VOLUME 36, NUMBER 36 FEBRUARY 9, 2012 FREE THE WEEKLY NEWS & LIFESTYLE JOURNAL OF MT. WASHINGTON VALLEY It ’’s Qualliit y Tiim e!! SnowCoach Tours Cross Country Skiing Snowshoeing Tubing Hill DEMO DAY February 11th 20% OFF Outfitters Shop Valley Education A rewarding GREAT GLEN TRAILS Local Scholarship day on the slopes OUTDOOR CENTER Information Join the Hope on the Slopes Rt. 16, Pinkham Notch • www.greatglentrails.com Race PAGE 20 PAGE 12 (603) 466-2333 A SALMON PRESS PUBLICATION • (603) 447-6336 • PUBLISHED IN CONWAY, NH Page Two ARTISTIC JOURNEYS The Old Man and his women Artists of the White Mountains By Cynthia Watkins Melendy Ph.D. Contributing Writer ortrait painting was often viewed as the only appro- priate place for women in the art world during the Pearly days of the republic, so it’s only natural that women were the first portrait painters of the Old Man of the Mountains. The granite outcropping was first encountered by Francis Whitcomb and Luke Brooks while on a trail clear- Courtesy of White Mountain Arts and Artists: whitemountainart.com ing expedition in 1805. It was Catherine Scollay Painting not until a generation later, in 1827, that landscape and fig- valley during the summer of Nathan and Maria Appleton ure painter Catherine Scollay Courtesy of White Mountain Arts and Artists: whitemountainart.com his senior year at Bowdoin in 1817. Nathan became Fanny Appleton Longfellow Drawing exhibited the first known College. He traveled through- wealthy as one of the owners painting of the Old Man at the out western Maine and the of a textile factory in Boston Athenaeum titled “Old Mount Washington Valley Waltham, MA and was even- Man of the Mountains”. gathering the myths and tales tually elected as a The Old Man of the from local farmers and Native Representative to Congress. Mountains has slid away from Americans. These were After his wife's death in our view, but he maintains his embellished by other writers 1833, he and his children took prominence as an icon of not and rewritten by ambitious a North American "grand only New Hampshire, but also women such as Lydia Maria tour" to Trenton Falls, of America. The process of Child, who first published a Niagara Falls, and the White associating nature with the widely available version of the Mountains of New United States’ greatness took Chocorua Legend. Romantic Hampshire. Fanny acquired a place in stages, with literary Hudson River artist Thomas sketchbook and recorded her tales of myths and legends, Cole illustrated the story. remembrances of her two- and then the visual arts, The early nineteenth centu- month journey. There she becoming widely published in ry emerging market for writ- recorded two of the earliest the early nineteenth century. ten narratives, as well as por- known artistic images of The Earliest examples of White traits, based on legend, histo- Old Man. Mountain stories were the ry, and the landscape in which But this unique rock forma- vivid tales and legends that they took place meant a flow- tion does not seem to have settlers in the mountains ering of the arts celebrating inspired many artists except a Courtesy of White Mountain Arts and Artists: whitemountainart.com passed down from one genera- the new republic. Women few women until later on in Fanny Appleton Longfellow Drawing tion to another and told to took advantage of these artis- the 19th century when outsiders who toured the tic opportunities to publish tourism began to flourish in abrupt halt. This is not sur- ural landscape and the region. Many of these tales lithographs illustrating both the region. Returning to prising because marriage and American traits of strength, were Abenaki in origin, while the landscape and events from Boston from Franconia raising a family was consid- steadfastness, and endurance. other narratives were historic the Revolutionary War. Notch, Fanny also sketched a ered a woman’s sole priority. As Samuel Willey, brother tales enhanced through It is likely that artists of this view of Centre Harbor on It was not until the follow- of the family who perished in retelling, such as the raid by period knew each other and Lake Winnipiseogee. Fanny ing generation of women the granite landslide stated: Rogers’ Rangers on St. passed these stories around as made forty-eight drawings of started hiking and riding the “Mountains are infused in Francis, Lovewell’s Battle (see good material for their art. their excursion. White Mountains that women moral virtue: New England the road marker in Center Their friendship, art and Three years later in truly came into their own pub- owes more to her granite Ossipee), and the Willey knowledge of the area was Switzerland during the fami- licly as plein air landscape peaks than to her extensive tragedy (another road sign closely associated. ly's European grand tour, artists. Yet they had already commerce and