A WILD KOAD. 301 



from the Adirondack Iron Works, which themselves 

 were twenty-five miles from a travelled highway. 

 From this far starting point it was considered two hard 

 days' work to go to the summit and back, with a night 

 in the woods. Severe as the task was, I did not regret 

 it. But from his house, Scott told me, it was only 

 seven miles to the foot of the mountain, with a good 

 path and a comparative easy ascent. It was the same 

 distance to the famous Indian Pass. To give the 

 finishing touch to this collection of fine scenery a new 

 road to it is planned, which, of itself, will be a sufficient 



curiosity to tempt the traveller in. Mr. C got a 



bill through the Legislature last winter, appropriating 

 the taxes of non-resident land-owners in the vicinity to 

 the repairing of this mountain road. While examining 

 the route he came across an old hunter who offered to 

 show him a way to avoid the mountain altogether. It 

 is now some six miles of ascent and descent, and it 

 occupies nearly as many hours to traverse them. Near 



this road, and wholly unknown before, Mr. C 



informs me there is a cleft in the mountain parting it 

 from summit to base, through which a road can be made 

 of so easy a grade that a horse may trot almost the 

 whole distance. 



