirty feet in diameter, giving off rain})ow-colored mists, wliicli, rising, water the luxuriant ferns and undergrow'th that completely surround the falls. A more enchanting s])()t for nature-lover, mountain climber or angler is not to l)e found in eastern America. Returning to the road, continue upward towards the cliff's and here amidst grand scenic attractions is Barnes' (^amp, known to many people of many states. Trails radiate from this camp in all directions; to Sterling Lake, ^ladonna Peak and Sterling Mountain, to the Sunnnit of jNIansfield and on upward through the Notch to Jeff'erson- ville. The camp is run at the present time by students from the University of Vermont and is proving each year more and more attractive to travellers in the Green Mountains. The view of A Fount Mansfield from the porch of the camp is one long to be remembered. The "Chin" towers three thousand feet above. Now and then a stray white twenty-seven The Lure of Vermont's Silent Places cloud floats lazily down the Notch and, wafted Ly the breezes which seem to draw through the great cut, it wreathes the summit as with a halo. Sometimes a heavy moisture-laden cloud comes sweeping up the western slope of the mountain, and, borne by the breezes which continu- ally play upon the summit, it envelopes the "Chin", sprinkles moisture over the forests, and passes on down to the valleys. Through the hottest day's of summer there is always a cool breeze in Smugglers' Notch. Climbing upward through the Notch the old spring house is reached. Here is a remarkable spring which pours two hun(h-ed gallons MANSFIELD '7*0 climb the trackless mourdains all unseen' twenty-eight The Lure of Vermont's Silent PI SMUGGLERS' NOTCH "Halloo your name to the reverberate hills, And make the hahhling gossip of the air cry out" of icy water per minute from the base of a thousand-foot cliff. On all sides the woods cling to the rocky cliffs with a dogged tenacity. As one goes higher the sides of the Notch draw closer and closer together. Giant boulders, dislodged by the action of the frost in years past, have crashed down through the forests from the jagged cliffs above, and have become forever motion- less in the depths of the Notch. Taber says of these rocks: ''They are moss-grown and plumed with ferns, birch saplings have sprung up on their sides. twe7iiy-nine The Lure of Vermont's Silent PI Just as Elephant's Head guards the approach to Craw- ford Notch in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, so Elephant's Head looks out over Smugglers' Notch in the Green Mountains of Vermont. Standing opposite the great l)oulder, which came down from the cliffs in 1913, and looking ui)ward, the head and body of an elephant with a trunk a thousand feet in length can be distinguished easily. Standing in this vicinity in the spring of the year, one may see many waterfalls pour over the cliffs and, blown by the breezes, disappear in white mist. At the top of the Notch, two thousand feet above the sea, on the right, cut into the solid rock by the elements, is the profile of a WEST JJUIDGKWATER "7'Ae vales sirelching in pensive quietness between" thirty The Lure of Vermont's Silent PI CAMEL'S HUMP "From every mountainside let freedom ring" man, and below him the form of a dog, the Guardians of the Notch. From thence, the road dips down toward Dead-Horse Hill and Jeffersonville. An eighth of a mile l)eyond the man and dog, a short distance from the road on the left, are Smugglers' Caves where snow has been found as late as August. A portion of Smugglers' Notch and the main bulk of Mount Mansfield are the property of the state, the play- ground of the people of Vermont and their friends from other states. Use and enjoy this wonderland; the state desires this region to be of the greatest possible service to the largest numl)er of persons. Wander into the Notch at will and after exi)loring all the nooks and corners, if adventurous, climb to the top of thirty -one Pico THE Elephant's Head and obtain the marvelous views of the Notch and the towering peaks of Mansfield from this dizzy height. Here are hazardous climbs sufficiently perilous to satisfy the most daring mountain climber. Take the trail marked Sterling Lake and climb to an altitude approxi- mately of 2,800 feet, where lies the highest body of water of any considerable size in Vermont, having an area of thirty acres. From Sterling Lake the ' 'Long Trail ' ' leads to the summit of Madonna Peak, then on to the peak of Sterling, both lookouts offering wild panoramas of forests and mountain passes. The view of Mansfield from Sterling is one of the finest in the Green Mountains. thirty-two LACES Mciidun Lake Mansfield, eight miles from the village of Stowe by road, and on the Long Trail, is three-quarters of a mile in length covering an area of one hundred acres. Above the lake to the left, towers Bolton Mountain and to the right Mount Admiral Clark. A popular club house is maintained at the head of the lake from whence a number of short trails lead into the mountains. The most inter- esting of these takes one througli Nebraska Notch at the southern end of Mount Mansfield. Excellent trout fish- ing is enjoyed by members of the club and their guests. Lake Mansfield is one of the most beautiful lakes in Ver- mont and deserves a larger acquaintance among the people of the state and their summer guests. thirty-three PICO ''(), the Heart of the woods is the Heart of the world and the Heart of eternity" thirty-four The Lure of Vermont's Silent Places ^' My heart is where the hills fling up Green garlands to the day. 