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Praise for Juan Carlos Santana

“Juan Carlos ‘JC’ Santana is the preeminent personal trainer, period! Functional
Training will provide you with key insights into the science and application of
exercise training.”
Jose Antonio, PhD, CEO of ISSN

“Juan Carlos ‘JC’ Santana is the premier trainer in America, and Functional Training
is groundbreaking work in the area of function and strength. There is simply no
better resource on the planet.”
Lee E. Brown, EdD, CSCS*D, FNSCA, FACSM
Professor, Strength and Conditioning
Director, Center for Sport Performance
California State University, Fullerton
Editor, Training for Speed, Agility, & Quickness

“For over 30 years Juan Carlos ‘JC’ Santana has been raising the bar in the fitness
industry. With Functional Training you will tap into the cutting-edge methods that
have made him one of the world’s leading authorities on functional training.”
Jeff Chandler, EdD, CSCS*D, NSCA-CPT*D, FNSCA, FACSM
Professor, Jacksonville State University
Editor in Chief, Strength and Conditioning Journal

“If you want to reach your potential as an athlete there is no one I would trust
more than Juan Carlos ‘JC’ Santana!”
Mike Flynn
11-Year NFL Veteran
Super Bowl XXXV Champion

“Juan Carlos ‘JC’ Santana is a fitness leader with a unique understanding of the
science and practice of functional training. He creates superior results for duffers
and high-performance athletes alike, and his book Functional Training will show
you how to make the most of your training.”
Stuart McGill, PhD
Professor, University of Waterloo at Waterloo, Ontario, Canada

“With Juan Carlos ‘JC’ Santana’s training methods and guidance, I was able to
fight at the highest level of mixed martial arts in the UFC and Pride Fighting
Championships and reached the pinnacle of grappling by winning the ADCC
Submission Wrestling World Championship. The workout regimens in Functional
Training will also prepare you for any competition.”
Jeff “Snowman” Monson
Pro MMA Fighter
ADCC Submission Wrestling World Champion
“Juan Carlos ‘JC’ Santana develops innovative ideas and exercise programming
with a training philosophy grounded in basic principles that generate positive
results for his clients. In the past, I have called upon JC for insight into different
training methodologies, and he has delivered. Gain those same insights when
reading Functional Training.”
Chip Morton
Strength and Conditioning Coach
Cincinnati, Ohio

“If you are looking for information to truly unlock your potential and improve
your performance, look no further than Functional Training.”
Jeff Nichols, CSCS
Exercise Physiologist
Virginia High Performance LLC
Former Navy SEAL

“Juan Carlos ‘JC’ Santana is one of the true pioneers of functional training. His
creative exercises and programs have helped shape the way that functional
training is being used today.”
Chris Poirier
General Manager
Perform Better
Functional
Training

Juan Carlos Santana

HUMAN KINETICS
 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Santana, Juan Carlos, 1959-

Functional training / Juan Carlos Santana.
pages cm
Includes index.
1. Physical education and training. 2. Coaching (Athletics) 3. Athletes--Training of. 4. Exercise.
I. Title.
GV711.5.S27 2016
613.7--dc23
2015015211
ISBN: 978-1-4504-1482-1 (print)
Copyright © 2016 by Juan Carlos Santana
All rights reserved. Except for use in a review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in any
form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including
xerography, photocopying, and recording, and in any information storage and retrieval system, is
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Editor: Elizabeth Evans; Copyeditor and Indexer: Alisha Jeddeloh; Permissions Manager: Martha
Gullo; Senior Graphic Designer: Nancy Rasmus; Cover Designer: Keith Blomberg; Photograph
(cover): Rio Santana; Photographs (interior): Neil Bernstein; Photographer’s Assistant: Rio San-
tana; Visual Production Assistant: Joyce Brumfield; Photo Production Manager: Jason Allen;
Art Manager: Kelly Hendren; Associate Art Manager: Alan L. Wilborn; Illustrations: © Human
Kinetics, unless otherwise noted; Printer: Sheridan Books
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This book is dedicated to my chil-
dren, Rio, Caila, Dante, and Mia, for
teaching me the wonders of divine
inspiration and unconditional love.
 Contents

Acknowledgments ix
Introduction xi

PART I Function and Functional Training

CHAPTER 1 Functional Training Defined 3

What Is Functional Strength? 3
Why Functional Training? 4
Myths About Functional Training 5
Popular Functional Training Equipment 8

CHAPTER 2 Foundations of Functional Training 13

Four Pillars of Human Movement 13
Big Four Sport Skills 15
Athletic Environment 25
Highways of Sport Power 27

CHAPTER 3 The Performance Continuum 33

Criteria for Functional and Effective Training 34
Manipulating Functional Intensity 35
Evaluation of Movement Patterns 38

PART II Exercises

CHAPTER 4 The Essentials 53

Body Weight 53
Bands and Pulleys 70
Dumbbells and Kettlebells 90

CHAPTER 5 The Supporting Cast 109

Medicine Balls 109
Stability Balls 123
Toys 133
Traditional Strength Exercises 143

vi
 PART III Programs

CHAPTER 6 Program Design 155

Training Variables 155
Periodization Cycles 156
Putting It All Together 167

CHAPTER 7 Pure Functional Training 169

Integrating Functional Training Into Your Training Plan 169
Grab-and-Go Protocols 170
Express Protocols 173
General Fitness Protocols 180
Metabolic Protocols 186

CHAPTER 8 Hybrid Programming 193

Three-Tier Integration System 194
Hybrid Complexes 196
Periodizing and Programming Hybrid Programs 202
Sample Programs 203

CHAPTER 9 Sport-Specific Programs 207

High-Power Intermittent Sports 208
Racket Sports 212
Batting, Throwing, and Catching Sports 216
Running Sports 221
Combat Sports 226
Long-Distance Field and Court Sports 233
Volleyball 240
Golf 245
Board Sports 250
Swimming 255
Skating-Related Sports 260

