Mount Chocorua
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| Mount Chocorua | |
|---|---|
 Mount Chocorua from Fowler's Mill Road |
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| Elevation | 3,490 feet (1,065 meters) |
| Location | Albany, New Hampshire, USA |
| Range | Sandwich Range, White Mountains |
| Prominence | 1,270 ft (385 m) |
| Coordinates | |
| Topo map | USGS Mount Chocorua |
| Easiest route | Piper Trail Champney Falls Trail Liberty Trail |
Mount Chocorua is one of the White Mountains of New Hampshire. At an elevation of 3,490 feet (1,065 meters) it is the easternmost peak of the Sandwich Range. The Sandwich Range extends east-west about 30 miles from Conway, New Hampshire on the Saco River to Campton on the Pemigewasset. Although the range is not outstanding for its elevation, it is very rugged and has excellent views of the surrounding lakes, mountains, and forests. Mount Chocorua is uniquely situated, and its bare summit can be seen from almost every direction. Many trails ascend the mountain, which is also the source of mystery and legend.
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[edit] Geography
Mount Chocorua is the easternmost peak of the Sandwich Range of mountains located in the White Mountain region of New Hampshire. The Sandwich Range is located north of the Lakes Region and south of the Presidential Range. The Sandwich Range extends about 30 miles east-west from Conway to Campton. Chocorua's summit is a picturesque rocky cone, and the mountain is purported to be one of the most photographed in the world (AMC Guide, page 310).
[edit] Hiking trails
Mount Chocorua is a popular destination for hikers. Although it is under 3,500 feet in elevation, its bare and rocky summit commands excellent views in all directions. Since most trails begin at much lower elevations, a hike to the summit is a strenuous exercise. There are many trails up the mountain, and they can be quite crowded during the summer months. Especially popular are the Piper Trail (4.5 miles each way from the east), the Champney Falls Trail (from the north), and the Liberty Trail (from the southwest).
[edit] Legends
It is believed that Chocorua was a real Indian, although no authentic records of his life exist. About 1720 Chocorua was on friendly terms with settlers and, in particular, the Campbell family that had a home in the valley now called Tamworth. Chocorua was called away and left his son in the care of the Campbell family. The boy found and drank a poison that Mr. Campbell had made to eliminate troublesome foxes, and Chocorua returned to find his son had died. Chocorua, distraught with grief, pledged revenge on the family. Shortly thereafter, Mr. Campbell returned home one afternoon to find his wife and children had been slain. Campbell suspected Chocorua and pursued him up the mountain that today bears his name. Chocorua was wounded by a shot from Campbell's rifle. Before Campbell could reach Chocorua, he uttered a curse upon the white settlers and their homes, livestock, and crops, and leapt from the summit to his death.
There are at least two other versions of the legend of Chocorua. One is that Chocorua simply fell from a high rock on the mountain while hunting. A second is the white men pursued Chocorua up the mountain after an Indian massacre, and he was not shot at all but simply leapt to his death.
[edit] The curse
Although no one can know the exact words of Chocorua's curse (or even if there was a curse), it has been reported (Mudge, page 34) to be as follows.
- "May the Great Spirit curse you when he speaks in the clouds and his words are fire! Lightning blast your crops! Wind and fire destroy your homes! The Evil One breathe death on your cattle! Panthers howl and wolves fatten on your bones!"
Another version of Chocorua's curse appears in the story 'Chocorua's Curse' (by the author of another famous Indian work, 'Hobomok'), contained in 'The Token' (1830):
- 'A curse upon ye, white men! May the Great Spirit curse ye when he speaks in the clouds, and his words are fire! Chocorua had a son — and ye killed him while the sky looked bright! Lightning, blast your crops! Wind and fire destroy your dwellings! The Evil Spirit breathe death upon your cattle! Your graves lie in the war path of the Indian! Panthers howl, and wolves fatten over your bones! Chocorua goes to the Great Spirit — his curse stays with the white men!'
[edit] Musical works
The American composer Alan Hovhaness (1911-2000), who often climbed the White Mountains during his childhood, composed a piano sonata named after Mount Chocorua ("Mt. Chocorua," Op. 335) in 1982.[1]
[edit] See also
A panorama from the summit of Chocorua is available from the Chocorua Mountain Club (CMC), Chocorua, New Hamsphire 03817.
[edit] References
- AMC White Mountain Guide, Apalachian Mountain Club, Boston: Twenty-fourth addition, 1987. ISBN 0-910146-61-6.
- Hixon, Robert and Mary. The Place Names of the White Mountains, Down East Books: Camden, Maine 1980.
- Mudge, John T. B. The White Mountains: Names, Places & Legends, The Durand Press: Etna, New Hamsphire 1992.
- Speare, Eva A. ed. New Hampshire Folk Tales, Phoenix Publishing: Canaan, New Hampshire 1974.