'Tis where the blue lake brims her cup. The sparkling rivers play. My heart is on the mountain still Where'er my steps inay be. Vermont, oh Maiden of the hills. My heart is there with thee." GATEWAYS TO THE MANSFIELD-SMUGGLERS' NOTCH REGION This region offers accommodations for the most varying tastes. The mountain climber and nature lover who is looking for genuine camp life in the Green Mountains will be much pleased with Smugglers' Notch Camp where life is plain but wholesome. Several days at the Summit House on the top of the mountain will give opportunity to search out all the wonders of the mountain, to see the sun rise over the White Mountains and set in gorgeous splendor beyond Lake Champlain and the high, far peaks of the Adirondacks. For those who enjoy a combination of lake and mountain the Lake Mansfield Club House never is found wanting. There is also the "Green Moun- tain Inn" at Stowe, surrounded by mountains, ten miles from the summit of Mansfield. The Waterbury Inn at Waterbury is situated in the foothills of the moimtains and for those who prefer to keep more closely in touch with affairs and to (h'ive into the mountains in the morning, returning at nightfall, this Inn with its wide verandas and cavernous fireplaces will be found most satisfactory. On the western side of the range the Melendj^ House at Jeffersonville and Fair View Cottage at Underbill will thirly-five The Lure of Vermont's Silent Plac be found convenient for those ascending the Underhili trails or going eastward through the Notch. RAILROAD FACILITIES To Waterbury, take Central Vermont Railway to Waterbury. To Stowe, take Central Vermont to Waterbury, Mount Mansfield Electric Railroad to Stowe. To Lake Mansfield, take Central Vermont to Water- bury, Mount Mansfield Electric Railroad to Moscow, then drive six miles to Club House. KILLINGTON FROM PICO "The great hills rolled in silence to the deep" thirty-six The Lure of Vermont's Silent Places To Underbill, take Burlington and Lamoille division of Central Vermont to Underbill. To Jefferson ville, take St. Jobnsbury and Lake Cbamplain division of Boston & Maine to Jeffersonville. Killington and Pico "As man may rise over troubles grave Triumphant in the right. So Killington looks fearless out Upon the storm and night.'' Killington, tbe second bigbest peak in Vermont, stands surrounded by a group of mountains — Pico, Little Killing- WINOOSKI RIVER FROM ETHAN ALLEN PARK "Sweeps with majestic curve the river away to the Eastward" thirly-seven DEER'S LEAP "/ go to meet the winds of morn, Blown down the hill gaps, mountain-horn" thirty-eight The Lure of Vermont's Silent Places ton, Shrewsbury, Proctor, Saltasli and Mendon, each havini*' an altitude of over three thousand feet. Killington is the center of a wilderness, one of the wildest places in the state. There are three approaches to (his mountain, one by the ''Lon^' Trail" over Pico, one l)y the Rutland trail to the west, and one by the Woodstock trail to the east. The "Long Trail" to Killington starts at the top of the mountain where the stage road crosses from Wood- stoclv to Rutland. The path leads gradually up to the shoulder of Pico, then turns off to go around to the summit of Killington. A branch trail leads to the summit of Pico where a large wooden tower affords splendid vi(nvs of Killing- ton, Mendon, Ascutney, Rutland and the forests which clothe the range for many miles east and west. Here one is in the very centre of ^ ermont's Silent Places. Scarcely anj^thing save mountains and forests can be seen. In the dim distance Lake Chami)lain, a mere silver thread, with the Adirondacks piled in a jumbled mass, marks the boundary between Vermont and New York. Returning to the "Long Trail", contimie gradually up towards Killington, a distance of five miles. The trail leads into a clearing a few hundred feet from the peak where the remains of an old hotel are decaying rapidly. About the year 18()() a craze for hotels near mountain summits swept Vermont, and summit houses w^ere built on Mansfield, Killington and Camel's Hump. The only one which now affords entertainment is on jNlansfield. An icy spring bubbles