Index 267
About the Author 273

vii
This page intentionally left blank.
Acknowledgments

Most of what is learned in college and reinforced by certifications is theoretical

information that is better suited for college professors instead of personal trainers,
coaches, practicing therapists, or athletes. Schools teach opposite to how humans
learn. In life, we learn to practice first; then, if needed, we learn the details. In
school, we learn the details first and then work our way to the big concepts.
However, in many instances school never quite gets to the practice. We only learn
how to practice the skill we went to school to learn once we get out of school and
hit the field or training floor.
I have had the great pleasure and honor of sharing the stage with some of the
brightest minds in the fitness industry. I have learned much from these industry
pioneers, but one thing stands out—if you can’t use it on the field or training
floor, then it’s not much use to a training system. Functional Training shares the
practical approaches I have used for more than 40 years of my life as an athlete
and coach. Although some of the theories and concepts may be complex, I stay
away from complicated language and theory when communicating them. Albert
Einstein reportedly said, “If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t know it well
enough.” This book is my attempt at finding out how well I know my material.
They say it takes a village to raise a child; no truer words have been spoken. I
would like to mention some of the key people in my village throughout my life.
Many more wonderful people can’t be mentioned because of space and time
constraints; however, their absence here does not take away from their important
influence in my life.
This book is dedicated to my family of origin, who came from Cuba in search
of the American dream in 1966: my parents, Celerina and Arnaldo Santana, and
my sister, Belkis Olson-Handras. They provided me with nothing but love, under-
standing, compassion, and guidance; together we found and built the American
dream. As children often do, my four children—Rio, Caila, Dante, and Mia—came
at key moments in my life, and all have inspired me to be the best man I can be.
I have dedicated my life to them and I hope this book serves as a symbol and
reminder to them of what is possible with hard work. Children need lots of love
from their parents, and I would be remiss in not thanking Annie Aponte for her
wonderful role in Rio’s upbringing and Debbie Santana for her caring love and
attention to the lives of Caila, Dante, and Mia. To my extended family (i.e., Moni,
Eric, Lee, and all of my cousins, aunts, and uncles), thank you for being there and
making all holidays memorable family reunions. I love you all.
My coaches and teachers—Anthony Abbott, Julia George, Sue Graves, Andy
Siegel, and Michael Whitehurst, to name a few—have been instrumental in my
continual development, and I can only hope I have a similar impact on my stu-
dents and athletes. Many thanks to my dear friends Mark Bagg, Pierro Busani,
Steve Cannavale, Rocky DePhilipo, Guy Fitzpatrick, Scott Goodpaster, Jeff
Harpster, Mark Meade, Roly Ortega, Barry Pavel, Scott Smith, Kado Tundisi, and
Dave Woynarowski, to name but a few, for being references, beacons, and points
of lights even on my darkest days. I would also like to pay my respects to some

ix
x Acknowledgments

people I consider to be giants in the fitness, strength, conditioning, and medical

world—Anthony Abbott, Joey Antonio, Tudor Bompa, Lee Brown, Gary Gray,
Doug Kalman, William Kraemer, and Stu McGill, to name a few within a very
large group. I’m proud to call these individuals friends and colleagues.
Because this book is about functional training, I would be negligent if I did not
give a special acknowledgment to Gary Gray, the eminent leader of our modern
functional training revolution. Gary’s teachings helped mold me into the pro-
fessional I am today, and his teachings and wisdom are interlaced throughout
the pages in this book. No book on functional training can be complete without
acknowledging the vision of Chris Poirier and Perform Better. It was Chris’s
idea to educate the fitness world on functional training, and under his directive
Perform Better he launched the longest running functional training education
tour in fitness history. It was an honor for me to start that tour with Chris and
Perform Better in 1997 and still associate with them today.
My deepest gratitude goes to my Institute of Human Performance (IHP) family
for their love and support of what was once only a dream. To them I say, “We
did it. We created the best training facility on the planet. What we have created
is bigger than any one person and is truly amazing!” The IHP family is made
up of all members and staff who have passed through our doors and blessed us
with their gifts and support. As of the writing of this book, our primary staff
is composed of Rio, Lily, Pieri, Grif, Adam, Gabe, Scott, Marc, Pedro, Tamara,
Jenna, Georgia, and all of the wonderful interns who make IHP their training
headquarters. A big thank-you to all of our IHP models: Tamara Estevez, Pedro
Penaherrera, Gabriel Saavedra, Marc Saint-Preux, Rio Santana, Jared Stan, and
Jenna Worswick. IHP’s international representatives must also be acknowl-
edged for their faith in IHP and their willingness to take our message beyond
our borders. These international reps—Justo and Marisa Aon, Connie Beaulieu,
Fernando Jaeger, Luis Noya, Ruben Payan, Eduardo and Kimberly Poveda, and
Joel Proskowitz —have been instrumental in launching the IHP global family.
Together we have made IHP a worldwide brand. Thank you.
Finally, I want to thank a very special person in my life, Jessica “Chuli” Lozano,
for her role in my personal and spiritual evolution.
Introduction

Over the last two decades, training and conditioning methods have evolved at a
mind-blistering pace. World records have fallen, rehabilitation times have been
practically cut in half, and athletes in their 40s are now competing in professional
sports once thought the domain of younger athletes. Even weekend athletes are
competing at levels once considered professional. What has made this rapid
improvement possible? Nutrition and skill training have certainly played a huge
role in the dramatic improvements we see on the playing field. However, the
biggest changes have occurred in training. If you look at diet, supplements, and
skill training, the basics are still the same. However, when it comes to training,
the amount of new information is coming so fast that research and traditional
education can’t keep pace with it. Never in our history have we had more choices
of exercises, equipment, and training approaches.
One of the most popular training philosophies to evolve over the last 25 years is
functional training. Although a single definition is yet to be universally accepted,
functional training develops functional strength specific to a given activity. Until
recently, professional trainers and coaches were the only people who had access
to educational resources that explained the methods of functional training. Fit-
ness conferences and seminars, DVDs, and books were the only ways you could
learn about functional training from an experienced practitioner. However, over
the last 15 years the philosophy of functional training has evolved into some-
thing quite different. If you pick up any popular magazine, you will find a slew
of functional training exercises and programs. Spend one hour on YouTube or
Facebook and you can watch hundreds of exercises performed in the name of
functional training. The only problem with all of this information in the popular
press and online is that many of the so-called experts writing these articles and
posting videos have short résumés in the field and in exercise science as it per-
tains to functional training. In some instances, the only qualifications are active
Facebook and Twitter pages and thousands of hits on YouTube.
The modern evolution of functional training is fascinating. In my lifetime, I
have witnessed the physical preparation process go through a metamorphosis that
rivals the Rocky sequels. We have gone from purely functional and sport-specific
training to high-priced training gadgets. At the same time, our culture has gone
from preferring a slim athletic look to celebrating muscle-packed speed demons.
These two separate worlds of performance and culture continue to interact and
influence how books, such as this one, are written.
Once upon a time everything was functional and all training was functional. If
you were an athlete in a sport that did not require lots of strength but did require
lots of skill (e.g., tennis, golf, swimming), you practiced your sport until you
were better than everyone else. Even if you practiced a sport that required lots of
strength (e.g., track and field thrower, American football lineman, heavyweight
boxer), you simply did some strength training in the off-season or chopped lots
of logs with a heavy ax in preparation for a fight.

