RMC Newsletter - Winter 2006-2007

Winter in the RMC Camps
By Judith Maddock Hudson i

The earliest camps on the Northern Peaks were constructed for private owners. Built between 1888 and 1909, they were designed for summer use. The Perch and Cascade Camp were open birchbark shelters; the closed shelters - Log Cabin and Spur Cabin - were sometimes used in the off-season. Gray Knob and Crag Camp were not used in winter during the early years.

Perhaps during a hunting expedition in late November 1902, Randolphian John H. Boothman (who had constructed Spur Cabin), together with E. S. Brown (a teenager from Randolph) and J. W. Wright signed the Spur Cabin register. The cabin's owner George Moore or occasional parties of snowshoers, often AMC members, signed in between 1903 and 1915. On a visit in December 1903 Moore reported the cabin's lock frozen, the inside inaccessible. John Boothman was able to repair the damage on February 2, 1904:

Tuesday, 2:30-3:00 PM. Rosewall B. Lawrence (Rec.Sec. of Appalachian Mt. Club) and Maxwell A. Coe (both of Medford) & John H. Boothman (of Ravine Ho.) Stopped here after going to headwall of King’s Ravine. Temperature inside cabin -3o. Mr. Boothman took off the lock and fixed it.

While none of these parties seems to have spent the night, both cabins did serve as refuges for hikers and woodsmen. The register from 1906 documents a lost soul who was able to find shelter at Spur Cabin for several days.

April 28. F.E. Clark (Portland, Me.) Found Camp bout 10 o’clock. lost in the woods since Tuesday. Very week to day. Nothing to eat for 5 days. Feet very Sore. Snow very deep heare yet.

May 3. Arived [sic] at Spur Cabin April 28, 1906. will leave to day, May 3. I have been very sick the last to days. feel very well to day. Closed Cabin at 1:18. Start fur Berlin, N.H.

By the teens, Laban Watson's hotel in Randolph, the Ravine House, was hosting AMC snowshoeing expeditions:

made up of people of both sexes who worked in offices and in teaching and all such professions and then they’d come up there and put in a week of strenuous climbing.ii

White Mountain photographer Guy Shorey captured many of these groups on film, including a “Ravine House Party, 1916" with four men and three long-skirted ladies on their snowshoes. These trampers too would return to the warmth and comfort of the Ravine House for the night.

In the 1920s and 1930s winter use was common, the principal guests being college outing clubs, some of whose members knew the owners and, like Thornton Page from Yale (and Randolph summers), could borrow the keys for Crag or Gray Knob. The Log Cabin (owned by the RMC) and, until it was razed in 1929, Spur Cabin, were kept unlocked and open for use.

A major change occurred in 1939, when the Forest Service's leases to the private owners of Crag and Gray Knob expired, and the cabins were opened to the public. The Randolph Mountain Club (new owners of Crag and operators of Gray Knob) became heir to a whole new set of problems. The unsupervised cabins, especially in the winter, suffered frequent abuse from unidentified people (who of course never signed the log books). The earliest account from Crag that I have is dated 2/19/49:

Never have we seen this place so filthy. Whoever was up here last must be completely devoid of any decency. Almost every pot, pan, dish, etc. were filthy and full of rotten garbage. Sink was crammed with garbage & cigarette butts. Floor was covered with filth, blankets, pillows and mattresses were slung everywhere....Got up early and turned to!!! Spent about 2 1/2 hours just washing dishes.

During this period, the Log Cabin welcomed many groups, often Boy Scouts or members of collegiate clubs in fall, winter and spring, like the 13 climbers from the International Student Center of Boston, who huddled around the Cabin's wood stove to keep warm after their hike on December 13, 1952 through "3 feet of snow." One hiker, on February 28, 1953 complained that

Several inches of ice (and water, what with the stove going) cover the floor. This phenomenon has been noted previously.

The original Log Cabin had a seasonal stream that often produced a flood inside, a condition that led to the re-siting of the shelter when it was rebuilt in 1985.

Another climber, writing at length on March 8, 1958, described

Considerable difficulty in following the trail. Many if not most of the blazes were buried or so close to the snow line that they were difficult to detect. We wandered off the trail because of this about a half dozen times. The Cabin was completely covered with snow, with not even the door free. It took nearly 20 minutes to clear the door enough to slip in.

Before the 1970s, hikers usually had to break trail, whereas today most paths receive intense winter use so that losing the trail is an infrequent complaint.

