One of the pleasures of hiking a smaller mountain is that it seems to leave more room for reflection, rather than concentrating on the physical task. Such was the case for me this Wednesday when two of us combined a trip to Plymouth with hiking up Rattlesnake Mountain (1,594 feet) in Rumney.
I was relaxed and my mind was free to wander on the hike, and to take in the sites in an area that I don't get to that often. And to think about its history.
kAm|J 9:<:?8 A2CE?6C 925 3FD:?6DD :? !=J>@FE9[ 2?5 H96? 5@?6 H6 962565 H6DE @FE }w ad[ 2?5 :? 23@FE e >:=6D EFC?65 C:89E @?E@ |2:? $EC66E :?E@ E96 G:==286 @7 #F>?6J] pE :ED c 4@C?6CD[ H6 EFC?65 =67E @? qF772=@ #@25]k^Am
kAm%96 q2<6C #:G6C @? @FC =67E H2D 7=@H:?8 :? E96 @AA@D:E6 5:C64E:@? 2D H6 5C@G6 E@H2C5D E96 EC2:=9625] $@@? H6 A2DD65 E96 A2C<:?8 =@ED 7@C E96 H@C=5 72>@FD #F>?6J #@4<D 4=:>3:?8 2C62 @? @FC C:89E] xE H2D 2 362FE:7F= 52J[ 2?5 56DA:E6 36:?8 (65?6D52J[ @?6 @7 E96 A2C<:?8 =@ED H2D 7F==] |2?J 4=:>36CD H6C6 =:<6=J DEF56?ED 7C@> ?62C3J !=J>@FE9 $E2E6 &?:G6CD:EJ]k^Am
kAm%96 2C62 :D <?@H? 7@C DA@CED 4=:>3:?8[ >62?:?8 >@DE C@FE6D 92G6 366? 3@=E65 7@C AC@E64E:@?[ 2?5 E96D6 2C6 FD65 @G6C 2?5 @G6C[ >:?:>:K:?8 E96 :>A24E @? E96 C@4<] %9@F89 E96 2C62 :D 2E E96 32D6 @7 #2EE=6D?2<6 |@F?E2:?[ E96 4=:>3:?8 4=:77D 2C6?VE G:D:3=6 7C@> E96 BF:6E DF>>:E]k^Am
kAmx? 4@?EC2DE E@ E96 2>A=6 A2C<:?8 7@C 4=:>3:?8[ E96 @=5 A2C<:?8 =@E 7@C E96 #2EE=6D?2<6 |@F?E2:? %C2:= WE96 `]b >:=6D @?6 H2JX 9@=5D E9C66 42CD 4@>7@CE23=J] x? b]b >:=6D 7C@> E96 7@FC 4@C?6CD :? #F>?6J G:==286[ 24C@DD E96 C@25 7C@> 2 9:<6C D:8? H6 EFC?65 C:89E 2?5 DBF66K65 36EH66? EH@ 42CD E96C6 WE96C6 :D 2=D@ D@>6 @G6C7=@H A2C<:?8 fd J2C5D 324< 62DE @77 E96 C@25[ ?6IE E@ 2 9:DE@C:42= >2C<6C 7@C E96 }2E92? r=:77@C5 3:CE9A=246X]k^Am
kAm(6 A24<65 FA 2?5 962565 FA E96 EC2:=[ D=2AA:?8 2 76H 3=24< 7=:6D 2?5 >@DBF:E@6D :? E96 AC@46DD] %96 EC2:= DE2CE65 @FE 86?E=J E96? C@D6 DE625:=J] x? 23@FE 2 92=7 >:=6 2 362FE:7F= 3C66K6 7C@> E96 H6DE 96=A65 <66A E96 3F8D 2E 32J[ E9@F89 ?@E 4@>A=6E6=J] xE H2D 46CE2:?=J 2 H6E 3F88J DF>>6C]k^Am