xi
xii Introduction

When I was a young man in the late 1960s and early 1970s, there were no high-
tech machines. We worshipped the great athletes such as Babe Ruth and Joe Lewis.
We were taught that these low-tech, high-touch performers were born athletic,
and hard skill work forged the player. The strength training and conditioning of
these athletes was minimal by most standards and very skill oriented. For exam-
ple, Babe Ruth was not known for doing much training, but his accomplishments
are etched in stone. Joe Lewis did not do anything out of the ordinary to prepare
for fights, but his warrior spirit carried him into the history books.
Much of what I grew up doing as a young martial artist was what we would
today call functional training. The popular fitness personalities of my era, such as
Jack LaLanne and Bruce Lee, advocated a functional approach to training that
involved mostly calisthenics and standard cardio (running on various surfaces
and skipping rope). Jack LaLanne prepared for his famous swims by tugging
boats while swimming. Bruce Lee prepared for his famous 1-inch (3 cm) punch
by doing one-arm, two-finger push-ups.
As times changed and so did technology, functional training took a back seat
to the more popular bodybuilding methods of the 1980s. The era of Arnold
Schwarzenegger and pumping iron gave birth to new methods of physical
preparation. Training during this time mostly consisted of traditional strength
training, with functional training taking a backseat. Although functional training
systems never quite died, they were difficult to find. The bodybuilding approach
was used to prepare for sports, and weight rooms across the world stocked up
on iron. During this era every athlete from every sport got bigger. The no-name
defense of the 1972 Miami Dolphins gave way to the Steel Curtain of the Pittsburgh
Steelers, the Rocky Marciano build gave way to the stature of George Foreman
and Evander Holyfield, and Jesse Owens was transformed into Ben Johnson.
The clash between the skilled speed needed for better performance and the
bigger physiques created by bodybuilding-dominated training was problematic
for many sports. Injuries begin to plague the sports arena, and many athletes felt
their performances were compromised by the additional muscle that bodybuild-
ing produced. Some skill-dominated sports begin to shy away from weightlifting,
and the demand for alternative training methods that could rehabilitate injuries
and improve performance without building muscle brought functional training
back to center stage. The 1990s and early years of the new millennium saw an
explosion in functional training. For instance, Evander Holyfield put on almost
40 pounds (18 kg) of solid muscle by training with Lee Haney and Dr. Hatfield.
This massive increase in size was accompanied by an increase in speed, agility,
and quickness thanks to the functional training provided by Tim Hallmark.
Even within the small circle of functional training pioneers, many theories
and practices have changed. What we thought were effective functional training
methods 20 years ago now are rarely used, and what we thought were outdated
and ineffective training methods now take center stage. We have witnessed this
evolution firsthand in our training facility, the Institute of Human Performance
(IHP). Over the last 14 years, we have seen equipment lines come and go, we have
seen toys and gadgets come and go, and we have seen panacea methods come and
go. If I had to sum up the last 15 years, I would say this: We are back to basics!
Today, it is hard to find an athlete or strength and conditioning coach who
doesn’t claim to use functional training. Although the term functional training
had already been used by therapy and fitness pioneers for many decades, it was
first popularized by the media in the 1990s and its popularity has grown ever
 Introduction xiii

since. I still remember my first interview with Men’s Journal on the topic of func-
tional training. They asked me for a functional exercise and I showed them the
single-leg anterior reach Gary Gray had shown me a few months before. That
issue was published in 1998, and since then just about every major magazine has
contacted me to provide them with functional training exercises and protocols.
Welcome to the commercialization of functional training!
The commercialization of functional training has been matched and raised,
as they say in poker. Due to the Internet and infomercials, what was originally a
revolution based on legitimate practice has become an atomic blast of confusion
and self-proclaimed expertise. Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter have created Inter-
net experts, e-book authors, and iMovie video producers. You can go to YouTube
and watch hours of something called functional training, but you will see nothing
short of exercises that can qualify as entertaining circus acts, mostly ineffective
and often dangerous. Even national conferences that once extensively vetted
all presenters now take people who have a huge Facebook following but little
experience or formal education. Enter the era of confusion, where everyone is an
expert, everything is functional, and nobody knows where the myths got started.
This book is an attempt to provide some clarity where there seems to be little.
We provide scientific references when necessary, but most importantly we pro-
vide a logical approach to function and functional training. We don’t want you
to believe what we are proposing; we want you to know it is so because it makes
so much sense!
Functional Training brings you up-to-date definitions of functional training,
breakthroughs in the field, specific exercises, and sport-specific training programs.
Its concepts and training methods are safe, effective, and scientifically sound.
Although the concepts are sophisticated, they are presented in a straightforward
manner that any trainer, coach, therapist, athlete, or parent will understand. The
book is simple enough to be understood by high school athletes and their parents
but sophisticated and effective enough to be of interest to personal trainers and
strength coaches.
The organization of Functional Training follows a logical path to provide a basic
but comprehensive understanding of this popular topic. The book is divided into
three parts. Part I provides a historical background of strength training, along
with definitions of the key elements of function and functional training. Chapter
1 begins with a brief history of the fitness industry and functional training. Then
it provides operational definitions of function and functional training so we all are
on the same page. The discussion proceeds to the logical, scientific reasons why
functional training is so effective, and it provides some best-practice applications.
The chapter concludes by reviewing popular equipment used in commercial
gyms, home studios, and parks and while traveling.
Chapter 2 covers the basic movement skills in most sports and explains how
the body is designed for those skills. The discussion then turns to the training
octagon and how to base an athletic functional training system on this training
model. Next comes a discussion of the operational environment of sport and
how the physical qualities of that environment affect movement and functional
training. The chapter concludes by explaining how the body uses neural input
from the physical world and its own movement to create efficient and coordinated
movement sequences.
Chapter 3 introduces the performance continuum, a simple strategy to guide
you through the process of beginning functional training and progressing based
xiv Introduction