As camping equipment improved (becoming warmer and lighter weight), winter parties, especially over New Year's, became more frequent. Many of these groups filled the logs with accounts of their drinking and the cabin with empty bottles and cans that had to be carried out by others. By December 1958, RMC president Klaus Goetze was reporting:

The favorite R.M.C. camp is, of course, Crag, which gets used for nearly twelve months in the year...In the off season very few blankets are there, so sleeping-bags must be brought. The supply of firewood is meant to be used only during the time when snow makes the gathering of wood an impossibility.iii

The problem of cleanliness persisted, however. In March 1969, when the Goddard Alpine Society reached Crag after struggling up the mountain, they complained:

the cabin was filthy, virtually no wood and the sink was full of grunge-covered dishes. We spent the entire next day cleaning up and cutting wood.

Still, the sheer beauty of the high altitudes and the challenges presented by winter dominate many log entries. Let's continue with those of Steve Jacob, our Goddard diarist:

Thurs, 18th. Early in the morning we rose to find rays of light burning through the clouds - so we packed up and headed for Mt Adams (oh mountain of cosmic vibrations and ancient Atherianiv ladies). Whirling snow in swirling clouds & lo - we walked up into the enchanted heavens. We had stumbled along in an intermittent white out, when near Thunderstorm Junction we climbed above the clouds....In hope of being suffused by said spirits and vibrations we set to work building an igloo on the top of the sacred summit. Finding a few too many obsticals (i.e.rocks) on the very top, we moved our site to a snow field some 30 or 40 yards down on the SW side facing the Great Gulf.

With twilight came oranges and reds glistening over the islands and then we bid a hasty retreat back to Crag. [There follows a very long account of ascents back to Adams the next day.]...For several hours we wandered about completely lost - Tim thought we were north of Adams near King's Ravine, Mark thought we were west of Sam Adams and I was completely befuddled...[They wandered around for some time, and eventually found cairns and followed them down to Gray Knob.] ....The moral of this little ditty is - carry a compass at all times no matter how well you know the terrain! [They eventually spend a night in the igloo on top of Adams; two of the group go home, and Steve Jacob gets new supplies from Gorham, goes back up to Crag and endures a huge storm on March 25th.] And what a storm! In the middle of the night I woke to the crash of the door being hurtled open & howling driving snow onto me. The gusts were so strong it was all I could do to force the door shut and hammer more nails in to hold the latch.

Even then the winds drove snow with such force through the cracks, around the doors & windows that the entire room began to fill with snow - the gusts became so violent that the whole cabin began to shake....Being unable to sleep amidst the blowing snow & fearing a potential collapse, I retreated into the back room - which being entirely buried underneath a drift of snow was like an igloo, and therefore largely protected from the violent shaking and quieter too. [The storm continued most of the next day, and abated by evening. Jacob subsequently went back to the igloo, dug down into it, finding dead calm inside only 30 yards from the raging summit.] Finally left on March 28th. -Steve Jacob

Throughout the 1960's, climbers made increasing use of the camps. Crag, Gray Knob and the Log Cabin all had wood stoves, and Crag also had a working fireplace. In the winter months, hikers often cut nearby trees, both live and dead, in an effort to keep warm. Crag, still nestled in the trees in a photo from 1964, was now exposed on all sides. Sometime after August 1970 even Crag’s second pump organ that had been installed in 1957 was burned. In 1972 the Forest Service responded to the indiscriminate cutting of wood, decreeing that stoves were to be removed from all the cabins, although wood fires were still allowed at the Perch.v Because Gray Knob was heavily used in the winter, RMC Board members pleaded for maintaining the stove at Gray Knob. The Forest Service agreed but insisted that green trees not be cut, and the RMC tried to enforce this. The absence of stoves at Crag and the Log Cabin changed the patterns of usage, establishing Gray Knob as the favorite winter camp.

Gray Knob, which had been insulated by 1964, became noted for the groups who often left bottles, beer cans, and other detritus from their parties. And many ignored mailing in the listed fees in the envelopes provided at the camps. By the fall of 1971 the Board authorized Jeff Bean to hike to Gray Knob on weekends (for a salary of $5 per weekend) as well as during Christmas and spring vacation ($20 per week). Weekend caretaking improved the conditions in the camps, and by 1975 it was evident that the caretaker collected substantially more than his/her salary: $438 was collected that year, more than double the previous year’s take.

