Mount Holyoke College
South Hadley MassachusettsSunday night
Dear Mom & Dad,
Katahdin was the greatest weekend I've ever spent! I went with some misgiving as I didn't know a soul but that made it even better. I could meet more people that way & associate with whomever I pleased.
It was cold, cold, cold & I was awfully glad I had two down sleeping bags [borrowed] and an air mattress [also borrowed]. Friday night it got down to 4° above & we slept out in lean-tos. But I was warm & believe me, it was worth the extra weight in the pack. Figured I carried about 45 lbs. up the 3.3 miles to the Chimney Pond campsite halfway up the mountain.
We rode from Boston to Katahdin in a most amazing vehicle - a cross between a moving van and a bus. It would seat 20 people & sleep 16 in berths suspended in 2 tiers from the ceiling & - was complete with a tiny kitchen & kerosene stove. Wherever we went, people stared.
We had a turkey dinner Thurs. night which sure tasted good after a long pack trip up. Unfortunately it snowed hard all Friday so we couldn't get to the summit. Also snowed Fri. night & by Sat. we had about a foot & a half of snow in which to climb down. Friday was spent sleeping [sleeping bags are the only warm spot]; telling stories [we got some really tall tales out of the old game of each
twoone adding to a story around the group]; & singing. I packed my guitar in, of course, & there were three others, as well as a lot of people who knew a lot of new songs.Food was nothing fancy but sure good! All our cooking was done on primus stoves & although we kept the extra food in the cabin, we had to thaw out our eggs before we made breakfast, etc. A frozen egg is the strangest looking thing! Also discovered that hot orange juice is a delicious beverage for starting the day out right on a cold morning.
Met a great guy who is working on a PhD in Chem at Harvard. Formerly of RPI & a good friend of Les', the guy who drove us to Katahdin last fall. I'd heard a lot about him & so was very glad to finally make his acquaintance. Although rumor has it that he's going with a girl from Smith, he invited me to a big song fest he's having in Cambridge the weekend of Dec. 7-9. Anyway, it should be fun & he's a terrific guy. Four of us had dinner in a Chinese restaurant this noon. My first Chinese food - complete with chopsticks & was it ever good. Jim wouldn't let me use the fork which the waiter thoughtfully provided so I had to learn to manipulate the darn things or go hungry. But there's nothing to it & by the end of the meal I was feeling very oriental.
Managed to get a ride back to school
whwith one of the kids from here so the whole weekend cost only $15. Not bad for a trip to Maine & back & four days food!Well, all good things must come to an end so here I am, back in South Hadley, about to face a miserably work-apcked week. Also - about to embark upon my new career of saleswoman. Must also make out my schedule for next semester & also get myself an adviser in the English department.
How was Thanksgiving in Syracuse & did you have any snow? Must admit, I missed home baked pumpkin pie [we had store-bought apple.] & runny cranberry sauce with real cranberries [we had to content ourselves with cranberry jelly from cans but that was good too.]
You might send this volume on to Aunt Hat. As president of the literary society, she might be interested in this account of "Thanksgiving on Mt. Katahdin." And this is the sort of letter which can only be written once - Right after the trip while one is still in the mood.
Must get down to work on my 20 page philosophy paper so will close now.
Love to all,
LizP.S.
Just exactly how "easy" are we going to take it for Christmas this year? Any chance of something along the line of a good warm sleeping bag or good ski boots? Just fishing, so don't panic.