At Liberty Shelter: Franconia Range
October 7–12, 1926
OCTOBER 7th
On the seventh we started out from Little Sunapee, cobalt blue and fringed with scarlet wind-tossed maples and dark pines and spruces–on a curving road over gold-prinked hills, among the draping boughs and fiery leaves. It was up beyond Plymouth when sunset overtook us, a marvellous and bewitching sunset, which we caught glimpses of from time to time. First we saw it over Newfound Lake with its two green islets–there we saw a long low bank of yellow-russet clouds, edged on top with a brilliant gold cloud of sharp mountain-peaks. The sky had a rosy glow above the clouds, and in the north and south were high narrow tiers of pink. We longed for it, but we could not wait–it vanished behind dark trees. Suddenly they broke for a moment–we saw another and an entirely different sunset. Now the west was a maze of fire, and nearer us, partly covering it, were dark purple clouds–drifting about and changing. Again we saw it–there were brilliant russet tiers in the north–but the west was almost concealed by those same violet clouds, much thicker now, and breaking open sometimes and showing through arching windows the fire and glow and rosiness. Now gone again–and for a long time we had no more glimpses, but at last, when we thought it must be over, the trees broke, and lo! all was changed–the deep violet clouds had vanished–now there were long narrow tiers of dark yellow in the west, blended with tiers of dusky blue shadow.
We passed the glorious green field from where the Franconia Ridge looms up, and we could feel dimly the presence of those sometimes terrible and awesome mountains–or smiling–sparkling–but always proud.
The Dartmouth Outing Club cabin is near the Moosilauke Brook–a rushing river which thunders over slippery boulders. In places it seems glassy black, ruffled with the white of eddies–sometimes they are strange foam-yellow–sometimes the whole great brook comes rushing through a deep crack a foot wide, with a mysterious crash and whirling foam. Sometimes a black glassy pool surges out from high crags and swings down a green cascade.
There are marvellous rocks to explore on, rocks full of mysterious pools with sheer walls. Often these pools carry several big stones–strange mottled mineral effects, sparkling with mica–all the stones smooth and oval or round. I discovered a tiny cave above a large rock pool, a cave set with stunted spruces and other shrubs. Just below there the stream ran silver and blue with sunlight, through a dark grove of solemn green hemlocks touching their foreheads to the cloud-fringed sky.
OCTOBER 8th
If only I had waked Daddy up I should have prevented a disaster. Why didn’t I? There is no adequate reason. I wasn’t in the habit of waking people up–and I wanted to explore the brook. If I had only thought one minute longer than I did!
We broke camp as quickly as possible, and started for The Flume–from there we were to proceed up the Flume Trail, and up the slide, and on over the peak of Flume, down into the col between Flume and Liberty, then up and over Liberty’s shark-tooth peak, and down to the little shelter on its flanks just below the summit.
The long stretch of green field was fresh and sparkling, and there above it were the mountains we were going to climb–here many hands have failed–here is an invincible challenge–for me mountain-fever is not an illness–but an indescribable longing.
First, way off to the right of the range, was Osseo, that low long mountain, and its sudden deep blue peak with sheer crags was seen behind the shoulder of a flaming hill; then Flume, gashed with its stupendous slide, the peak showing to the left of the same hill; then the green-flanked Liberty, with its summit wavering with sharpness, prinked with great brown crags; then dark-peaked Haystack, not showing far above its ridge; then far-off dreaming Lincoln; and Lafayette in its fringey mantle of white mist.
When I had been on my first northern mountains it was hard to believe where I was. I had heard Chocorua and Moosilauke spoken of, and I knew that I was going to climb them, but when I was really there I could hardly believe it. I have overcome that–all I feel now is an indescribable sublime isolation–I feel the character and spirit of each mountain upon me like a strange dark-eyed thought.
We pushed on through the crimson-draped roads–and often we saw Liberty before us, dull green, with bubbles of rock near the peak–Liberty with its arch of blue sky. Clouds were well down on Lafayette–now Lincoln was among them, too. We reached the Flume House, parked our car, and struggled into our packs, then strode into the driveway that leads to the Flume gorge. All during that trip my pack seemed to grow lighter, not heavier, but at first I wondered whether, going up the great white slide, it wouldn’t really pull me over backwards. I was worried about Daddy, too. His load seemed tremendous–I could barely lift it; it crumpled him up somewhat–and, well, could he carry it up the slide?
The first spectacular thing in the Flume was a long, undulating, but very smooth rock or rocks, over which the Flume brook runs in flood-time. Oh, it was slippery, even though dry! Our hob-nails slipped disgracefully on it, with no more hold than wet rubber soles could have given. If the slide was going to be as slippery as that–well, never mind what I was thinking!
The board walk began to grow steeper, foot-braces about a foot apart appeared–it was wet and the foot-braces were needed very much. Then I saw where I was. The echo of the brook beneath filled the air, leaped about and roared and thundered. My voice was feeble, and my thoughts could not hear themselves. The sky had narrowed to a small slit of blue, and on both sides of me were high dark walls of rock, covered in places with moss and little climbing ferns. It seemed to be raining slightly–the air was full of wetness from the lashing captive brook and dripping precipices.
“What is this famous Flume?” I had said before to Daddy.
“Oh, just a little gorge where the Flume brook comes through.”
“Well, then, what are all these people crazy to see?”
“They get wild and excited about almost anything, because other people do, that’s all.”
I had to be content–naturally I didn’t expect much. In fact, when we had come to the long smooth rock I had thought it was the climax.
“Are there any falls in this gorge?” said I.
“Oh, I think there’s a nice little cascade there.”
When we came to that long rock, I had said: “Is this it?” I was amazed even at that.
He was looking mischievous. “Part of it.” I was excited.
At the head of those great walls were two dazzling, thundering silver cascades.
We left the grim rock walls a-whirl with their water echoes. We filled our canteens at a whirling pool of the same brook, where so many canteens have before been filled. Again a strange feeling–the anticipation of mountainous isolation was upon us, we felt it drawing tighter like a shadow as we strode up the beginning of the leafy trail towards purple-gleaming Flume and green Liberty. Sometimes we saw the slide ahead, steep–oh, steep! After quite a little walk, when we were near the foot of the slide, we sat down on a mossy rock and ate soft bread and butter and cheese–the bread left over from supper at the Agassiz Basins cabin. Then we had chocolate and small sips of icy cold water. A royal dinner could have tasted no better.