In the fall of 1976 the RMC was ready to employ a full-time winter caretaker. Mike Johnson was hired at a salary of $66 per week. Thus began a new era in Club history, as energetic winter hikers Mike Pelchat and Kathy Mitchell (Johnson), Paul Flanagan, Mike Pratt, Jeff Tirey, Pete Wallace and John Tremblay assumed caretaking responsibilities. The RMC absorbed these new mountain lovers into its organization. Former caretakers soon became active participants in managing and guiding the Club as it was transformed into a year-round operation.

Life as a winter caretaker at the highest manned hut in the Whites is a challenging existence. Many caretakers at Gray Knob started their winter climbing careers as neophytes but soon acquired all the tricks of winter mountain travel that Mt. Adams had to offer. Winter caretaking became a training ground for subsequent successful expeditions in the world's higher mountain ranges. Tragedy occasionally struck as climbers pushed themselves in order to learn how to master severe weather. In February 1979, during -25° F temperatures, winter caretakers David Shoemaker and Paul Flanagan climbed O'Dell's Gully in Huntington Ravine. After they had completed the ascent, a horrendous winter storm made it impossible for them to cross the Alpine Garden, and they chose an emergency escape, rappelling down from the Pinnacle. Their ropes jammed, and they both died. They were training for a new route in the Mount St. Elias range.

The next year on a suddenly warm Easter Sunday, Jeff Tirey and a companion had completed an ice climb in the Great Gully, and as they were headed back up to Nowell Ridge, the treacherous wind slab they were standing on broke loose, tumbling them a great distance down into King Ravine. Despite serious injuries, two years later Jeff, together with Mike Pelchat, made the season's first ascent of Mt. McKinley in early April, 1985.

The winter caretaker had a lot of worries: cutting his wood supply for the winter, monitoring his guests and protecting the cabin from pressure stoves:

“Your stove gets the prize!...I heaved it out the door just in time to see an explosion that would have done the Wizard of Oz proud.” Paul Flanagan November 29, 1978

Snow and ice presented special challenges. Winter storms often covered the Knob, obscuring the windows. The snow was often heaviest in April:

April 6, 1982. 20-30 inches of snow and more coming! This brings our approximate total to 230 inches. Noon. More snow. Shoveled out the downstairs window. Dug a four foot hole and found the top of the window, it’s enough light. The snow was drifted to within three inches of the upstairs window, and three inches of the downstairs kitchen windows. Caretaker Pete Wallace

The next week, taking advantage of all the snow and trying to do something to fill his lonely hours, John Tremblay spent three days creating

a snowcave, complete with entrance tunnel, a sleeping deck, and an approximate life-span of a week. Located 15 feet from the front door of Crag, just another trailside wonder brought to you by the RMC...I had to do something to kill time. No people. [April 15, 1982]

Maintenance of the outhouses, especially with very low temperatures and high winds, presented difficulties. With the rebuilding of Gray Knob in 1989, the standard outhouse was replaced with a Shasta bin system, meant to dehydrate the solids while draining the liquids. Since cold temperatures forestalled any dehydration or composting action, by early spring the level of waste in the toilet climbed to unmanageable heights, requiring caretakers to "knock down the cone," an unpleasant task at best.

A guest suggested that it would be good to change the sign in the outhouse to "Please take seat" instead of close lid. The consequences could be disastrous despite the wood seat.--Jinx & Jesus & Noah, 12/26/92

More drastic was the overturning of the Gray Knob outhouse:

12/29/93 An eventful week. High winds on Dec 21-22 blew the Gray Knob outhouse clear off the foundation onto its side. With help of 3 very helpful Canadians, the 2 caretakers managed to get it back up (and nailed down more securely). The same winds stove in the window in the caretaker's room at Crag Camp. Christmas Eve was very quiet here. Then the cold weather moved in. As of this date, we've gone 6 days without the thermometer ever getting uphill of +10° and 3 days with a high of -7°. On the morning of Dec 27 it hit a nice round -30°, coldest temperature recorded at Gray Knob in several years.

(On Mt Washington they recorded -36°, and had the coldest Dec 26 and 27 on record, and their coldest reading since Jan 14, 1988.)

This cold has been associated with high winds too. So, maybe it's been cold, but at least it's been breezy. Mosquitoes no problem. Happy 1994 to all the wonderful guests of Gray Knob.