on successful, controlled movements. This chapter also outlines some simple

techniques for manipulating the intensity of functional exercises so that they
match the athlete’s ability.
Part II covers functional modalities and the most useful functional exercises
within each modality. Chapter 4 includes exercises that use body weight, bands
and cables, and dumbbells and kettlebells. Chapter 5 adds exercises that use
medicine balls, stability balls, and new training toys, and it even includes tradi-
tional strength exercises. It outlines the advantages of each modality and gives
instructions for the most popular exercises.
Part III discusses the fundamentals of exercise selection, programming, and
periodization and provides sample programs for common sports. Chapter 6
discusses the fundamental elements of program design and periodization as
they relate to functional training and strength development. Functional training
programs for all four major periodization cycles are presented in template form
to facilitate easy substitution of exercises. Chapter 7 provides strategies for seam-
lessly integrating functional training into traditional strength programs. Sample
hybrid strength programs are also provided.
Chapter 8 expands on the programming principles introduced in chapter 7 and
outlines the workings of the IHP Hybrid Training System, the Three-Tier Integra-
tion System (3TIS). You will learn how 3TIS integrates functional exercises within
the traditional training model, offering the most powerful training programing
available today. The functional warm-up, build-up, and unloading are illustrated
to guide you through the design of weekly and monthly programs. The chapter
concludes with several sample workouts you can use immediately.
Chapter 9 provides 11 programs for the major sport categories. These cate-
gories classify sports that are similar in biomechanics and energy systems. For
easy referencing and consistency, the exercises in these programs come from the
exercises previously provided in part II.
 PART I
Function and
Functional Training
This page intentionally left blank.
CHAPTER 1
Functional Training
Defined

Functional training exploded onto the scene 20 years ago, yet the term is still used
to describe just about any training that is not bodybuilding. This chapter lays
the groundwork for this training method by providing basic definitions and
applied concepts. The applied approach taken in this first chapter will enhance
your understanding of what functional training is and how to use it to enhance
performance.

What Is Functional Strength?

Strength training has been debated as hotly as any other topic in the strength
and conditioning field. One reason for the hot discussion is that there are several
types of strength and several ways to evaluate them. Let’s take a closer look at
each type.
Absolute strength is the most common type of strength that people talk about.
Absolute strength is the greatest amount of weight an athlete can lift. Sometimes
absolute strength is what you want. For example, weightlifting competitors need
maximum absolute strength in all of their lifts for successful competition.
Relative strength is an athlete’s absolute strength divided by body weight, and
it is also a popular form of strength within the athletic arena. Relative strength is
where the term pound per pound comes from. This type of strength is crucial for
athletes who compete in weight-class sports. The strongest person in a weight
class has the strength advantage every athlete is looking for.
Functional strength is the amount of strength an athlete can use on the field, and
it’s the most important strength to develop for sports that are not weightlifting
related. However, it can be challenging to train, monitor, and communicate about
functional strength. Functional training is popular within the sport world and
obviously aims at developing functional strength, though it is often confused
with sport-specific training.
Sport-specific training includes many exercises that are appropriate during
the later phase of training when specific strength is developed. It attempts to
rehearse the sport skill with some light resistance. Examples of sport-specific

3
4 Functional Training

drills include resisted running with a band, pushing a tackling or blocking sled,
and swinging a heavy bat. Functional training, on the other hand, focuses on the
application of functional strength to a sport skill (i.e., the coordination of various
muscle systems), not necessarily the sport skill itself. For example, a single-leg
stability ball (SB) bridge improves running by enhancing hip extension, but it
does not involve running the way that resisted running does. Similarly, a band
or cable press can develop the force generation pattern associated with blocking
without actually hitting the blocking sled. Finally, short band rotations and low-
to-high cable chops develop the hip power and core stiffness necessary for bat
speed, but they do not feature the complete batting motion. In essence, functional
strength allows an athlete to apply strength to a sport skill. It’s the best and
most progressive way to improve athletic performance without actually doing a
sport-specific drill or exercise.
Almost all strength and conditioning coaches now claim to do functional
training. However, finding qualified strength professionals who are well versed
in this method of training is difficult.
The only drawback to functional strength is that it is trained and evaluated
with movement quality, not a load or number. Whereas a lift (e.g., bench press) is
trained with a specific load and has a number for evaluating strength, a single-leg
contralateral-arm (CLA) anterior reach uses a certain quality of movement and
light training load to develop and evaluate single-leg stability. The subjective
nature of functional strength presents a challenge when designing functional train-
ing programs and communicating about the development of functional strength.

Why Functional Training?

Functional training has become a hot topic and a popular training approach. In
spite of a lack of specific research or clear definitions and a fair amount of con-
troversy surrounding its methods, functional training is everywhere. Dozens of
books have been written on the topic, and you can’t attend a fitness conference
or go to a sport training camp without seeing the functional training revolution.
So, what makes this training method so effective and popular? The answers are
simple, as we’ll discuss in this section.

Little Space, Little Equipment, and Little Time

Nearly any traditional gym features thousands of square feet filled with hundreds
of pieces of equipment that cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. In stark con-
trast, functional training gyms have lots of room with only some basic equipment
around the perimeter. Functional training is about movement, not equipment.
Therefore, a set of dumbbells, some medicine balls, a few hurdles, some bands,
and a few stability balls can allow anyone to turn a room, a parking lot, or an
athletic field into a functional training area. The low cost of equipment is another
major advantage of functional training. With a few hundred dollars and a duffle
bag, a coach can train a single athlete or an entire team anywhere, anytime.
Time is as scarce as money these days; everyone has busy schedules filled with
responsibilities. Therefore, being able to train anywhere and at any time allows
the athlete and coach to be effective where many can’t. Functional training circuits
are extremely effective in keeping an athlete or a team in tip-top shape, especially
in season and while traveling. For example, you can take the 15 to 40 minutes
 Functional Training Defined 5

spent traveling to and from a training facility and spend it training anywhere.
You can perform 15- to 20-minute individual and team workouts in a parking
lot, dorm hallway, gymnasium, or hotel room at any time of day or night. (See
chapters 7, 8, and 9 for examples of these programs.)

Strength Without Size

A great characteristic of neuromuscular adaptation is that you can get stronger
without getting bigger or heavier. This is a huge advantage for athletes who are
in weight-class sports or sports where weight gain may create a disadvantage.
The coordination between muscles and muscle systems also allows the body
to spread the load through multiple muscle systems. This distribution of work
creates less stress on any one muscle, reducing the need for a specific muscle to
adapt and get bigger. With functional training, no single muscle screams; instead
the entire body sings. That is the essence of athleticism.

