NH Splendor- From Mount Washington to Millville – St. Paul’s School 50th Reunion- Class of 1965
Fiftieth high school reunions only happen once!
Getting back to my native New Hampshire recently was really special in many ways!
I was fortunate to attend both our pre-reunion as well as the actual reunion from May 26 – 31. My travels took me from southern, shoreline CT to northern and then central NH. Sugar Hill, NH; Crawford Notch and Bretton Woods, NH; Concord, NH (aka “Millville” by the St. Paul’s School community- allowed me to experience a variety of ecosystems and plants in bloom. It was an unusually warm week. Visiting in-laws in Sugar Hill on the back side of Cannon Mountain, I breathed and viewed a second dose of my favorite lilacs in full bloom (two weeks behind our CT lilac richness). Their little museum has a realy cool exhibit this summer about photography. I’m so glad they took me to see it. A visit to Sugar Hill must include a stop at Harman’s Cheese & Country Store for some of the best aged cheddar anywhere!
Next stop, Bretton Woods (now apparently a part of a town called “Carroll, NH”) and a short stop at the Appalachian Mountain Club’s Highland Center. I went there to see the new (to me) Center and especially the photo exhibit of Brad Washburn’s incredible; aerial and mountain photographs. If you stop to view the exhibit, be sure to ask at the front desk for the audio part of the tour to hear Brad (now deceased) describe the images.
Wednesday afternoon was focused on a trip up the Cog Railway with some of my classmates and their loved ones. It had been years since I had taken that trip with our family — bio diesel engine for our ascent and descent, but still a thrill to chug up and down and to walk around the summit at 6,288 feet.
For this slide show I have omitted many images of our receptions and dinners. But getting early morning shots (especially) around and in the restored Mount Washington Hotel was a spectacular experience for me. In the 1970’s and ’80’s I had attended a number of professional conferences and then watched it deteriorate. The Omni Hotels have done a grand job of bringing back this grande dame!
Thursday we took a long hike up the country’s oldest hiking rail, the Crawford Path to the summit of Mount Pierce. Descending, I took a bad enough fall that made me unable to row in the next day’s crew race in Concord. It was a lovely hike, but that tumble forced me to take photographs of the race instead of pulling an oar despite having practiced for the past 5 years on a Concept 2 rowing machine. Back in Concord for the actual reunion, we held our race in matched 1972 Pocock shells- first time ever two full boats had competed in a 50th reunion! Special events included chapel services, magnificent organ and carillon music, and an alumni parade led by the oldest alum and ending with the Class of 2015 taking up the rear. There were sporting events, cultural events, exhibits, etc., etc.
My few images give a sense of some of my highlights! What isn’t shown here are the special moments and conversations that took place with classmates and their loved ones. I am already eagerly looking forward to our next quinquennial in 5 years but hope to stay in touch with a number of folks sooner!
Peter
Peter Otis Photos, LLC
PLACES…plants… PEOPLE… PLUS OTHER GEMS
- Sugar Hill Historical Museum – New exhibit called “Flash Back”
- NH Lilacs at Corner of Sugar Hill Historical Museum looking toward Harman’s Cheese & Country Store- source of the BEST aged cheddar cheese and many other goodies
- Crawford Notch, Appalachian Mountain Club’s Highland Center
- Bright Angel Trail, Grand Canyon, AZ- Photograph by Brad Washburn, showing left and right two different geologic sites
- Heading up to the summit of Mt. Washington on The Cog Railway
- Cog Railway passenger car and biodiesel engine at the summit
- The Tip Top House is the last remaining of the old buildings. It now houses a museum depicting the setting that guests many years ago stayed in.
- Vista description
- Looking from the summit of Mt. Pierce (El. 4312)
- Heading up and over to the Mt. Clinton trail to the Mizpah Spring Hut
- Poles were essential for stability
- A ca. 1917 photo of climbers on the Crawford Path – “oldest footpath in the U.S.) – seen in the lobby of the Mt. Washington Hotel
- Sunrise at the Mount Washington Hotel
- Every view is marvelous in the early A.M.
- One of many paintings and photos – Our (former) Old Man of the Mountain
- Early morning shadows
- Part of the golf course by the Ammonoosuc River
- Canada geese zipping over the Ammonoosuc River
- Capturing early morning pictures
- Nearby marsh
- Early morning light
- Enclosed walkway to the new Presidential Wing
- Mt. Washington Hotel – The Great Hall
- Classic oars; modern oars
- Halycons headed out
- The two classic shells and crews on Turkey Pond
- Ready All; Row!
- Racing for the Interstate 89 bridge- Halcyons in the lead. W hat a perfect day for a 500 meter sprint!
- These are our guys who placed the footprints from the Rectory to the top of the Chapel Toswer in 1965, plus a student videographer
- Our class reunion shirt and coaster, depicting the footprints that showed up Spring 1965
- Class of 1965 in the Alumni Parade, heading to lunch
- A spiritual weekend- Choral Evensong,; Carillon and organ recital; Alumni Service; and Memorial Service for Bill Oates, deceased Rector – with remembrances by Justice David Souter
- Saint Paul outside the Chapel of St. Peter and St. Paul
- The choir, the chapel and one thousand cranes
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