refreshingly out of the earth just south of the old Killington Hotel. A few steps above the ruins is a clearing on the left. It was here in bygone daj^s that the fiddlers came in the evening and the guests of the Summit House danced on a wooden platform, cooled by the mountain breezes, with the stars for a canopy and rustic benches beneath the trees for rest at intermission. thirty'Tiine The Lure of Vermont's Silent Places The trail now becomes almost a stairway with rocks for stepping stones. Soon the rocky pinnacle is conquered and the view east, west, north and south more than repays for any discomforts endured by the climbers as they toiled upward. Rutland lies to the west, with its smoking mills and factories, its railroad 3'ards, Bird's Eye Mountain with its great cliff, and the Taconic range beyond, Lake Champlain a little to the right, and close by, Pico, like a gigantic cathedral dome. Directly north are mountains inter- lacing back and forth: — Carmel, Olympus, Lincoln, Bread- WINOOSKI RIVER, DUXBURY "Rivers of gold mist flowing doivn. From far celestial fountains" forty The Lure of Vermont's Silent Places loaf, Camel's Hump, Mansfield and Jay, all struggling to raise their jagged heads just a bit higher than their neighbors. To the south. Little Killington, Mendon, Saltash, ' 'The Top of Plymouth," Shrewsbury and in the dim distance, Equinox; to the east, the Sherburne Hills, the Pinnacle, Long Hill, and lonely Ascutney; and in the distance looms the Presidential range of the White Mountains. Numer- ous little ponds lie nestled among the mountains, looking as though tipped on edge in order that one may see their entire surfaces. It is doubtful if any more comprehensive BETHEL "Tongues in trees, books in the running brooks, Sermons in stones, and good in everything" Jorty-one The Lure of Vermont's Silent Places view may be obtained than from this mountain of Vermont, at least, for the man or woman who has not the time or inclination to go into far countries and to world-famous mountain regions. The second approach to Killington is over the Rutland trail, once a well-made carriage road leading to the hotel. This trail begins at the so-called Brewer place, about a mile east of the Woodstock-Rutland road, just above the village of Mendon. from which place it is five miles to the summit. The little village of West Bridgewater is the third gate- way to Killington. The trail starts in by the old saw-mill to the left just before the road crosses the Ottaquechee and turns up the Sherburne valley to Rutland. The trail comes up out of this valley rising a considerable distance within a few rods. Soon the last farmhouse is reached. From the front of the house the views towards Sherburne and the httle marble church and towards Plymouth and the caves are most satisfying. Turning to the left, the path leads out past the barn, through the meadow and up the cow path. After winding upwards for a little over a mile, the old logging road comes out into the Juggernaut. How this name ever found its way so many miles back into these mountains is a mystery and apparently no one seems to know its local origin, not even the good people who live in the valley l)elow. But the Juggernaut is here. The Sherburne Mountains look smaller now, for the elevation is nearing the 2,000-foot mark. The woods in this region shelter many deer, por- cupines and owls. The owls are easily deceived, for when one learns their call and gives it about dusk, they will come apparently from a long distance, to light in the trees nearby. From Juggernaut the trail leads up through a region which stands thick with second growth. The Sherburne forty-two The Lure of Vermont's Silent Pi mountains now become mere hills, and, save for their rolling appearance are indistinguishable from the many mountains rising in serried ranks. Bear Mountain looms up close by on the right. Down in Wildcat Ravine, at the base of Bear Mountain, Fall's brook rushes noisily to join the Ottaquechee; a short distance practically on the level, and High Pole bridge is reached. This bridge was used by lumbermen for crossing the brook with their log teams, and is now completely in ruins save for a beam or two which still re- main in place. A spring of delici- ous, ice-cold water flows down over the rocks in- to the brook at the upper end of the bridge. From here the trail turns directly north and climbs the shoulder of Bear Mountain, Shrews b u r y ' s rounded summit towers up in the south and a little southeast is lone- ly Ascutney, with Brownsville rock easily visible forty-three EAST CORINTH 'For a man's house is his castle" MOST ANYWHERE IN VERMONT forty -four The Lure of Vermont's Silent Places through the glasses. This section of the trail is a popu- lar stamping ground for deer. Bears also are not infre- quent visitors in this vicinity and several have been shot near the