Snow Cross on lafayette and other items.

[WSC]

I was looking at one of the north country papers today,"The Ammonusuc Times", and in mentioned the Mt.Lafayette Snow Cross.

So I have three questions.

Does anyone know of any other temporary features in New England and New York, that reappear from time to time, be them seasonal or historical, secular and or non secular. also any pictures?
Examples that I can think of are

1.) Lafayette Snow Cross.
2) The seven on the side wall of King Ravine
3.) The Tuckerman Ravine Snow bridge.

Also any stories behind them, for example the Snow cross is supposed to come out around Easter to mark the crucifixion. When the Seven appears and is melted halfway it is supposed to mark the time to plant crops in the north country.


Last question.
there was a movement in this country in the 1800's that looked for Religious symbols in nature an example would be the snow cross. does anyone remember the name for that movement. I learned it once in high school but have since forgotten.

Thanks
WSC

 

[Chip]

Last question.
there was a movement in this country in the 1800's that looked for Religious symbols in nature an example would be the snow cross. does anyone remember the name for that movement. I learned it once in high school but have since forgotten.

Thanks
WSC

I believe there were artists associated with the Hudson River School that did not look for "overt symbols, but viewed nature itself as divine".

I've always been fond of the Sand Dollars' 5 White Doves, but you probably won't find any in the mountains.

 

[Whiteman]

Shooting Stars

I'm not sure about the movement you are referring to, but I do know that a phenomenal Leonid meteor shower in 1833 sparked a resurgence of religious beliefs. Imagine the great show we had five or six years ago, times 100. Thousands of shooting stars per hour! Here's a link to the Wikipedia story on the Leonids

 

[WSC]

two more features I can think of are.

1.) the Slides on Mt.Lowell, NH Look like a moth when snow is on them.
2.) my avatar is the arrow from arrow slide.
Any others?
WSC

 

[Chip]

I believe there were artists associated with the Hudson River School that did not look for "overt symbols, but viewed nature itself as divine".

I've always been fond of the Sand Dollars' 5 White Doves, but you probably won't find any in the mountains.

There's also the group that believes in the Earth's energy or power centers. I think they congregate on Madison or Adams occasionally.

 

[David Metsky]

There's also the group that believes in the Earth's energy or power centers. I think they congregate on Madison or Adams occasionally.

Adams

 

[Kevin Rooney]

There's also the group that believes in the Earth's energy or power centers. I think they congregate on Madison or Adams occasionally.

That would be the Aetherius Society. They consider Mt Adams to be one of 19 Holy Mountains.

 

[blacknblue]

That would be the Aetherius Society. They consider Mt Adams to be one of 19 Holy Mountains.

Oh great, another peakbagging list...


Mount Tallac, one of the "19 Holy Mountains" has a very prominent snow cross on it, which is visible throughout most of the spring and summer from all of south shore Tahoe. Skiable in the right conditions.
(I'd post a picture, but I haven't mastered that trick yet.)

Never seen a snowcross on Lafayette, but I do hope to go find the 7 in King Ravine in a few weeks. Anybody know if it's skiable? I'm not even sure which wall it's on.

 

[Kevin Judy and Emma]

Skull Face and The Duck

Skull Face is at the northwestern end of the Katahdin Range:

This next one is my personal favorite, though. Basically because I discovered and named it. That's right, I take credit for it. While volunteering at the Mount Washington Observatory in April of '05 I noticed that the melting snow formed the shape of a duck on Mount Adams. The Obs staff said they had not noticed it before and that I was the first to point it out, therefore I had exclusive naming rights. Thus, the clever name, "The Duck". I have since concluded that similar to the ancient Nazca who etched intricate designs on the high plains of Peru, the Aetherius Society has created this sign to pay homage to the Cosmic Masters:

Those who cannot see it are not enlightened.

KDT

 

[WSC]

Never seen a snowcross on Lafayette, but I do hope to go find the 7 in King Ravine in a few weeks. Anybody know if it's skiable? I'm not even sure which wall it's on.

I think the seven is on the same side as Crag Camp. I don't think it is skiable.

 

[WSC]

Skull Face is at the northwestern end of the Katahdin Range:
KDT

The Skull is great, just the type of things I am looking for!
The Duck is all yours,keen eye!
WSC

 

[David Metsky]

I think the seven is on the same side as Crag Camp. I don't think it is skiable.

It's been skied, by far better skiers then me.

 

[ADKdremn]

This is an intriguing thread. Love the skull and picked the duck right out....love it!
Anybody have a picture of the snow cross that's been mentioned?

 

[DougPaul]

3.) The Tuckerman Ravine Snow bridge.

The bridge is likely the snow arch that often forms on the headwall in late spring.

Doug

 

[evilhanz]

Anybody have a picture of the snow cross that's been mentioned?

The Lafayette snow cross is not real. Some people are convinced that they can see it, though. It was invented in the late 1800s when a similar "real" cross was discovered in Colorado. Here's an old postcard showing what they're talking about. This postcard is based on the original doctored photo.

edit: Here's another:

 

[Kevin Rooney]

Those who cannot see it are not enlightened.

KDT

Yup, I can see it. And to celebrate spotting The Snow Duck, you should play the song Llama, Llama DUCK

 

[Waumbek]

Also any stories behind them, for example the Snow cross is supposed to come out around Easter to mark the crucifixion.

One of Annie Trumbull Slosson's Franconia stories, "White Christopher" (1901), concerns a "half-blind," "dumb," and not too nice young boy who comes under the beneficent influence of the snow cross after a farmer points it out to him. He subsequently dresses all in white and is given the symbolic name of "Christopher."

 

[peakbagger]

I can attest, the seven is real and undoctored. A local old timer told me that he didnt plant his tomatoes until the seven was gone. It is shielded from most of the direct sun until early in the summer so it does hang around for quite a while.

As for sking it, yes people have skied it (refer to Dave's comment), but access to it is poor and if you get in trouble its probably a self rescue. One person described it to me years ago as skiing chutes in Huntingtons . Then again my skiing credentials are slim to none. The caretaker at Gray Knob would be the best source of first hand info (as she is probably the one that gets to lead a rescue).

 

[RickB.]

We have observed that the persistent snowfield on the side of Mt. Jefferson, over the Great Gulf, resembles the continent of Africa most years. No pics, sorry.

 

[David Metsky]

One person described it to me years ago as skiing chutes in Huntingtons .

People ski those on a semi-regular basis as well.