During an extended tour of America, an Englishman named Frederick Strickland arrived at the Notch House on October 18, 1849, with the sole intention of standing atop Mount Washington. Strickland, a 29-year-old graduate of Trinity College, Cambridge, was the second son of Sir George Strickland, a baron and long-time member of the British Parliament. Fatefully, just days before his arrival, an early-season snowstorm slammed into the White Mountains. A local newspaper reported that three feet of snow had fallen in the higher elevations during the storm. Despite stern warnings from Thomas Crawford and others, Strickland remained adamant about climbing the mountain. He purportedly told Crawford, the manager of the Notch House, that “I can walk where no horse could go.” He was also confident that he could make the entire round trip in just one day, and therefore took very few provisions with him. Although Crawford relented, he told Strickland that he wouldn’t risk the lives of his guide or his horses, and that they would turn around once they reached deep snow.
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Virtually no one went hiking before the 19th century. What occurred that inspired ordinary people to take a walk through the woods for pleasure? Ramble On: A History of Hiking explores the rich history of hiking, and how it evolved into one of the most popular pastimes in the world.
