9-8-13:I haven't forgotten and I've been busy on this blog to get it finished and serviceable. It's an enormous project but rewarding in many ways.

I've read through a trove of Appalachia going back to the early 1900s up through the 1960s and created several hundred 3 X 5 index cards with nominal referencing subsets: Subject, Author, Date, Issue, Page number, etc building a cross referencing platform so that a reader can find all articles, say, by Miriam Underhill, or all reports/articles referencing "Accidents", or "Logging", or "Glacier" or "Ammonoosuc Ravine Trail" from 1876 to 2013.

So the current list in the blog of all Appalachia from 1876 to 2013 and highlighting only those topics that reference the White Mountains, the AMC, the history of skiing, mountain climbing, etc will stay in their current format.

Then, a detailed cross references will be added alphabetically and readers will be able to "click" on a subject in the alphabetical list and instantly be taken to the "source" per the specific issue of Applachia, the title of the article, author, and the page number, etc. So, for "Alex MacPhail" there will be two or three references with subtitles e.g "December 1966, Accidents, Skier Rescued In Tuckerman Ravine, by Alex MacPhail p. 178". References to the same article will be included in Skiing Accidents and Tuckerman Ravine.

I don't exactly know when this will all be finished, but I continue to build the lists.


June 18, 2012. Finally getting back to address overall design issues of this blog. Sorry it's taken so long, but I had to be precise in the design. The purpose of the blog is to provide readers of whitemountainsojourn and others interested in gaining access to Appalachia, a publication of the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC), published since 1876, and the vast amount of knowledge regarding the natural, social and economic history of the White Mountains of New Hampshire (USA) it contains.

Appalachia is a remarkable resource. It contains nearly the entire history of mountaineering, hiking, climbing, and skiing, as well as the conservation movement over the past 140 years in New England, North Anerica and Europe. It contains nearly the complete mountaineering history of the Karakoram and Himalaya. It provides access to scientific studies in disciplines ranging from geology, glaciology, meteorology, botany, mycology, and ecology in the White Mountains of New Hampshire as well as North America and Europe. It chronicles the history of outdoor recreation, environmental education, and even a history of art relevant to the mountains of New England. It chronicles the on-going, critical discussion on mountain safety and leadership. For our use here it provides a comprehensive history of the White Mountains from the point of view of hikers, skiers, climbers, naturalists, and scholars covering the last 400 years.

 This index will still under construction for a month or two. It is 50 percent complete so you will see dates without any data. Hopefully it will be complete by late summer 2012. I've changed the design extensively and am not sure if it's as good as it can be in being useful, easy to use, etc. I welcome comments and am, as usual, open to any ideas that might improve the index. Please don't be shy.

The Glossary will include definitions of words and names that may be unfamiliar to readers from far off places.

The purpose is two fold: first is to have the index list all applicable articles covering subjects related to this blog and to provide a cross referencing tool for locating them easily. The second purpose is to set up a system so that readers can retrieve articles either by finding a complete set of Appalachia near them or be able to call, email, or write to the AMC in Boston, MA to obtain them. Becky Fullerton is the AMC's current librarian and she and I have been discussing how to accomplish this. To prepare you I've suggested that the AMC ask for a small "donation" to cover basic costs of copying, paper, mailing, etc. Becky reported that the AMC is also nearing completion of it's own Index that will be a comprehensive index of each volume of the journal (for all topics, not just the White Mountains, hiking, etc.)

Astericks at the end of articles listed are primarily there for use by AMC hut croos, particularly the hut naturalists, indicating a strikingly informative article pertinent to hut and mountain lore for use in evening presentations in the huts. The more astericks the more interesting the article.

1899-1901, Vol. IX

1899-1901 Volume IX

"Geology of the Adirondack Region" by C.H. Smythe, p. 44.

"Notes of The New England Upland About The White Mountains", by P. Emerson, p. 52.

Two articles on glaciology:

"Glacial Erosion in the Valley of the Ticino", by W.M. Davis, p. 136 and

"The Great Glacier of The Illicilliwaet", by George and William S. Vaux, jr. p. 156.

"The Seventh International Geographical Conference", by H. G. Bryant, p. 166.

"Pioneer Ascents in Balistan" by Franny Bullock Workman, p. 237.***

"Early Ascent of Mt. Katahdin", by E. E. Hale, p. 277.

"Over the Carter and Twin Mountain Ranges", by H. W. Tyler, jr. p. 302. (This is a great read about a trip across the Carters, the Twins and Bonds in the late 1800s.)

"The Club Camp at Lake Winnepesaukee", by R. B. Lawrence, p. 317.

"Report of the Special Committee on the Recent Fatalities on Mt. Washington", p. 323. (This is a detailed account on the deaths of two AMC members, Ormsbee and Curtis, in June of 1900 near Lakes of the Clouds and the reason a hut was built in that location.)***

Ed. Note: In this volume there's important data on trail development in the White Mountains including sketches of some of the individuals, like Vyron Lowe, who built and maintained the trails. An example is: "It is reported that active logging operations are in progress on the easterly slope of Mt, Washington, and that a long section of the Raymond Path which connects the Carriage Road with the Tuckerman Ravine Trail has been obliterated." (p.380)

The story of the hike over the Carters and the Twins gives detailed historical data on logging and fires in the Pemigewasset drainage area.

Also in this volume (and in many of the Appalachia in the period from 1895 to the 1920s) there are numerous articles describing mountain explorations in the Canadian Rockies including major climbs by AMC members throughout the West made accessible by the relatively new transcontinental railroads. During those years AMC members were insatiably exploring the Canadian Rockies looking for first ascents.
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