--Guy [Waterman], Gray Knob co-caretaker, 1993-94

A new system, the Bio-Sun composter, was installed between 1994 (Crag) and 1997 (Gray Knob), which actually "sort of works year round" because they were sized to accommodate winter waste. High levels of snow can conceal the outhouse entirely, making it necessary for the caretaker to excavate the entrance so it can be used. And then there are the unthinking users of the cabins to be dealt with:

Guests caught urinating thru snow grates will have a new punishment this year: being guinea pigs for buck-naked hypothermia research at the Quay.
-Paul Neubauer GMC4 RMC2, November 17, 1994

Although the cabin was packed at times, a caretaker could go for some days without company, even as late as May:

If someone doesn’t show up soon I’m going to go stark raving mad....And of course, to make things all the more enjoyable, it’s raining again. Well Herman, another game of fish? (Ever seen an ermine deal cards?) Paul Flanagan May 18, 1978

Guests were not always human, and various creatures often provided the caretaker's only company. Mice invade the cabin, getting into everything and creating wild ruckuses in the small hours of the morning.

September 10,1984. [Albie writing to the mice]: ...I have no qualms about you cleaning up leftovers but please wait until I'm done with my meal before coming after it. And why must you perpetually gnaw on my bedpost throughout the night? Remember guys, Jazz-Bo, that recreational killer cat-- is still looking for a home. If that Snickers bar you got into last week was mine, the cat would be back. All I ask for is a small amount of consideration so we can harmoniously share the cabin. Please leave any comment or response below. Thanks. Albie [Pokrob]

Wildlife abounds: a bear, a fisher, and hares. The weasel was a visitor from the first, as documented by Charles C. Torrey on September 21, 1905, at Spur Cabin:

Approaching, heard cries for help. Looking in at the door, saw Mrs. M[oore] seated on the table, in a Turkish attitude, while a weasel was running about in the middle of the room. Mrs. M was armed with a piece of board, and whenever the creature came too near, she pounded vigorously on the table; but it was plain that the weasel had got beyond caring much for this. Entered, and the animal disappeared. Mrs. M came down from the table in the course of the afternoon.

Dubbed "Herman the Ermine" by generations of caretakers, weasels have subsequently been welcomed for their mousing prowess.

March 8, 1988. Ermine under glass, anyone? Came out of my room to see Herman the Ermine in my grease jar. So, I played a dirty trick on him and put log book on top of jar. He didn't like it too much, but I got a good laugh...-- Caretaker [Sean Irlbacher]

April 8, 1988. ...As always, it's so refreshing to return....Nice to find an old neighbor back too. Herman the Ermine has frequently visited and done an exquisite job of keeping mice away. He is a most welcome guest at Gray Knob and anyone harming or harassing this little guy will be permanently banned from RMC huts and forced to pay AMC rates..-- Albie

Even an occasional moose wandered by Crag Camp!

After two winters caretaking, I saw an amazing thing over here on my last night. A huge set of moose prints coming down Spur Trail, past the lodge & outhouse, continuing down the old route. I was here just 2 1/2 hours ago. I must have just missed him/her. Paul Neubauer, April 12, 1995

Caretakers spend considerable time hiking to the peaks. They also indulge in other outdoor activities: skiing the Great Gully or down brooks, "bumbogganing," and wild sliding down the Spur Path on a plastic toboggan, as recounted by Albie Pokrob in 1986:

...decided to celebrate the New Year by riding my new red plastic toboggan down the Spur Trail. The first run was so exhilarating that I immediately went for a second. Unfortunately, an unseen stump put a hole in my new red toboggan... at first, I thought, 'at least I fared better than the sled.' Then I remembered, it doesn't have to deal with the outhouse at -20 degrees.

Today's caretakers still engage in such exploits, though technology has improved:

For those unfamiliar with the Swiss-bob, this simple invention has revolutionized winter hiking for me. It's a small plastic sled, about the size of a phone book with indentations for your butt and handles for your hands. It's light and straps easily to your pack. You too can get one at EMS in a range of colors for only 25 bucks. One can turn and stop and generally maintain control while sliding once you get the hang of it. It goes really great above treeline or down on the trails that have been packed out by snowshoes.