trail. We are now climbing up on to the main ridge between Killington and Proctor Mountains. The air changes at once when the top of Proctor is reached and the breezes always blow cool from the north. The timber is heavy, while the ferns and other undergrowth are exceptionally large and of rare species. Soon the peak of Killington is plainly seen. After a few minutes' walk, comes the first rock climb. There are five of these steep pitches which add spice to the climb and give the effect of real mountain- eering. At each rise there is a level look-off and the view becomes broader and broader as each height is left behind. The rocks and roots of stunted timber afford natural steps to aid the climl)ers in their rather rapid ascent. The Ottaquechee valley can be seen winding among the hills for many miles. The climbers are now breathlessly anxious to reach the highest point and the stops are few until the rock-crowned peak is gained. A cry goes up from the leaders; they scramble over the rocks and stand triumphant upon the second highest mountain in Vermont, 4,241 feet above sea level. GATEAVAYS TO KILLINGTON Rutland, situated west of Killington, is a thrifty city, the second largest in the state, with several good hotels, including the Berwick and the Bard well. To reach the Long Trail to Killington from Rutland, drive to the Deer's Leap Cliff at the summit of the pass between Rutland and Woodstock and take the "Pico-Killington Trail" described elsewhere in this booklet under ' 'Killington. ' ' The trip to forty-five The Lure of Vermont's Silent Places the peak by this route requires a whole day. The sunuiiit of Pico and return can be made in half a day over a portion of the same trail. Deer's Leap Tea House is a most attractive place at which to take lunch. Camps have not yet been built in this section and, unless trampers go provided, it is best to come down out of the mountains before nightfall. For those who enjoy "roughing it," good camp sites will be found just below the peak where the hotel once stood. Woodstock, on the east, is fourteen miles by state road from West Bridgewater, which is the terminus for the Woodstock-Killington trail. The Woodstock Inn is a delightful place for headquarters if mountain climbers prefer to return to town at night. In the hills about Woodstock one finds records of many amusing and interesting incidents. Five miles west of Woodstock is Long Hill with an altitude of over two thous- and feet. Just east of the summit on a once well travelled road, there was a group of prosperous farms many years ago. In the clearing, sheltered by overhanging branches, is an ordinary field stone with a flat surface, perhaps six feet long and three feet high. Carved upon the face of this stone is the following inscription: In memory of Stephen P. Truesdale When such sad scenes the heart doth pain What eye from weeping can refrain Cupid Venus X The story is that Stephen was disappointed in love, and, because his fair lady spurned him, he laboriously carved forty-six The Lure of Vermont's Silent PI the above epitaph on his tomb-stone to be, and then com- mitted suicide. Surely romance and tragedy were present even in the earher days of Vermont. In the vicinity of this stone are the graves of two Revolutionary soldiers. Perhaps a mile distant there is the grave of a slave. It has been said often that slaves never were held in Vermont, but, nevertheless, the story goes that an old man once lived there in the shadow of Long Hill who owned a slave. This peculiar old man was exceedingly fond of swinging, in fact, he had to be swinging practically all the time or else he was not happy. It was the duty of the poor slave to see that his master was properly swung, and so, from MAN( HESTER Logging o pent t ions forty-seven The Lure of Vermont's Silent Places morning till night, the slave kept the swing in motion. One day, however, he failed to give the swing the proper push and in a fit of anger his master struck him over the head wath a cane and killed him. These are only two of the odd stories relating to the early life of the state. The region about Woodstock is not exceptional in this respect, and doubtless there are many similar traditions clustering about other towns. RAILROAD FACILITIES Rutland Railroad to Rutland from New York or Boston, then drive ten miles to Pico-Killington Trail or through Mendon village to turn-off marked Killington. 