Performance Benefits
Considering the benefits of functional training as well as its specificity-driven
philosophy, it doesn’t take a vivid imagination to figure out its performance ben-
efits. Functional training can focus on and improve any sport skill. The single-leg
exercise that addresses locomotion teaches the hamstrings and glutes to extend the
hips and stabilize the body, increasing running speed, boosting cutting ability in
field sports, and improving single-leg jumping in court sports. The level-change
exercises that target jumping and lifting improve two-leg vertical jump height as
well as lifting mechanics. The pushing and pulling exercises enhance punching,
pushing, swimming, and throwing. Finally, the rotational exercises improve
swinging, changes of direction, and rotational power generation.

Myths About Functional Training

Part of the controversy and confusion surrounding functional training is due to
the misrepresentation of what functional training is. There is a fine line between an
exercise that is effective and an exercise that is optimal, and we need to keep our
terminology consistent. At the end of the day, the principle of specificity allows
us to figure out what functional training is and what it isn’t. Let’s go through
a few of the concepts that have been misrepresented during the evolution of
functional training.

Effective Versus Optimal

To simplify the concept of functional training, we must first note the difference
between effective training and optimal (functional) training. Training can be
effective without having optimal transfer (i.e., without being functional). For
example, a novice basketball player can use knee extensions and leg curls to
improve running and jumping to some degree. These two traditional exercises
may be effective in enhancing the athlete’s general strength needed in running
and jumping, but they will not be as effective as single-leg exercises used in more
comprehensive and progressive training model, such as a three-stage develop-
mental training model that progressively develops general, special, and specific
strength. For example, if a running athlete was going to organize the training
6 Functional Training

in a progressive, three-stage fashion, general strength is usually developed by

traditional strength exercises, such as squats, leg presses, and power cleans. Spe-
cial strength is oftentimes developed by functional exercises that more closely
resemble the target activity, such as single-leg anterior reaches, single-leg squats,
and single-leg stability ball bridges. Specific strength can then be developed by
resisted running drills, uphill runs, and other forms of resisted running. Although
this is an over simplification of the three-stage model, it provides an illustrative
view of how the training becomes more specific or functional as time progresses.
Functional training is driven by the concept of specificity. Single-leg exercises are
more specific to running and jumping off a single leg than two-leg exercises,
and therefore they are functional for any single-leg activity, such as a basketball
player cutting and coming off a single leg for a layup.

Not All Proprioception Is Created Equal

A big word making its way into the mainstream is proprioception, or how body
reads information from various body parts as well as the environment. This
information (i.e., proprioceptive feedback) is the language the nervous system
uses to figure out what is happening with the body and what move to make
next. Functional training is thought to produce more proprioceptive feedback
(i.e., meaningful information) than bodybuilding exercises do. For example,
the leg curl uses a seated position and a fixed pattern of movement; not a lot of
information is needed to execute the exercise. On the other hand, its functional
counterpart, the reaching lunge, requires more coordination between the big
muscle systems on the posterior aspect of the hips and uses the related muscle
groups in a way that is more consistent with the running motion (i.e., teaching
the hamstrings to extend the hips while controlling knee flexion). This complex
coordination requires more proprioceptive feedback between the muscular system
and the central nervous system. Thus, the leg curl machine is less proprioceptively
enriching than the reaching lunge is because the leg curl machine stabilizes the
movement and requires less proprioceptive feedback than the reaching lunge,
which is not stabilized by any exterior mechanism. Coincidently, this is where the
concept of unstabilized training, or stability training, comes from; the reaching
lunge occurs in an unstabilized environment, requiring the body to develop the
stability in order to execute the movement correctly.
Just because a high amount of neural information (proprioception) is being
processed, it does not mean the information is meaningful. The neural language
of functional training must be specific to the athletic skill being targeted. If an athletic
skill requires the transfer of high forces from the ground to an implement (e.g.,
a bat) through stiff body segments, then that proprioceptive language must be
part of the functional training to improve performance.

Balance Versus Stability

Balance training should not be confused with stability training. Unstable training
environments are one of the hottest topics in functional training. For this reason
we will cover this topic a bit more comprehensively than the others. Let’s start
with some definitions and then take the discussion from there.
As a noun, balance means the stability produced by the even distribution of
weight on each side of the vertical axis. As a verb, it means to bring about a state
of equilibrium (a state of balance between opposing forces).
 Functional Training Defined 7

Stability is the quality, state, or degree of being stable, as in the following:

i. The strength to stand or endure; firmness
ii. The property of a body that causes it when disturbed from a condition of
equilibrium or steady motion to develop forces or moments that restore
the original condition
iii. Equipoise between contrasting, opposing, or interacting elements to resist
forces tending to cause motion or change of motion
iv. Designed so as to develop forces that restore the original condition when
disturbed from a condition of equilibrium
In practical terms, balance is the act of manipulating opposing forces to create
a stable state over a base of support. Stability is the control of unwanted motion
to restore or maintain a position. Balance usually requires the transfer of low
forces to maintain equilibrium, whereas stability usually requires the transfer of
high forces to create rigidity. The best visual example of stability and balance is
a pyramid (figure 1.1).
As you can see, the stable pyramid can withstand any force driven through
its system; it is both strong and balanced. The balanced pyramid can’t take any
force except one going through its vertical axis. If you think of the body as an
organic pyramid that responds to progressive multidirectional loading by getting
bigger and better at maintaining stability, then you must train it while it is on its
base and not its point. When the pyramid is balancing on its point, you simply
cannot load it enough to create any significant adaptation.
There is nothing you can do from an unstable balanced position (e.g., one-leg
balance) except stand there, balance, and wait to be pushed over by a fast-moving
object. Athletes cannot transfer high forces or maintain their position in the face
of hard physical contact from a narrow or small base of support; they are at the
mercy of the physical forces of the environment (e.g., another athlete making
physical contact). This is especially true during static conditions where athletes
can’t use momentum and inertia to help maintain dynamic control.

a b
FIGURE 1.1 Stability versus balance: (a) This pyramid is stable and balanced. High forces can be
applied to it without changing its position—certainly a quality we would want in an athlete. (b) This
pyramid is balanced but not stable. The slightest force will topple it over—not a desirable quality
in an athlete. E5531/Santana/Fig. 01.01b/524043/JG/R1
E5531/Santana/Fig. 01.01a/524041/JG/R1
8 Functional Training

Functional training must concentrate on creating stability (i.e., super stiffness)

so that proper athletic positions can be maintained and forces can be transferred
through the kinetic chain. This means it must train the core in a stable state to be
as stiff (rigid) as possible first and then let it move as it needs to.