flourishing marks the spot). Interestingly, it was Frances Fanny Appleton met poet established themselves as the trade…. Wealth and health One of the first literary sto- Elizabeth Appleton Henry Wadsworth first illustrators of America’s flow from their sides; and lib- ries of these White Mountain Longfellow, known as Longfellow. Back in Boston, first important icon. For this erty is always safe among their legends was Henry “Fanny”, who also illustrated he courted her for seven years we can consider them as passes.” Wadsworth Longfellow’s col- the Old Man early on. Fanny before they were married. Founding Mothers: women lection of legends and myths was the youngest of four chil- After her marriage Fanny's who gave us the image associ- he gathered throughout the dren born in Boston to drawing activities came to an ated with our magnificent nat- On the Cover Inside Index Meeting Powder Bear Sofia Chakomakos, of Lovell, On the Rockpile Valley Folks & Focus..........................Page 6-8 Maine, & Maren Berglund, of Stoneham, Maine, got Out & About ........................................Page 15 together with Powder Bear, mascot of King Pine Ski Much needed and unexpectedly significant snowfall Valley News.....................................Page 3 & 5 Area, in East Madison, NH, during Powder Bear's Snow Page 9 Fest event, held on February 4th, 2012. Valley Education.......................Page 11-14, 16 Rockpile..................................................Page 9 Photo by Dennis Coughlin Skiing with Sven Roundups .......................................pages 19-23 Know your responsibility code before you hit the slopes Calendar..........................................Page 24-25 Page 28 The Great Outdoors............................Page 26 Page 2 - The Mountain Ear, Thursday, February 9, 2012 Valley News Cabin Fever Raffle – North Conway Library Despite the long wait for perfect antidote to the tempo- snow and true winter, there is rary loss of your garden. The little doubt in anyone’s mind basket contains a garden tool that this winter will soon feel set, gloves, a watering can, a endless and it might become guide to New England gar- hard to fight North Country dening, notecards and a $50 winter ennui. Fortunately, the gift certificate to Dutch North Conway Public Library Bloemen Winkel. is preparing to step into the These baskets are valued breach and rescue you from between $110 and $140, but the perils of cold, dark bore- could be yours through the dom with the aptly named Cabin Fever Raffle for under a Cabin Fever Raffle! dollar. Raffle tickets will be 3 NCPL has three baskets of tickets for $2, 7 tickets for $5, blah-fighting goodies just or, for the best deal—an arm waiting for you to win one of certificate for a haircut at Root length of tickets for only $10. them. For those who want to Cellar, chocolates, and, of The drawing will be held sink in and savor the cozy course, a book so your brain March 30th, but come by the goodness of long winter days won’t atrophy with all that library soon to check out the and nights, there is the “Sit By this basket is a gift certificate down and do you best to per- relaxation. baskets on display, get your the Fire Basket” which con- for a homemade apple pie, to sonally escape the discontent Perhaps you view the winter tickets, and try your luck. tains 2 large mugs, a variety of be baked by Kearsarge Pie of winter, the “Spa Basket” as a fallow time to prepare for Contact the North Conway cocoas, teas, coffees, marsh- Company’s own Cathy might be more your cup of spring. If you are busily root- Public Library at 603-356- mallows, scones, cookies, Dowling. All you’ll need is a tea. This relaxing basket con- ing through your seed catalogs 2961 or bring us your ques- chocolates and, a good book fire to sit by, and maybe your tains soap, bath salts, shower in the dead of winter and tions in person to the library to read while cozying up with bunny slippers. gels, lotions, loofah massager, dreaming of compost, the on Main Street in North the fire. Perhaps best of all in If you prefer to hunker manicure supplies, $35 gift “Garden Basket” might be the Conway Village. Good luck! Check out a Nook or Kindle at the North Conway Library! Library patrons asked, and ers – and many of you have Stop in and we’ll arrange that the North Conway Public requested them! for you. Library has answered: E-read- More than 30 titles are pre- The North Conway Public ers are here! loaded on each device, includ- Library, located in the heart of The library is one of the ing fiction, non-fiction, and the Village at 2719 Main St., is first in the Mount young-adult. a privately funded library that Washington Valley area to This is the second state-of- does not receive tax revenues offer e-readers to check out the-art reading service the from local, state, or federal and take home for a while.