kAm%96C6 :D 2 =@@A @? E96 FAA6C A2CE @7 E96 EC2:= E92E EC2G6CD6D E96 DA:?6 @7 >6E2>@CA9:4 C@4< E92E 4@>AC:D6D E96 @A6? DF>>:E C:586] x? E96 A2DE x 92G6 E2<6? E96 C:89E 92?5 =@@A :? E96 H@@5D E@ 86E E@ E96 E@A] x E9:?< E96C6 925 366? 2 D:8? 7@C :E] %9:D E:>6 E96C6 H2D 2 D>2== 42:C? 2?5 ?@ D:8?] (6 >:DD65 :E 2?5 <6AE 8@:?8] xE H2D?VE F?E:= H6 DE2CE65 E@ C:D6 23@G6 E96 EC66D E92E x C62=:K65 E92E H6 925 >:DD65 :E 2?5 H6C6 4=:>3:?8 FA E96 H2J x H@F=5 FDF2==J 56D46?5]k^Am
kAmqFE E92E H2D 7:?6] ~FE 3@@ED 96=5 7:C> @? E96 2?8F=2C 3@F=56CD 2?5 D>@@E9 =6586 @7 92C5 >6E2>@CA9:4 D49:DE 2D H6 C@D6 23@G6 E96 =@H EC66D] %9:D H2D E96 D2>6 92C5 C6D:=:6?E C@4< E92E >256 E96 4=:>3:?8 2C62 5@H? 36=@H 72>@FD] }@E 8C2?:E6]k^Am
kAmpD H6 C@D6 x D2H ?@E:4623=6 8=24:2= DEC:2E:@?D :? E96 C@4<[ =:<6 =:?6D @? A2A6C] %92E H2D 2=D@ 2 762EFC6 7@F?5 @? 92C5 D49:DE]k^Am
kAmpD H6 D4C2>3=65 24C@DD E96 DF>>:E DA:?6 E@ E96 E@A>@DE DA@E[ H6 =@@<65 2E E96 H:56 G:6H 2C@F?5 FD] s:C64E=J 36=@H E@ E96 D@FE9 H2D E96 H:56 q2<6C #:G6C G2==6J] %96 EC66 =:?65 C:G6C 7=@H65 62DE E@ E96 !6>:86H2DD6E #:G6C E9C@F89 @=5 72C> 4@F?ECJ] |@56C? 255:E:@?D :?4=F565 E96 }w ad DEC:A 2?5 E96 5:DE2?E 3F:=5:?8D @7 !=J>@FE9]k^Am
kAmp=D@ 5:C64E=J 24C@DD E9:D A2DE@C2= G2==6J @? E96 9:==D @7 vC@E@? H6C6 aa @C ab E2== H:?5 E@H6CD[ 2== >@G:?8 3C:D<=J @? E9:D 3C66KJ 52J] (:?5 E@H6CD 2C6 @7E6? D66? 2E 2 5:DE2?46[ J6E E96D6 E@H6CD H6C6 4=@D6] %96J =@@>65 @G6C 3@E9 #F>?6J 2?5 !=J>@FE9]k^Am
kAm%FC?:?8 62DE x =@@<65 2E E96 ?62C3J 3F=< @7 $E:?D@? |@F?E2:?] xEVD 62DE 724:?8 DF>>:E 2C62[ @?46 E96 =@42E:@? @7 2 7:C6 E@H6C[ :D @?6 @7 >J 72G@C:E6 DF>>:ED :? E96 2C62[ 92G:?8 7@?5 >6>@C:6D @7 6IA=@C:?8 :E H:E9 2 8:C=7C:6?5]k^Am
kAm{@@<:?8 ?@CE9[ >J 6J6D EC2G6=65 2=@?8 E96 e\>:=6 C:586 2D46?5:?8 7C@> #2EE=6D?2<6 |@F?E2:? E@ r2CC |@F?E2:?] p 76H J62CD 28@ E96 D2>6 8:C=7C:6?5 2?5 x 925 3FD9H924<65 2=@?8 :E 7C@> H96C6 x DE@@5 E@ 23@FE 92=7 H2J E@ r2CC |@F?E2:? E9C@F89 H:=5 4@F?ECJ — 2?@E96C 7@?5 >6>@CJ]k^Am
