Tresure Chest Thursday - Camp Pemi

Over two weekends last September, Donald and I went through my step-mother's basement, finding many hidden treasures from my Dad's family in the way of Bibles, books, furniture, documents, photos, negatives, china and silver. After months of airing-out I am trying to devote at least an hour every week to scanning and photographing these items and sharing them with you on Treasure Chest Thursday.

My father grew up in Chicago but was lucky enough to spend summers visiting relatives in New England, including Cape Cod, traveling with his parents to places like Colorado and Mackinac Island, Michigan and attending Camp Pemigewassett in New Hampshire's White Mountains as both a camper and counselor. I still have some work to do to establish which summers he attended, but I know from this scrapbook that he was there at least the summers of 1947 - 1950.

We've seen a lot of his personality in the previous scrapbook/albums that I have been sharing and this one is no exception, in fact this one shows it off the most.

Camp Pemigewasssett 1947-1948-1949-1950

The Franconia Range and

surrounding territory

The dotted blue line shows the route of the trip.

The Franconia Trip

Sunday, August 13, 1950 began no differently than

any other Sudnay at Camp Pemigewassett. I, along with my

cabin mates, got up, washed, and went up to the mess hall

early (I was a waiter) to set up my table. The breakfast also

was like any other camp Sunday breakfast: ice cold orange

juice, half raw cerial, toast, soggy pancakes and tepid milk.

Then it happened! During the announcement period, Al [Fal?e],

in his blue shirt, got up and said, "All seniors be ready at

9:30 A.M. to go up the Franconias!" "Hot dog," thought I

"This is the trip we all have been waiting for."

Thus, according to instructions, we got on the blue truck

at 9:30 and arrived at Lafayette Place Campground at noon.

After lunch, we started the assent of Mt. Lafayett, 5239', via the

Old Bridle Path Trail.

we noticed was a member of the hut crew called "Foof"

who was taking a string of six mules down to the town of

Franconia, N.H. for supplies.

When he was gone, we entered the hut. It was a

good sized hut containing two bunkrooms, a kitcen and a

dining room from whose windows once could see a wonderful view

of the Franconia Range.

After taking a swim in a mud pond near the hut we ate

dinner. After dinner, Al Batchelder suggested that we climb

the remaining thousand feet to the summit of Mt. Lafayette

to see the sunrise. And that we did. After we descended

to the hut, we all went to bed.

The plaque on the front of the hut.

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The back door of the hut

The sign says "Mountain Hospitality"

The front of the hut showing

the picture window and the entrance

to the boys bunkroom

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Mt. Lafayette, 5249', taken through the front

window of the hut.

The kitchen of the hut showing one

of the hut crew making dinner and one of

the campers looking on.

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The dining room of the hut. This table

is located in front of the picture window.

Four boys watch the sunset from the top of

Mt. Lafayette. The mountains in the distance

are in Vermont.

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The following morning, we awoke to find the day

was perfectly clear. Right after breakfast, we began the 

ascent of Mt. Lafayette (some of us for the second time).

When we reached the top, before us unfolded a beautiful

panorama of mountains, lakes and towns.

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The town of Lafayette as seen from the top of Mt. Lafayette.

Greenleaf Hut (arrow) as seen from the top

of Mt. Lafayette. The cliff in the back-

ground is on Cannon Mountain and some of its

rocks help to form the Old Man of the Mt.

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Lafayette Place Campground as seen from

Mount Lincoln.

Part of the Franconia Range. The

peak in the left-center is Mt. Liberty.

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After walking over the Franconia Ridge Trail for about

1 1/2 miles we came to the junction with the Liberty

spring trail. Here we began our descent of the mountain.

After going down for 3/4 of a mile we came to Liberty

Spring and the Liberty Spring Shelfter. After pausing

there for a drink and a look around we resumed

our descent. Near the end of our journey we came to

the Flume Gorge. The Flume is a stream which has

carved itself a canyon, at some places one-hundred feet

deep, through solid rock. After passing through the Flume,

we were me by our camp truck and we were hurried

back to camp, thus completing a wonderful and unforgettable trip.

These two signs that appeared at the

junction of Franconia Ridge Trail and

Liberty Spring Trail.

Looking down the Liberty Spring Trail

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Pausing for a drink out of Liberty Spring

The entrance of Liberty Spring Shelter

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The inside of Liberty Spring Shelter

I'm so happy to have found these scrapbook/albums and the narration on this one is just priceless. When I was little, my parents were perennial members of the Appalachian Mountain Club although we never visited the Appalachians. I am very grateful for this look into the beginnings of his love of nature, hiking and climbing.