Let me tell you about my old man…

He was a very old man indeed…. some say he was born an estimated 2,000 plus years ago during the post-glacial period.

Even though he was so very old his passing was deeply mourned by New Hampshire residents as well as those of its sister New England States.

The Old Man in the Mountain.  What a sight he was…so majestic…so proud.  He sat boldly on the shoulder of Profile Mountain, which juts out into space, some 1200 feet above Profile Lake.

His profile was not to be missed by anyone visiting New Hampshire’s Majestic White Mountains.

I can’t tell you how many times we’ve pulled off the highway to stop at the viewing station simply so we could look at him, take pictures and just marvel that he was there.

A natural phenomenon…not created by man, but cherished by mankind. The joy never wore off…never became a yeah so what…been there done that type of attraction. 

One day when we least expected it he was gone…simply gone. We didn’t have a chance to say good bye, take one last photo.

We knew he was ailing a little bit and had heard about tentative gentle repairs being done and minor mending needed but no one expected this… I am talking, of course, about The Old Man of the Mountain, whose stony countenance simply vanished overnight and was discovered missing on May 3, 2003.

May 3 2003 is a day many New Hampshire ites will never forget…like remembering where you were when JFK or Bobby got shot…9-11 and Martin Luther King...of course while nowhere near the same tragic scale and magnitude those events where, but a day we’ll not forget anytime soon.

I’m sorry if you never got to see him in real life…my shots don’t do him justice but I’ve included many links that have great photos of New Hampshire’s Old Man in The Mountain for your viewing pleasure.

Former New Hampshire governor Craig Benson can sum it up much better than I can …so I’ll leave you with his words.

"From its mountainous perch, the Old Man has stood for centuries as a testament to the steadfastness of New Hampshire's Yankee character and the resolve of its people. This rugged yet beautiful monument fit the character of the pioneers who founded this state, the immigrants who built it, and the spirit of those who live here today. It was the ultimate symbol of those who would "Live Free or Die." And while that symbol may have fallen, that spirit still remains."

-- Governor Craig Benson