What are the reasons for a person's need to leave their mark on the mountains? Haven't fire, wind, water, ice (and yes volcano), left mark enough for all generations?
What if I were to tell you that musical bands, foragers, scientists, famous authors, speculators, rare snakes and an eccentric's cabin have all adorned this mountain? A collection of reports on the comings and goings of notable visitors and inspired verse as well as some of the natural history of Mount Wantastiquet, can be found at: Wanastiquet Mountain, Brattleboro History This collection largely speaks to those who came after the Sokwaki people.
Approaching the last switchback on the old carriage road before reaching the peak
Overlooking Brattleboro to the west, the Brattleboro Retreat is bottom center, the Retreat Meadows is to the right, the Harris Hill Ski Jump in the center above the Retreat and on the upper right a ski resort's snow covered trails boldly marks the mountains. I had thought this to be Mount Snow; but not being too familiar with the various resorts, I wonder if it might be Stratton.
"It's just like church to me. It hushes all my nonsense and bids me tread with soft and reverent steps toward the heaven that lies beyond" -Sara Willis Parton, Fanny Fern" Vermont Phoenix, January 18, 1907 *
Wayne and I had hiked Wantastiquet mountain in hopes of photographing a clear view of Vernon. We discovered however, that from it's peak the most we could capture was little more westerly than the roof of BUHS and the interstate. From this vantage, Vernon was obstructed by the most beautiful pines.
From fields of Miller's farm, a scar near the mountain is within view, this scar lies on the face of Mine Mountain.
Taken from the Cersosimo Lumber, near the Vernon / Brattleboro town lines, Miner's ledge is to the right of Wantastiquet Mountain. Train rails that run between Connecticut River and the setback created by the Vernon Dam are visible below. This ledge is where Wayne and I hoped to hike to.
"Mine mountain, in the rear of Wantastiquet, is said to have received its name as a result of the operations which were carried on between 1790 and 1800..."** This article relates a tradition that the mining took place on the mountain, when under false pretense, speculators were convinced "...that in digging at the place of the reported (volcanic) explosion, silver would be found in great abundance." Nothing however was found in quantity enough to make the mine profitable.
This is the place where technology and hard work failed to reach an agreement. The trail between Mt. Wantastiquet and Mine Mountain on Google Maps appeared to be about a quarter of a mile in distance and by immediate indications, the trail looked to be approachable even for a couple of 57 year olds who were wet, tired and a couple of hours from sundown.
This seemed in fact to be the case at least until just after the tower.
A choice was made,
It it weren't for the bare trees, I think that Wayne and I would have turned around before seeing Mine Mountain.
and headed back towards the tower
for the long walk home.
For seventeen years Wayne and I have seen these NH mountains from near our Vernon home, yet seeing our Vernon home from these mountains had eluded us on this day. We could see the mountain, but we couldn't see us from the mountain.
The language of the indigenous peoples of these hills and valleys evolved from the relationship of the people to the land. If "the language belongs to the land"*** what becomes of the language when we change the land? -Norma Manning
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