'SNOWBOUND" forty-eight The Lure of Vermont's Silent Places Boston & Maine, New York, New Haven & Hartford or Central Vermont to White River Junction. Wood- stock Railway to Woodstock, drive fourteen miles to West Bridgewater by excellent road, where Woodstock-Killington Trail begins. Camel's Hump Tradition declares that as some French explorer or soldier sailed up Lake Champlain and looked eastward toward the mountain range, he saw a towering peak com- manding the horizon, and suddenly exclaimed: "Le Lion CouchanV! From Lake Champlain this mountain, Camel's Hump, the third highest in the state, looks very nuich like a great crouching lion. Li many respects this is the most picturesque mountain in Vermont. It stands almost alone, for the mountains which surround it seemed dwarfed by its double summit, the highest peak of which rises 4.088 feet above sea level. The southern hump is the lower hy several hundred feet and is covered with trees. The northern hump is above the timber line and like all Vermont's highest mountains is a mass of solid rock. From the main peak there is a sheer rock cliff which drops off 500 feet to the forests below. The view of Lake Champlain from the Hump is the finest that can be obtained from the Green Mountains. All the hills seem to dip toward the lake and at sundown, when Champlain reflects the colors of parting day, each is touched with delicate hues, leaving the valleys sunk in deep black. The changing glories of a sunset over Lake Cham])lain never can be adequately pictured with pen or brush; they must be seen from the summit of this mountain to be fully appreciated. Bolton and Mansfield to the forty-nine The Lure of Vermont's Silent Places north and Lincoln to the south are all bathed in a deep purple. When the last rays have died away an awesome stillness settles over the sleeping hills, Mansfield's mas- sive "Brow" fades into the darkness. Bolton Falls sends up a dull roar from the valley 3,000 feet below. Now and then a dog barks far awaj^ and then the tinkle of a cow- bell rises on the clear evening air. Soon the mists rise from the Winooski River covering the valley with a soft white blanket. As the darkness deepens, one is surprised to see lights flitting about in the valley below, now very brilliant and again dimmed. It does not take long to discover that these are the headlights of automobiles. It is interesting to trace the different roads by watching the course of the lights. One by one the villages pass into oblivion, to be distinguished again by myriads of twinkling lights, a veritable fairy- land. Gradually "the shadows lengthen and the evening comes, and the busy world is hush- ed, " and Ver- mont sleeps, guarded as in by- gone centuries by her everlast- ing hills. Students of the University of Vermont have a great affec- tion for Lake fifty t. . - . ■ -% t , " ' . ■' ,. •■ f m 1 t. M^ -'f<^^^2|^^^MM Pi m 4^ 1 <3 k^ iuJ m m 1 '* n _*l%^-- ** : % •«*. CORINTH "The noonday luncheon by the lake, The milk while sail at sea, Was not the good Lord good to make This world for you and me" The Lure of Vermont's Silent Places LAKE DUNMORE "'Tis where the blue lake briyns her cup" Champlain and the song "Champlain," to the strams of which every loyal son of the University rises, pictures the lake in all its moods. "Sing a song, a rich refrain^ And let echo swell the strain. To our lake, our loved Champlain, Lovely Lake Champlain. Mirrored Mountain's craggy crest, Waves before the storm-winds pressed. Cannot rob thy beauteous breast Of its charm, Champlain. E'en the sunset's golden glow Given back from Mansfield's brow Makes thy face still fairer now. Ever fair Champlain. fifly-one LAKE WILLOIGUBY 300 feet above the lake ^Far from the maddening croivd's ignoble strife" fifty-two fifty-three The Lure of Vermont's Silent Places When we think of college days, When we sing our college lays, We will not forget thy praise, Lovely Lake Champlain.^' Through the generosity of the late Joseph Battell of Middlebury the state of \ ermont owns the summit of Camel's Hump together with two thousand acres of forest and waste land while a large amount of forest and mountain land was bequeathed to Middlebury College. The State Department of Forestry has set out thousands of seed- lings on a portion of Mr. Battell's gift and is applying forestry principles to the entire tract. APPROACHES TO CAMEL'S HIMP The best and easiest ascent can be made by leaving the train at North Duxbury and driving up a charming mountain road for three miles to the foot of the trails. The "Old Trail" is two and one-half miles in length and is rather steep and rocky. The "New Trail," three miles in length, was built by the State Forestry Department. This is really the best trail to the sunnnit. Each route is well marked with arrows of the Green Mountain Club. A third trail, part of the Long Trail, leads from Bolton to the summit, six miles. The fourth is from the village of Huntington. The Camel's Hump Club of Waterbury maintains a camp at the summit in the saddle l)etween the two humps, where provisions may be purchased and blankets rented. The Vermont Forestry Department keeps a forest ranger on the mountain during the dry season. It is eight miles from the Waterbury Inn to the foot of the trails. There is also a little hotel in North Duxbury near the railroad