On Wednesday morning I walked from the cabin to the top of Adams with my gloves hanging from the idiot cords around my wrists. Spent about a half-hour lounging on the summit. Swiss-bobbed around for the afternoon. Tried to go right from the summit of Adams but there wasn't quite enough snow....On Thursday morning I made it from the cabin to the parking lot at Lowe's in just over 40 minutes on the Swiss-Bob. Beats walking any day. Chris Fithian, "Caretaker Journal '05-'06" RMC website

Caretakers and guests alike savor the beauty of the heights, from glorious sunsets and moonrises to philosophical musings:

12/15/92 Mountain time has its own qualities, measured by sunrises and moon cycles rather than time clocks,...but it flies by just as quickly. Better to measure both in memories, I guess: The Saturday night three weeks ago when, not one, but two records were set here at Gray Knob. First, in the course of one hour three stoves were heaved meteorically out the door, and record, there were more women (9) than men (6) here...! Or the time at Lowe's Store when Mr. Lowe actually said "hello" first...Or the Sunday morning when Mark Parent from AMC showed up with a whole tin full of fresh chocolate-chip cookies,...or the night of the eclipse last week, when I hiked up to the summit of Mt Adams by headlamp as the moon darkened, unrolled my sleeping bag on the summit and over the next two hours watched the ridge light up with a surreal, otherworldly glow (hoping like hell the Atherians didn't choose that night to call in their flying saucer transports)..or just yesterday, up on Mt Madison in a t-shirt in the 40 degree weather, with skies clear enough to see the Adirondacks 100 + miles away. Craig Jolly, caretaker

Thanksgiving Day - November 25, 1993

A breathtakingly beautiful Thanksgiving Day in the Northern Presidentials. Minus one degrees at midnight, our first minus reading of this winter (I think), but it warmed up to +7° by morning. Incomparable visibility. You could see individual ski trails on Mount Mansfield, and the Mt Washington observers reported sighting Adirondack peaks. Windy and cold, but not too windy and not too cold. Only about a dozen people in the Northern Presidentials all day, but they had a rare treat.

On the walk back from the Perch at sunset, the trail before me was backlit in golden glow as the sun descended majestically among the silhouetted skyline of the Green Mountains. A bright moon tonight.

It is also Joe Dimaggio's 79th birthday. This caretaker was privileged to have seen him play - the classiest of centerfielders. 50 years later it is an equal privilege to walk back in sunset glow on the path from the Perch. Lucky to have both privileges in one lifetime. Happy Thanksgiving, Laura
-Guy - Gray Knob co-caretaker 1993-1994

2/12/94 It was so calm on Adams today you could have lit a match. The sun was warm and with no wind it felt like spring was here to stay. I was last here on the first day of this year. I've been looking forward to seeing Gray Knob, Paul & Cali and the mystical winter wonderland since I left. Not only was the top of Adams an unexpected and much relished pleasure, there is to be a talk on avalanche safety tonight....I'd like to think that there are some things that are permanent. One of them being the wilderness and all its mysteries and wonders. -Kryzstof

Winter caretakers experience an intense relationship with the mountains and Gray Knob. Among themselves a spirit of camaraderie is developed. For years an annual reunion of former caretakers (and friends) at the Knob resulted in a real party.

The coming of spring encouraged many caretakers take the time to write about their feelings upon departing:

May 30, 1982. Let it be written, on whatever it is that they write it on up there. Pete Wallace spent 8 months from September 7, 1980 until May 3, 1981 and August 28, 1981 until June 1, 1982 for nine months and one week. Yes, folks, I'm sick. I spent two winters at Gray Knob. I lost my mind several times, traveled Lowes Path over 127 times (I lost count), made 120 trips to the Perch and countless other miles, hauled and burned four cords of wood in two winters. All in all a great year and a half. I'd like to thank the RMC and all the folks who showed up when I most needed it, even the ones at 2 or 4 AM. My mind will always be at Gray Knob and I imagine eventually my spirit will be too...
Take care, Caretaker. Peter Wallace

Pete was the first of a number of caretakers to spend two years in the job. Another caretaker who returned many times was Albie Pokrob. A huge bear of a man, Albie was a legend in his time, who wandered the hills, often with a volume of Thoreau. His log entries encompass a wide range of subjects, and he paid special attention to flora and fauna:

April 4, 1986. Juncos are back, the spring is flowing well, most of the snow has gone, and my motorcycle is back on the road so I guess my winter stay is over and the time to move on has arrived. I will miss the quiet, peaceful nights of solitude beside the woodstove, sunsets from the Quay and frost covered trees. I had a couple of cans of Michelob to toast those memories, but decided that Perch water was a far superior and more appropriate toast. Gray Knob is my truest love. - Albie Pokrob

Craig Jolly also spent two years, 1991-2 and 1992-3:

