Mt. Moosilauke (1916) - Sunrise
". . . At four-thirty Mr. Morse wakened the entire household to see "the finest sunrise this summer." And a surprisingly large number of persons were soon out on the mountain-top viewing a magnificent spectacle. Three great bands of color were flung across the eastern sky. Lowest lying along the mountain top was a belt of clouds which a girl called "cerise" and a boy pronounced "an awful pretty red." Next came a band of deep purple. Above this was a broad field of fluffy clouds all flushing a luminous pink.
As moments passed the central point in the picture grew more and more bright. Just over Tripyramid mountains the field of cerise clouds were all turning golden. The outlines of the mountains were on fire. The three long bands of color were molten into one. Slowly; slowly the changes went on. Often it seemed as if there could be nothing brighter except thesun itself. But still it lingered.
Finally, at five-fifteen, a shout went up - a glowing yellow rim emerged and mounted with astonishing speed until the great round sun was perfect over the mountain tops! The rays of light rushed down the western slopes - only here and there a valley remained dark. Lakes of clouds lying low along the river valleys began to draw off and real lakes gleamed with a new brightness.
While all this was going on Harry Fifield was in the house eating two breakfasts. He says the color of baked beans suits him first rate and he is suspicious of seventy-five people who are so crazy about a sunrise. There is no telling what they might do to the food if they had the first chance. . . ."
Note: The history of the Morse family's three years at the Moosilauke Tip Top House (1915-17) has been extensively detailed and illustrated in A Mix of Years by William S. Morse, published by Moose Country Press (1998). - RWA
From "Mountains Illuminated," pp. 533-536, The Moosilaukee Reader (Vol.2). ©1999.