station. fifty-four The Lure of Vermont's Silent PI Mount Ascutney Separated from the main range of the Green Mountains, standing entirely alone, lifting its great bulk skyward 3,114 feet, Ascutney Mountain dominates the country in the vicinity of Windsor. This was one of the phices visited by General Lafayette in 1835 when he made a tour of this country and there was a plan for the entertain- ment of the distinguished visitor which included a trip by carriage to the summit of x\scutney. Unfortunately, however, the trip had to be given up owing to unexpected delays. Thus early did the people of Windsor know the CORINTH "Patient, and waiting the soft breath of Spring" fifty-five The Lure of Vermont's Silent Places )^|Iupi9p^i'|PHsl ii^ •""s.^ "*™"^^^r~irtlMi^^^m^ ^•■•^Mi lflij||g||^^i>; :..^ ^^ Niiia ^^ji P« 1 •. .^ 4 1 (OKI NTH "t/p u'/;ere ^/«e S7wws of winter last a little longer" attractions of their giant guardian. There are several trails to the summit, but bj^ the clearest and most travelled route the tramper goes out from the business section past the State Prison, the golf links and Crystal Lake, then through "the Narrows" and up Mill River to the foot of the mountain, where the "Windsor Trail" begins. There is a never failing spring half way up the mountain. On the summit there is a substantial stone house and a short distance away, on the Weathersfield side, is a good log house. The views from the summit are excellent because of the isolation of the mountain. The Killington range looms fifty-six The Lure of Vermont's Silent PI large on the western horizon; the Connecticut River winds about among the hills; villages dot the valleys here and there, while to the eastward the Presidential range of the White Mountains dominates the scene. A visit to Windsor and its noble mountain will well repay any per- son who loves the dignity of an old New England village and the exhilaration to be derived from a climb to the dome of one of Vermont's most beloved mountains. Lincoln Mountain Bristol is the gateway to the Lincoln range. Several miles beyond the village the trail starts in by a farm house, whence it is a good three-hour tramp to the summit. Not many years ago the late Joseph Battell, of Middlebury, had a well equipped log cabin built near the summit, which was reached by a good carriage road. The view from Lincoln, 4,024 feet in height, the fourth highest peak in Vermont, is one of the most pleasing in all the Green Mountains. There is a charm quite peculiar to this moun- tain. It seems to have a personality all its own. Lake Champlain and the Adirondacks form the chief objects of admiration. Both north and south the Green Mountains rise, peak after peak. A day or two spent in the vicinity of Lincoln are likely to be recorded as red letter days in the diary of the mountain lover. Jay Peak Jay Peak, although exceedingly beautiful, never seems to have gained the reputation which it undeniably deserves. The views from this, the most northern peak of the Green Mountains, are very fine. Canada is close by. Nearly all of Lake Champlain can be seen. Its outlet, the Richelieu fifty-seven The Lure of Vermont's Silent PI River, may be traced to the St. Lawrence River. Lake Mempliremagog can be seen almost its entire length. The main range of the Green Mountains stretches away to the south, the White Mountains are visible, the sources of the Connecticut River may be seen, the highlands of Canada and Maine are within the range of vision, and several little lakes and ponds here and there add variety to the panorama. Jay Peak should be the Mecca of northern Vermont, for its attractions merit a wide acquaint- ance among the sturdy folk who live near the international boundarv line. The height of the mountain is 3,861 feet. LAKE WILLOUGHBY 'Earth ivilh her thousand voices praises God" fifty-eight The Lure of Vermont's Silent Pla sherulrm: "Oh mountains of my boyhood, I come again to yov!^ Winter in the Mountains Vermont affords many opportunities for winter moun- tain climbing on snow-shoes and skiis. From early fall until late spring the higher peaks are hooded with snow. Gradually, as winter begins, the snow creeps down the mountains into the valleys covering field and hill with its fealliery blanket. The snow often attains a depth on the higher mountains of twenty feet or more by early spring, and a day spent in tramping to the summit of one of the j)eaks to get the magnificcMit winter view is most exhilarating. There are countless chances for skiing, to- jlfiy-nine The Lure of Vermont's Silent Places bogganing, skating and sleighing all through the Green Mountains. The magic beauty of winter in Vermont is not yet widely known, but to one who is fond of the swish of the snow shoe, the whirr of the skiis, the plunge of the toboggan and the meny jingle of sleighbells, this state will be found a genuine "North