6/1/92 6:15 am. Well, today, after nearly seven months here as the Winter Caretaker, I head down Lowe's path for the last (the 55th, give or take a few) time. I wish I could say I were leaving on a blue sunny day,...Alas, I woke today to a cold drizzling rain, with a final huge load to carry down Lowe's waterslick path, and one hell of a nasty cold in my head and chest which barely allows me to talk. However, I would only expect as much from these mountains, which are on occasion cordial, but never friendly (an insight, perhaps, into the mercurial disposition of Mr Lowe, who, after all, has spent more years living around these mountains than most of us will ever see). And tomorrow, no doubt, the sun and warmth will be back, this cold will be on the way out, and a part of me will wish I were waking up in the White Mts again. But, as with friends and lovers, sometimes we need time apart, to renew our vigor, clear our heads, and heighten our appreciation. As it stands, this is to be only a temporary separation, since I have already made plans with the RMC to return, in the steps of Peter Wallace and John Tremblay, for yet another winter as Gray Knob caretaker. A glutton for punishment, I guess...To everyone with whom I crossed paths here the last seven months - let's do it again next year, (except, perhaps, for the three guys who trashed Crag, whose day of reckoning is still imminent)... -Craig Jolly, 91-2 Winter Caretaker

In Jolly's second year as caretaker (1992-93), the RMC hired two people to share the job, a system which has been used off and on in the years since then. The great advantage was that the regular rotation provided days off for each caretaker. In 1993-5, Paul Neubauer spent two years - the first together with Guy Waterman, and the second solo. He composed his farewell to Gray Knob twice:

4/4/94 Wow! It's over. The people coming through here have made this a great winter, but the RMC is what made it all possible. I've seen the surrounding mtns abuse some people and seen some people abuse the surrounding mtns. I've seen Gore-Tex suits and wet Levis. I've fallen on powder, slipped on ice. I'll miss just about everything except people who hold a grudge when I don't start the woodstove. Until next year - -Paul Neubauer GMC4 GK 93-94

4/12/95 After almost 200 nights up here over the last two winters, my second stint as Caretaker has come to an end. The mountain gods have been
very good to me. I've learned so much from so many folks up here (I knew nothing about mountaineering when I started): Guy Waterman, Mike Pelchat, John Deleo. Everyone has been very generous to me (the Lowe family, thank you!). But people like Bill Arnold & Doug Mayer are what keep volunteerism, pride, and clubs like the RMC alive. I owe lots to you two, and to the RMC. Thanks, I'll never forget this place.
-Paul Neubauer RMC 93-94; 94-95
GMC 91, 92, 93, 94

The RMC's winter caretakers have set high standards for winter hospitality at 4,400 feet. Guests are constantly impressed with our operation, though they may complain that the stove should be lit when the temperature is still above freezing. (More than one caretaker has suggested that these folks carry up wood for their personal use. Some do!) Caretakers love the mountain environment, and communicate their enthusiasm to others; they advise hikers on conditions; they bake bread which they share; they join the parties, story-telling, and various games their guests use to pass the time. Caretakers have made sure that the camps are properly cared for (although occasional abuse still occurs) and are largely responsible for the safety of the many winter hikers who pass through Gray Knob.

Footnotes:

i The materials for this article are drawn almost entirely from RMC camp logs in the Club's archive. I'd like to thank Doug Mayer, Jeff Smith and Mike Pelchat for their help with photos and comments.

ii Guy Shorey, “Looking back on a half-century,” Appalachia:32;167 (December 1958).

iii Klaus Goetze, note in Appalachia:32;275 (December 1958).

iv John Mudge, The White Mountains, p. 4 mentions that Mt Adams is revered as one "of ten holy mountains of the world by a group that calls themselves 'Atherians.' They believe this mountain is 'charged with an alien force.'"

v That summer the RMC removed all the stoves and the following year closed up Crag's fireplace. The Perch received much less winter use, not only because it was an open-faced shelter, but also because it was typically buried in deep snow for much of the season.

I am interested in any additional comments, corrections, anecdotal materials, or relevant photographs that my readers might have. Please contact me at 111 Amherst Road, Pelham, MA 01002; (413)256-6950; or by E-mail.

Judith Hudson has been coming to Randolph since the age of four or five. Her parents, the Drs. Stephen and Charlotte Maddock, first visited Randolph in 1923 or 1924 at the invitation of the Cutter family. Active members of the RMC, Judy and her husband Al have served in a variety of RMC jobs, including the presidency. Al is currently the Club’s Archivist, and Judy is working on a history of the RMC.