Popular Functional Training Equipment

In the last two decades, the variety of functional training equipment on the
market has grown to the point where figuring out what to buy and how to use
it can be overwhelming. Although using a variety of equipment can add diver-
sity to training, as well as a fun factor, most of the essential work can be done
with simple equipment. There is no need for the fancy stuff if you have the right
knowledge; after all, the best functional training equipment is the human body.
The basic equipment discussed in this section will allow athletes to apply pow-
erful functional training principles to stay in shape during the off-season or add
a functional training component to an existing resistance workout.

Dumbbells
You can use dumbbells (abbrevi-
ated as DB in the exercises in this
book) to load just about any func-
tional movement you can imagine
(figure 1.2). That’s why they are
first on the list. Dumbbells pro-
vide freedom of movement, thus
requiring stabilization from each
limb, which addresses upper-body
imbalances in strength. The speed
and loads in functional training
can range from slow and heavy to
explosive and light, covering all
developmental stages of strength
and power training. FIGURE 1.2 Dumbbells.
Dumbbells come in a variety of
models, from fixed weights to selectorized or adjustable models. If you have
plenty of room and would like the flexibility of training more than one person at
a time, a rack of fixed-weight dumbbells is best. Functional training exercises for
the most part don’t use big dumbbells, so a rack of 5 to 50 pounds (2-23 kg) will
serve just about anyone. If choosing a selectorized model where you can dial in
or pin-load the desired weight, a 35- to 45-pound (16-20 kg) set will do the trick.

Bands and Pulleys

The next type of equipment that is a must in functional training is a good set of
bands or pulleys (BP) (figure 1.3). Bands and pulleys are vital because they are
the only way to provide resistance in a horizontal or diagonal direction. Due to
their nonvertical loading capabilities, they are perfectly suited to provide resis-
tance for standing exercises such as rotational chops, presses and rows, deadlifts,
and lunging movements in a way no other equipment can. Single-arm exercise
 Functional Training Defined 9

FIGURE 1.3 Bands and pulleys.

variations also can address strength imbalances between the right and left sides
of the body.
Bands are more versatile than pulleys because they can be taken anywhere,
can attach to a variety of structures, are inexpensive, and resist slow, heavy
movements as well as light, explosive ones. A cable stack is stationary, occupies a
huge space, is expensive, and is best used for heavy, slow training because light,
explosive training results in a flying weight stack that eventually damages the
equipment. Bands should be made of latex using the dipping process, not the
extrusion process. The bands should not be continuous; they should have handles
at each end and a separate attachment point to avoid wearing out the middle of
the band with attachments such as nylon cords or straps.

Medicine Balls
Medicine balls (MB) (figure 1.4)
come in a variety of models, from
balls with handles that can be held
like dumbbells to balls with ropes
for swinging exercises. To keep
things simple, we will deal with
basic medicine balls with or with-
out bounce capabilities. Medicine
balls are excellent for loading many
functional training exercises, but
their best application is throws for
power development.
When using a medicine ball for
throws against the floor or a cement
wall, a rubber model with a bounce FIGURE 1.4 Medicine balls.
10 Functional Training

is the most effective. Rubber medicine balls are durable and can take the beating
of power throws. If a bounce is not desired for safety reasons and the throws are
going to be performed against a padded wall or floor, a synthetic-leather medicine
ball is a great option. The standard weights for throws and light movement load-
ing are in the 2- to 4-kilogram range; heavier balls are better suited for strength
development and slower movements.

Stability Balls
Stability balls (SB) (figure 1.5) have
come a long way. The newer models
are much stronger and more burst
resistant, increasing their safety.
Stability balls offer a host of benefits
in functional training. For example,
they can support the body in cer-
tain positions that can’t normally
be maintained. They can also offer
a measured dose of instability to
training in order to facilitate greater
stability at various joints.
Stability balls have been used
in the past as benches for bench FIGURE 1.5 Stability balls.
presses and similar exercises. How-
ever, this application has lost some favor in recent years. The dominant ideol-
ogy is to use stable benches for heavy presses. Use stability balls for lighter,
unstable exercises such as push-ups and to provide supportive positioning for
crunches and wall slides. The most popular sizes in stability balls are 55 and 65
centimeters.

Kettlebells
Kettlebells (KB) (figure 1.6) have
become popular in the functional
training world. They can be used
the same way as dumbbells or for
more creative applications such as
swings. Their extra-thick handles
and unique center of mass present
a gripping challenge, and they
are popular with athletes looking
to improve wrist stability and
gripping strength. The kettlebell
culture has a mind–body style and FIGURE 1.6 Kettlebells.
influence, creating many exercises
not normally seen in the dumbbell world.
Kettlebell applications can range from strength exercises, such as the kettle-
bell overhead press, to metabolic protocols involving swings for long periods of
time (2-5 minutes). This wide strength and conditioning application makes the
kettlebell a worthwhile piece of equipment in your functional training toolbox.
Popular weights range from 8 to 16 kilograms.
 Functional Training Defined 11

Suspension Equipment
In the last decade, suspension equipment
(figure 1.7) has become popular in func-
tional training. Before the resurgence of
suspension systems, we needed an assort-
ment of equipment to perform the various
exercises that the new suspension systems
easily allow. For example, in the old days,
short ropes (1.5 in. [4 cm] thick and 10 ft
[3 m] long) were used for recline pulls
and stability balls were used for stretching
exercise such as the rollout.
Today’s suspension systems have stir-
rups and straps to secure the feet and allow
users to easily adjust the strap length. They
offer carabiners for easy attachment to bars
and other structures, as well as expanded
manuals and educational materials for
suggested use. Some suspension systems,
such as the Suspended Bodyweight Training FIGURE 1.7 Suspension equipment.
(SBT) System, have even created their own
certification and education systems for personal trainers to learn how to use them.

