A while back, I posted an article about the Profile Falls in Bristol, New Hampshire, in which I wrote about how the formation of rocks there look like a man's profile, much like the famous 'Old Man in the Mountain' of Franconia Notch. Well, I believe I've discovered another rock profile I'd like to call the 'Old Man in the Boulders' in Franklin, New Hampshire.
Here is a photo of the Old Man in the Mountain, before it crumbled in 2003.
Photo found on Wikipedia
Why is the "Old Man' such a fixture for the people of New Hampshire? The Old Man in the Mountain has been New Hampshire's State Emblem since 1945 and many of us still have his face on our license plates. For me, he was a big part of my childhood vacations to the Notch, as it was the first stop we made before checking out The Basin and The Flume Gorge.
First 'discovered' by surveyors in 1805, It was a series of five ledges on Cannon Mountain, that when viewed from the highway (Route 93), looked like a man's profile. This is why he is sometimes referred to as "The Profile".
For many of us 'Granite Staters', the loss of the Old Man has been deeply felt, so much so that a Memorial is now being built at the base of the rock outcropping to commemorate his significance in our history.
Well, imagine my excitement when I was driving down the road to work when I noticed this:
The 'Old Man in the Boulders'.
The City of Franklin had just stripped the boulders on Route 3A (also known as Hill Road), and exposed a new Man in the Mountain for all of us to behold. Granted, he is nowhere near the size and scale of the Old Man in the Mountain, but this makes it much more exciting. He is right down close to the road. He can only be seen in one direction, however. You must be traveling South on Route 3A to view him.
On your left will be the Franklin Falls Dam.
There will be a small spot on the side of the road to pull over for a photo.
Daniel Webster, a famous lawyer and orator that New Hampshire and Massachusetts both claim as a son, once said, "Men hang out their signs indicative of their respective trades; shoe makers hang out a gigantic shoe; jewelers a monster watch, and the dentist hangs out a gold tooth; but up in the Mountains of New Hampshire, God Almighty has hung out a sign to show that there He makes men."
Perhaps the saying is also true that when one of his signs crumble, he simply erects another sign :-)
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