78 The Wilson Bulletin.— No. 14. 



The bulk of the mountain lies nearly north and south, sweep- 

 ing up grandly from the valley on the western side, its base 

 both here and on the east defining far-reaching curves, whose 

 steep sides are covered with forests on their lower slopes, and 

 whose broken rugged clififs lift themeslves by sharp ascents to 

 the great crest of the mountain. 



Approaching from the Stowe side the ascent from the val- 

 ley begins at the foot of a spur thrown out toward the east, 

 the carriage road winding along its sides, and crossing to the 

 main ridge as the summit is neared. Here for the first time 

 the whole sweep of the mountain-top breaks on the view, the 

 fleeting outline crowned by the majesty of the Chin. A mile 

 and a half of wind-swept summit stretches away to the north, 

 sometimes only a narrowing mass of weather-worn rock, some- 

 times widening out, and making boggy hollows which shelter 

 a few stunted trees, or again giant masses of broken, splintered 

 rock thrown together in great confusion, and giving but peril- 

 ous foothold as one nears the great valley and gorges where 

 snowy clouds often drift or linger, and out of which other 

 mountain summits rise like somber islands, or maybe glow 

 with splendid color reflected from a gorgeous sky at sunset. 



Below the forest proper the spur widens out into a plateau, 

 and at its base unite the two streams which drain the mount- 

 ain sides, the North Branch coming down through Smug- 

 gler's Notch, having its birth in the pure spring which bursts 

 from the heart of Sterling Mountain, cold, swift and forceful, 

 a brook from the hour its waters first meet the light of day. 



The forest is mainly red spruce (Pica rubra), balsam fir 

 (Abeis balsainca), hemlock fLsuga canadensis), paper birch 

 (Beluta papriftra), yellow birch (Behita luten), beech (fagus 

 americana) , and sugar maple (Acer barbatnn). 



Where the virgin forest has been removed the undergrowth 

 is very dense. 



My stay was from June 6 to July 31, with the exception of a 

 few days early in July (2-5), when I joined the B. H. B. Club 

 at the midsummer meeting. 



June 13-29, July 20-31 was spent at the summit. 



June 6-13, July 5-20 I was stationed at Mr. Harlow's, and 

 observations made on North Branch, South Branch and slopes 

 of the mountain to the limit of timber. 