Countrie. " Altitudes of Vermont's Highest Mountains Mansfield "Chin," 4,406 feet;— "Nose," 4,075. Killington, 4,241 feet. Camel's Hump, 4,088 feet. Lincoln, 4,024 feet. Pico, 3,967 feet. Jav, 3,861 feet. Breadloaf, 3,825 feet. Equinox, 3,816 feet. Ascutney, 3,114 feet. Anthony, 2.505 feet. The Forestry Association The Forestry Association of Vermont was organized in 1904 for the preservation of the forests of the state, to interest the citizens in reforestation and in the proper handling of the timber tracts of the commonwealth. Sixty -four percent of the total area of Vermont is com- posed of forest and waste land, comprising an area of over three million acres. Since the organization of the association and through its efforts Vermont has a State Forester and his assistants, a State Nursery for forest seedlings at Burlington, and over twelve thousand acres of forest and pasture land have been given to or purchased sixty The Lure of Vermont's Silent Places bj' the state. The interest in reforestation among Ver- monters is increasing rapidly and each year sees a larger number of trees set out. From this brief survey it is evident that the work of this association is supremely important, for upon the preser- vation of the forests now in existence and the provision of forests for future generations depends to a considerable degree the future well-being of Vermont. The annual dues of the Forestry Association are one dollar and all funds are used to attain the objects men- tioned above. Lakes The surface of Vermont is literally studded with lakes and ponds, numbering in all over three hundred. Some he surrounded by gently rolling hills, others are em- bosomed in the mountains, each having attractions suf- ficiently varied to satisfy the most divergent tastes. Fishing for trout, perch, bass, pout and pickerel is good in most of these lakes. Bathing and boating are enjoyed at all lake towns and several of the larger bodies of water boast yacht clubs with fleets of motor boats, yachts, sailing craft and canoes. Lake Champlain, 118 miles in length and twelve and one-eighth miles at its widest point, is well known; Lake Memphremagog, lying partly in Canada, marks the northern border; WilloughbA% an exquisite lake a few miles south of the international boundary line, is often compared with the Swiss lakes; Lake Morey, Lake Caspian, Lake Seymour, Lake St. Catherine, Lake Dun- more and Lake Bomoseen are among the larger lakes, while there are many more small lakes and ponds scat- tered over the entire state. sixty-one The Lu of Vermont's Silent Places The Call of Vermont To you, toiling amid the stifling heat and racking din of some huge brick-canoned city; to you who labor in mills and factories, in great stores and shops; to you, weary in mind and body, this little book comes fresh from the cool green hills of old Vermont and bids you journey out of a man-made world, up into God's Unspoiled Land, ''Where the hills fling up green garlands to the day * * * where the blue lake brims her cup, the sparkling rivers play. * * * ' * Turn from the dreary drone of macadam roads and lift up your eyes to the eternal hills from whence cometh your help. Leave the gods of the valleys and worship the gods of the hills. The Silent Places of Vermont are calling to vou to come. Will vou answer? JAY PEAK FROM NEAR XORTII TROY sixty two The Lure of Vermont's Silent PI To Vermonters Everywhere To yoii, sons and daughters of ^'e^nlollt, wheresoever you may be, this book comes as a reminder that for some time you liave not taken advantage of the Silent Places of your connnonwealth. Journey homeward, you who have wandered far away; join the old friends of long- lost childhood days and with them go out from their farms and shops, their (juarries and mills, and climbing to the summit of some friendly mountain where your young feet were wont to tread, view again that broad expanse of alluring country called the (ireen Mountain State. ^' HOy all you Vermonters ahouL Co7ne Jiome, for the latch-string is out! Give the gods of the hills the old shout! VERMONT! "Red clover's in blossom, old chap! There's a sprig of the spruce for your cap! There's a little green strip on the map! VERMONT! "Oh, the bounds of her kingdom are strait, But the hearts of her people are great; All 02ir hearts for the stout little state! VERMONT!'' —Stafford You at home have been so diligent in your daily tasks, so true to the problems which are yours to solve, that perhaps you liave become indifferent to the matchless beauties of Nature with which the Almighty has sur- rounded you. Join j^our companions of bygone years and your new-found friends from other states, and going forth together you will gain inspiration and strength, courage and health, and a broader outlook through association with the Silent Places of vour native state. a>< p k i LIBRftRY OF CONGRESS 014 068 781 9