Mt. Moosilauke (1879) - A Trip From Franconia
". . . A pleasant excursion was taken from the Franconia House, Franconia, N.H., last week by W.R. Sherborne and W.S. Rollins, to the summit of Moosilauke Mountain. The distance is about 17 1/2 miles from Franconia to the summit, and the route passes through Easton and Bungey's Corners to the Tunnel Brook Mills, and from there one mile further on to the base of the mountain, from which point, near an old and deserted house on the left hand side of the road, a path scarcely discernable diverges, and crossing Tunnel Brook, leads into the North Benton or Tunnel Brook Trail, on the north side of the mountain.
The trail is about three and a half miles long, and is in quite good condition; being dry and of gradual ascent it is overcome with little difficulty. There is only one good spring on the path, andthat is situated on the left hand side, about two-thirds of the distance up the mountain.
The excursionists left the Franconia House on foot at 6 a.m., on Monday, August 25th, and arrived at the summit shortly before 5 p.m., taking a rest of three hours at the base. The return trip was made in five hours, leaving the summit the next day at 1 p.m. and arriving in Franconia at 6 p.m.
The view from the summit was an excellent one, and a magnificent sunset crowned the glories of the day. The pink shadows thrown by the mountain on the Sandwich Dome were of the most beautiful. The sun set in close proximity to Mount Marcy in the Adirondacks, and brought that peak out so clear and distinct that it seemed scarcely thirty miles away. The colors over the whole Green Mountain range were also superb.
The view from this mountain is considered to be one of the finest in the State by many of our most eminent tourists, and though the mountain is not as well known as many others, the view well repays any one for taking a trip there, either by carriage or by foot. The distant view is grand, taking in nearly the whole range of the Green Mountains, including the Killington Peaks, Mounts Tudor and Equinox in southern Vermont, the Hoosac Mountains, Greylock, Saddleback and Tobey, in Massachusetts, nine distinct peaks of the Adirondacks, Mount Royal (near Montreal) Mount Orford and Owl's Head in Canada, besides may lesser peaks, and the entire sweep of the White and Franconia Mountains to the eastward.
The Prospect House is a well kept mountain house on the summit, where travellers can spend the night nearly as comfortable as on Mount Washington. One of the incidents of the trip was a beacon fire made by the excursionists on the summit of the mountain Monday evening, which was plainly seen and was answered by lighting a bonfire on the hill back of the Franconia House. . . ."
From "Moosilauke - A Walk to its Summit From Franconia" by R., The White Mountain Echo, 1879.
