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Not sure if this belongs in the section of the forums, but if not, sorry.

I was watching the news earlier today, and they were covering the fall of the Old Man on the mountain. I only heard a vague story so I went to cnn.com to find an article, and so it's true...the Old Man crumbled.

This is sad news for many in New Hampshire and for the rest of New England as well. I remember seeing this great natural wonder a few times in my younger years, I last saw it when I was 15.

Here's the article,

http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/Northeast....ap/index.html

< FRANCONIA, New Hampshire (AP) -- New Hampshire awoke Saturday to find its stern granite symbol of independence and stubbornness, the Old Man of the Mountain, had collapsed into indistinguishable rubble.

The fall ended nearly a century of efforts to protect the 40-foot-tall landmark from the same natural forces that created it. Only stabilizing cables and epoxy remained Saturday where the famous ledges had clung.

"There's only so much you can do," said Mike Pelchat, a state parks official who hiked up the mountain Saturday to make sure there were no signs of foul play.

"With heavy rains and high winds and freezing temperatures, the combination was just right to loosen him up," he said. "We always thought it was the hand of God holding him up, and he let go."

It was unclear when the outcropping actually fell from Cannon Mountain because clouds had obscured the area Thursday and Friday. A state park trails crew reported Saturday morning that the Old Man of the Mountain was gone.

Gov. Craig Benson quickly declared that the face should be restored and said in a written statement that he was meeting with state officials and planned to form a fund to take donations for the project.

"I am committed to doing everything possible to restore this important monument to our Granite State," he said.

The Old Man was New Hampshire's most recognizable symbol.

It appears on the state quarter, on state road signs and on countless souvenirs and tourist brochures. Millions of tourists have traveled through Franconia Notch to view the profile, 1,200 feet above Interstate 93 about 65 miles north of Concord.

In the 19th century, the profile inspired New Hampshire statesman Daniel Webster to write: "In the mountains of New Hampshire, God Almighty has hung out a sign to show that there He makes men."

Dick Hamilton, president of White Mountain Attractions, a tourism group, has commuted through the notch every day for more than 30 years, and said goodnight to the Old Man every night when he drove by. On Friday, with his view blocked by the clouds, he said, "Good night, boss, wherever you are."

"I've just lost my number one attraction," he said Saturday.

The state had used cables and epoxy to try for years to keep the rock profile from falling from erosion and the natural freeze-and-thaw cycle. Those who did the work had warned that a collapse was inevitable, but few thought they would live to see it.

David Nielsen, whose father was the profile's official caretaker for decades before passing the job on to his son in 1989, had tears in his eyes as he looked at the mountainside Saturday.

"The oldest person in my family just died," he said. >

Later.

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PsYcHoLoGiCaL

Yeah I saw that on the news last night it kind of sucks considering The Old Man On the Mountain is on our licence plates, drivers licences, the NH quater and all that other stuff. But oh well, what are you going to do.

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Untitled

Yea, true. It was only a matter of time for it to fall, and they even said that in the article. All things come to an end. I just told this kid who I'm good friends with, he's raving about how its a symbol of the near end of the planet. See...., I told him not to do that either, even if it is, he just sounds like a dumb ass. though, thats just my opinion.

But yea. later.

Feorge Gorman

I had never even HEARD of the 'Old Man' until now!

I guess it WOULD be like losing a family member after driving by it for all those years.

Wish't I coulda seen it before it's demise.

pOOn

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HappyMan

I went hiking in N.H. today. On the way to the trail I noticed that the highway signs have the 'old man on them...........we take for granted that nothing is permenent.

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KBud420

Kinda sucks that its gone, i live pretty close to it and ive seen it 5 or 10 times, but honestly, i think some of the things people are doing are completely ridiculous. Seriously, memorial services and people laying down roses FOR A PIECE OF ROCK? newspapers up here with "NH mourns the loss of the old man of the mountain" on the front page?!??!? Come on, its a freakin' mountain.

Proline63

A freaking mountain? It was more than just a mountain. It was the symbol of NH and god put it there to make us smile and remember the wounderous wonders of nature. People lost a family member that day, man. A family member.

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Untitled

Well, I think I remember reading something bout them rebuilding it. Though a man-made old man of the mountain kinda takes all the wonders and meaning out of it, just a model of the original.

I'm not really all that religous, I have my own beliefs about nature, Earth, evolution, space, and so forth, but they're more theories then beliefs. How is it that the man on the mountain was formed to look like the man, well, slow change can show so many different images, such as a white cloud in the sky looking like a face of a human, soon changing to a ship or whatever. Who knows what natural wonders will accure in the future, or is accuring as we speak.

It's weird when NASA showed the pictures of the faces on Mars, can make you think for quite a while, specially while stoned. But really, I think the most ironic part of this event is, the man on the mountain was being held by cables and wires, it wasnt free like it was normally free, and as the New Hampshire saying goes... "Live free or die".

Though, I'll end it here, sorry forum mods for putting it in the wrong section, confusing at times.

Well, later