The man I meet with is often not so instructive as the silence he breaks. This stillness, solitude, wildness of nature is a kind of thorough-wort, or boneset, to my intellect. This is what I go out to seek. It is as if I always met in those places some grand, serene, immortal, infinitely encouraging, though invisible, companion, and walked with him." Henry David Thoreau - Journal, January 7, 1857
Another Saturday to climb the summit to see what enhancements have taken place since my last visit. The weather today is unseasonably warm (mid-40s) with only a slight winter breeze. The sky is clear and a beautiful sunrise awaited early risers.
Well, certainly the only thing the construction crew has been working on of late is the stairs to the cab. And what a nice surprise greeted me as I made my approach to the summit. Two ladders are complete ... as best I can tell, although the white wrapping tape remains on the railings for now.
The workers arrived at just before 8am so with , they have yet another opportunity to move this project along. Today I do notice that they have not one, not two, but three lift vehicles available to support their efforts.
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| Towers at Sunrise |
View from the East looking West.
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| Closer View of Tower with Stairways |
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| Middle Stairway - Detail |
The tape is still bound around the railings, but it is now easy to see the final product. The triangular landings lead to and from the ladders.
And just so we don't forget what the old tower had for stairs to reach to cab, this is what we have. More risers, rectangular landings ... but more of them!
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| The Old Tower - Stairway Detail |
And the standby shots that I usually take.
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| NE Corner with Old Glory |
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| Sunrise Off the Corner of the NE Facade |
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| NE Corner |
Even with a warm day or two, I am guessing that this stone work will have to wait til Springtime. And besides, without the railings for the ramp, Mick [stone mason], couldn't finish it all anyway. By the time the railings show up, it definitely will be too cold for stonework!
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| North Facade |
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| West Facad |
Well, the new tower is starting to look like an old friend.
And just so you don't think winter is not here, a peek over the north side shows us that, indeed, there is skiing on Mt. Wachusett ... man-made, but still good. Some of us still await natural snow so we can get the snow shoes out!
Time to head home.
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| From Up-summit Road |
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| New Parking Lot ... in January! |
Til next week. ... wonder when the railings for the observation deck will show up?
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