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As I look to the mountain, I no longer see my friend. A quiet man, who never had a bad thing to say. A tall man, who saw every season change. He was friends among those who knew him, and those that came to visit had a new friend to watch over them. By God he was created, by nature he left. I know that when I leave, as I look to the mountain, I will see my friend "The Old Man" once more.
Scott A. Rix, former resident of Merrimack NH now residing in WA
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I first saw the Old Man of the Mountain when I was five. I was in awe of the figure. I asked my father several times how it came to be there. After thinking about an answer, I believe he told me to ask a ranger. I have vacationed in the Franconia area about 10 times since then, always looking forward to seeing the "Old Man." The vacation was not complete without a look.
In 1990, visiting with my wife and then 3-year old daughter, I couldn't wait to show my toddler this sight. I asked her if she saw the face on the mountain. I had barely opened my mouth to explain, when she asked; "Daddy, who put the man there?" So who could explain something like this to a 3-year old? Like my father before me, I was speechless!
George Manes, Los Angeles
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It was with great sadness that I read of the collapse of the Old Man of the Mountain in Franconia Notch. As a child, I went up there every year in the last week of September and the first week of October to see him with my parents, and he was an ever astonishing sight for me and for my brother.
Of course, the last time I visited him back in the early 80's, I read of the problems they were already having keeping him together, but I hoped that, as he had already lasted so long, he would last at least my lifetime. It's sad to know that he's gone, and I hope there will be some kind of memorial to him, if only some way of carving a replica in the rocks so that future generations can get some idea of what he looked like.
Philip van Lidth de Jeude, Alton, IL
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I was born and raised in New England and my family liked to take trips to the White Mountains. We would stay in Lincoln and then drive up to behold Franconia Notch and the Old Man of the Mountain. The Old Man had a presence over the mountains that one could never describe; any description would cheapen that experience.
I had visited other parts of our nation, Quebec, and Europe. But the White Mountains with its Old Man would always be a place of peace and calm in an increasingly uneasy world. I last drove through Franconia Notch in 1996 on my way to Quebec and last looked at the Old Man. Little did I realize that I would see it for the last time. I got caught up with work-related affairs at home and I had since moved farther away, to New York and Philadelphia during the closing years of the last century and the first years of this century.
The news of the collapse of the Old Man was grievous to me and to other fellow admirers. It is still hard to fathom that an important part of our past is now gone. The collapse was not completely unexpected; the formation had been weakening through the long years and it was most probable that it could no longer be a part of this transitory world.
Although the Old Man of the Mountain is physically no longer among us, remember that the White Mountains is still a place where we are lovingly watched by One who created us (and the Great Stone Face). I have long considered the White Mountains as a gateway to places that did touch my heart and soul (places such as Boston, Quebec City, and Montreal). These ancient hills will still beckon visitors, travelers, and settlers who wish to rest their weary bodies and souls for a little while. The Old Man was there for a little geological while. But it shall still remain present in our hearts and souls.
Thomas Alton, Philadelphia, PA
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Every summer, my parents would drive the family from Florida to Lake Winnepesaukee. I would always request that we go see the Old Man of the Mountain. I always marveled at the face wondering how it got there. It never ceased to amaze me as a child. I can't begin to explain how it saddened me that he has collapsed. I was planning a vacation to the Northeast in October and picked his face as one of the stops. I will still go, if only to remember found memories.
Elinor Janvrin
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