kAm%@ E96 H6DE[ DEF?E65 DF>>:E EC66D 3=@4<65 E96 ?62C3J G:6H] qFE x <?6H E92E :? E96 5:DE2?46 H2D (63DE6C $=:56 |@F?E2:? H:E9 (249:A2F<2 !@?5 5:C64E=J 36=@H :E] %96 A@?5 925 366? 2 7C6BF6?E EC2G6=:?8 42>AD:E6 5FC:?8 4@=@?:2= E:>6D 7@C 3@E9 ?2E:G6D 2?5 =2E6C 4@=@?:2=D 2E H2C]k^Am
kAmx? `f`a[ {E] %9@>2D q2<6C 2?5 9:D bc >6? 7C@> }@CE9 w2>AE@?[ |2DD] 925 42>A65 E96C6 367@C6 9625:?8 62DE 5@H? C:G6C =@@<:?8 7@C x?5:2?D] %96 C:G6C H2D 42==65 pDBF2>496>2F<6] $@>6H96C6 2=@?8 :E 36EH66? E@52JVD #F>?6J 2?5 !=J>@FE9[ E96J 6?4@F?E6C65 2 !6>:86H2DD6E x?5:2? G:==286[ 56DEC@J65 :E 2?5 >2DD24C65 2==]k^Am
kAmq642FD6 @7 E96 C2:5[ q2<6C H2D AC@>@E65 E@ r2AE2:?[ 2?5 E96 C:G6C H2D C6?2>65 7@C 9:>] %96 =2EE6C 92D 3@E96C65 >6] qFE 4@?D:56C:?8 E96 G2=F6D @7 E96 E:>6 2?5 q2<6CVD A2DE[ H92E 96 5:5 >2<6D D6?D6]k^Am
kAmx? `f_c[ E96 aa J62C @=5 %9@>2D q2<6C =:G65 :? s66C7:6=5[ |2DD] ~? u63] af[ b__ E@ c__ x?5:2?D 2EE24<65 E96 G:==286 H:E9 E96:C uC6?49 =6256CD] cg 4@=@?:2=D H6C6 <:==65 2?5 ``a H6C6 E2<6? 42AE:G6] q2<6C H2D E2<6? E@ |@?EC62=[ H96C6 96 DA6?5 `d >@?E9D 2D 2 =23@C6C 367@C6 6D42A:?8] #6EFC?:?8 E@ s66C7:6=5 9F?8CJ 2?5 72E:8F65[ 96 925 2 ?6H >:DD:@? :? =:76] w6 ;@:?65 E96 z:?8VD 2C>J 2?5 3642>6 2 D4@FE 2?5 =6256C @7 C2:5D @? E96 x?5:2?D]k^Am
kAmx? E96 G:6H 7C@> #2EE=6D?2<6 |@F?E2:? E96 A:4EFC6DBF6 q2<6C #:G6C :D D66? 36=@H =:?65 H:E9 EC66D] (6 =:?86C65 E96C6 :? E96 A=62D2?E 3C66K6 7@C =F?49[ E96? 4@?E:?F65 @? E96 =@@A EC2:= 5@H?] xE H2D 2E E92E A@:?E :? E96 H@@5D 36=@H E96 DF>>:E E92E x ?@E:465 2 =@8 H:E9 D@>6 492C4@2= @? :E] x? a__g 2 9F>2? 42FD65 7:C6 3FC?65 dg 24C6D @? E96 D@FE9 D=@A6 E@ E96 DF>>:E] *@F 92G6 E@ =@@< 4=@D6=J E@52J E@ D66 D:8? @7 :E]k^Am
kAmx? E96 5:DE2?E A2DE E96 32C6 DF>>:E C:586 H2D =:<6=J 42FD65 3J C6A62E65 7:C6]k^Am
kAm(6 C64@??64E65 H:E9 E96 >2:? EC2:= 2?5 4@?E:?F65 5@H?] xE 925 366? 2 A=62D2?E C67=64E:G6 52J @? 2 F?:BF6 >@F?E2:?]k^Am
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.