Adjustable Bench
By most standards, an adjust-
able bench (figure 1.8) is not
considered functional train-
ing equipment. However, I
include it here because func-
tional training does not exist
in a vacuum; it is best used in
conjunction with other training
methods, including hyper-
trophy and strength work.
Hypertrophy and strength
training are beneficial, and that
type of heavy training should
not be done on a stability ball
or other equipment not meant
for heavy-loading strength FIGURE 1.8 Adjustable bench.
applications. In addition, you
can use benches for many exercise progressions that fall within the functional
training realm.
The best bench is a heavy-duty one with an adjustable seat and backrest. All
pressing motions, such as shoulder presses or bench presses, can be performed
from a bench. Benches also can support exercises such as bent-over rows, weighted
hip lifts, and various forms of sit-ups and crunches. Regardless of how the bench
is used, it may be considered standard equipment in small studios, homes, or
other functional training areas.
12 Functional Training

Equipment for Travel

Getting good training on the road
has always been a challenge for
athletes, especially during in-sea-
son travel. Whether you are a judo
practitioner on the European tour,
a tennis player running through a
string of tournaments, or an athlete
traveling for any reason that takes
you away from home, traveling can
ruin your conditioning if you don’t
find a way to get your training
done. Of all the training equipment
available, there is only one type FIGURE 1.9 Adjustable bands.
that needs to be the athlete’s travel
partner—a good set of adjustable
bands (figure 1.9).
A JC Predator Jr. (figure 1.10) has
become my standard recommenda-
tion for the traveling athlete. I am
not suggesting that a set of bands
will take the place of the strength
training equipment you can find
in a well-equipped gym. However,
resistance is resistance, and when
you can’t get to other equipment,
the Predator Jr. can provide the FIGURE 1.10 JC Predator Jr. and bag.
right resistance to the right move-
ment, allowing you to get in the training that you would otherwise miss.
Bands travel easily because of their materials, size, and easy setup. They are
made of plastic and latex, which means they can quickly travel through any
security point and in carry-on luggage. The Predator is small enough to fit in the
pocket of a computer bag, so space is not an issue. Depending on the band model
and the exercise, the setup can vary. You can anchor the band to a doorframe or
simply step on the band to create resistance.
Sometimes no equipment is available when you’re traveling. In these rare cases,
turn to the landscape to provide equipment in the form of stairs, benches, high
bars, dip bars, sand, hills, and any other structure that can be used as a training
apparatus or additional resistance. The structures surrounding most hotels can
create a great training environment, from bodyweight training in your room to
stair exercises to training in sand.

Conclusion
This chapter has explained functional training and clarified some of the myths
surrounding it. It has also made equipment recommendations that highlight the
simplicity and economy of functional training. Functional training does not have
to be complex or expensive to be highly effective and cutting edge. With this
information, you are now ready to explore the foundations of functional training.
CHAPTER 2
Foundations of
Functional Training

When discussing functional training, defining function is a great place to start. In

its basic form, it is the action for which a person or thing is specially used or for
which a thing exists—its purpose. Therefore, functional can be defined as
• performing a function,
• performing a duty for which a person or thing is intended, or
• a characteristic action of anything—a duty, utility, or purpose.
To define functional training, we must first define the function or characteristic
action of the human body. In other words, what is the movement function of the
human body?

Four Pillars of Human Movement

Human movement can be classified into four categories: locomotion, level
changes, pushing and pulling, and rotation. These are the four pillars of human
movement. The four-pillar model organizes the basic movements all bodies
perform in everyday life. The model lends itself perfectly to sport in that each
pillar can be associated with major sport skills, or what I refer to as the Big Four
of sport: locomotion, level changes, throwing, and changes of direction. For the
most part, if a sport requires a person to stand on both feet, the Big Four dominate
the skills needed for participation in the sport. More details on the Big Four are
provided later in this chapter.

Locomotion
The first pillar of human movement is locomotion. As bipedal animals, locomotion
is our most basic biomotor skill. Everyone, especially locomotive-based athletes,
should therefore consider relating all training to the human gait cycle.
Two major characteristics of locomotion are single-leg stability and rotation.
Locomotion occurs one leg at a time, creating a structure that transfers forces

13
14 Functional Training

from the ground to the rest of the body. This is called the 7-frame, and it will be
discussed in more detail later in the chapter. Rotation is a major component of
locomotion that is necessary to cancel rotational force between the upper and
lower body, which maintains the body alignment and balance necessary for
efficient running.
Locomotion is the primary biomotor skill because it integrates all four pillars.
With each stride, the center of mass moves both horizontally and vertically (i.e.,
level changes—pillar 2). Locomotion involves the contralateral push-and-pull
movements of the upper body (i.e., pushing and pulling—pillar 3), which are
essential for canceling the rotational forces generated by the lower body. The
contralateral movement between the upper and lower body creates the rotational
component (i.e., rotation—pillar 4) of linear locomotion that is fundamental to
efficient forward movement. This integration is why there are four pillars and
why they are presented in this order.

Level Changes
The second pillar of human movement involves level changes in a person’s
center of mass. Level changes are characterized by movements of the trunk or
lower extremities or a combination of the two that lower or raise the center of
mass. These level changes are necessary for performing many nonlocomotive
tasks, such as picking up objects, getting into low positions, or getting up off the
floor. With the lower body, we can perform level changes by squatting, lunging,
or stepping up on or down off objects by simply flexing the ankles, knees, and
hips. Therefore, the primary method of lower-body force production is made
possible by the triple-extension mechanism involving the ankle, knee, and hip.
The trunk of the body can also help to vertically displace the center of mass by
flexing or extending the spine. Most of the time we use a combination of trunk
and lower-extremity flexion to perform functional level changes (e.g., low volley
in tennis, suplex in wrestling, scramble up after falling). Note that gravity, not
the flexor chain of the muscular system, is responsible for the descent of the
level change (i.e., total-body flexion). The extensor chain controls the speed and
degree of flexion in function, and thus level-change injuries usually occur in the
posterior structures of the body (e.g., Achilles tendon, hamstrings, lower back).

Pushing and Pulling

The third pillar of human movement is pushing and pulling. These movements
involve the upper body and can displace the combined center of mass. For simplic-
ity, we will consider a pull to be any movement that brings the elbows or hands
inward or toward the main line of the body. Pulling brings things close to us to
hold or carry, and it also occurs in the initial acceleration stage of throwing an
object. A push is any movement that brings the elbows or hands outward or away
from the main line of the body. Pushing involves activities such as pushing away
an opponent or pushing off the ground to get up after a fall, and it also occurs in
the latter part of throwing (i.e., late portion of acceleration and follow-through).
Pushing and pulling are also part of our reflex and biomechanical systems.
Our bodies are neurologically cross wired; a reflex causes one limb to flex as the
contralateral limb extends. This phenomenon can be seen in many explosive
actions, such as throwing, swimming, and running. For example, in sport skills
such as punching and throwing, the left elbow flexes as the right arm extends
 Foundations of Functional Training 15

and comes through to punch or to throw a ball. By creating short lever arms, the
body increases its rotational speed (much like a figure skater rotates faster as the
arms come in toward the main line of the body). In running, we can see this reflex
and matching lever arms between the upper and lower body. When the left arm
is behind the body with the elbow flexed (short lever arm), the right leg is also
up and flexed (short lever arm). Simultaneously, the right arm is more extended
while the left leg is more extended and pushing off the ground.

Rotation
The neural cross wiring just described leads us to the last and most important
pillar of human movement: rotation. This pillar is responsible for what replays in
sport are usually made out of—rotational power! It’s the most important pillar
because many physical movements in sport are explosive and involve the trans-
verse plane (i.e., the plane of movement where rotation takes place).
A quick look at the muscular system shows how heavily human movement
relies on rotation. In their 1970 book Kinesiology, Gene A. Logan and Wayne C.
McKinney describe the serape effect.1 The authors do a fantastic job explaining
how and why the body uses this muscular cross wiring to provide rotational
power. If you want to see the serape effect at work, stand in front of a mirror
wearing a loose T-shirt. Go through a throwing motion and freeze at the top of
the throw. Or, simply march in place. Watch how the shirt wrinkles. How do the
core muscles load up during throwing or running? Diagonally!
Pull out an anatomy book and look at the core musculature. You will see that
most of the core musculature is in a diagonal or horizontal orientation. Of the
major muscles in the core (i.e., major muscles attached to the trunk, above the
ischial tuberosity, and below the superior aspect of the sternum), almost 90 percent
are oriented either diagonally or horizontally and have rotation as one of their
major functions. Table 2.1 provides a rough organization of core muscles and
their basic orientation, which clearly illustrates the rotational nature of the body.

Big Four Sport Skills

The four most common movement categories—the Big Four—in sport are locomo-
tion, level changes, pushing and pulling (throwing, pushing away, and holding
objects), and rotation (changes of direction). They are at the heart of most ground-
based sports (i.e., sports performed from the standing position) and are almost
identical to the four pillars of human movement. The four pillars describe the
biomechanical functions of the body that no sport can violate; therefore, the Big
Four must mirror the four pillars. Bipedal (i.e., two-leg) locomotion will always
be the way we get from point A to point B. Level changes will always dictate the
loading mechanism for jumping, picking up objects, and getting into low athletic
positions. Pushing and pulling are natural movements that occur often. Table
2.2 shows the Big Four, their basic motions, and sport-specific activities that fall
into each category.

1
Logan, G., and W. McKinney. 1970. The serape effect. In Anatomical kinesiology, 3rd ed., ed. A. Lockhart, 287-
302. Dubuque, IA: Brown.
Another random document with
no related content on Scribd:
One of the delights of our wanderings is to stop at a strange post
office, and have a whole handful of letters respond to our call.
Chester responded very generously, for here the truant letters, which
were each time a little behind, and had been forwarded and
reforwarded, met the ever prompt ones and waited our arrival. A few
miles from Chester we found lovely maidenhair ferns by the
roadside, and were gathering and pressing them, when an old man,
in a long farm wagon, stopped and asked if we were picking
raspberries. We told him it was rather late for raspberries, but we
had found pretty ferns. To our surprise this interested him, and he
talked enthusiastically of ferns and flowers, saying he had one
hundred varieties in his garden, and asking if we ever saw a certain
agricultural journal which was a treasure-house of knowledge to him.
Still he was not a florist, but a vegetable gardener, and we learned
ever so much about the business, and for a while could talk glibly of
Angel of Midnight corn and Blue-eyed (?) pease and so on. He gave
quite a discourse, too, on the advantages of co-operation and
exchange of ideas. He told us how much he enjoyed a fair at the
New England Institute Building, and was interested to know that we
saw it when in flames. Our pleasant chat was brought to a sudden
stop, just as he was telling us of his ambitious daughter and other
family details, by other travelers, for whom we had to clear the road.
We spent a night pleasantly at Saxton’s River, and received the
courtesies of friends, then on through Bellows Falls and Keene
towards Monadnock. We wanted to go to the Mountain House for the
night, but it was several miles out of our way, and we were tired as
well as Charlie, with thirty miles’ driving in the heat, so contented
ourselves with recollections of two delightful visits there, and stopped
at Marlboro, five miles from Keene.
When we were packing up in the phaeton, the next morning, a lady
brought us three little bouquets, the third and largest for Charlie, we
fancy. It was a very pleasant attention to receive when among
strangers and gave us a good send-off for our last day’s drive. Forty
miles is a long drive at the end of a long journey, but Charlie seemed
fully equal to it, and all went well as we journeyed along the familiar
route through Troy, Fitzwilliam, Winchendon, Ashburnham and
Fitchburg. We dined at Winchendon and visited the friends in
Fitchburg from whom we have a standing invitation for our last tea
out. The five miles from Fitchburg to Leominster Charlie never
counts. He knows his own stall awaits him. Our last day, which
began so pleasantly with a floral testimony from a stranger, ended
with a night-blooming cereus reception in our own home.
“Did you take Summer Gleanings,” do I hear some friend ask? Oh
yes, we took it, but not one sketch did we add to it. The fever for
sketching ran high last year and spent itself, but every day of the
July pages is radiant with pressed flowers and ferns. One more trip
and the book will be full, “a thing of beauty,” which will be “a joy
forever.”
 CHAPTER VIII.
NARRAGANSETT PIER AND MANOMET POINT.
“Think on thy friends when thou haply seest
Some rare, noteworthy object in thy travels;
Wish them partakers of thy happiness.”
We thought of omitting our annual letter to the Transcript, believing
that vacations in everything are good; but, even before the journey
existed, except in mind, a report of it was assumed as a matter of
course, as the part belonging to our friends, who have not found
opportunity to travel in our gypsy fashion. Then, too, we remembered
the lines above, quoted by Andrew Carnegie, as we journeyed with
him in his “Four in Hand through Britain,” and still more delightful
“Round the World,” all in a hammock in those scorching July days,
without a touch of fatigue or sea-sickness. Even a carriage journey
on paper has some advantages, no dust, no discomfort of any kind;
but we prefer the real thing, and enjoyed it so much we will change
our mind and tell you a little about it. The places are all so familiar,
and so near the “Hub” of the universe, that when you get to the end
you may feel, as we did, as if you had not been anywhere after all.
We did, however, drive four hundred miles, and had a very delightful
time.
Before we really start, we must introduce to you the new member of
our party. With deep regret and many tender memories we tell you
we parted with our Charlie last spring, and a big, strong Jerry came
to take his place. A friend in cultured Boston said, “Why, how will
Jerry look in the Transcript?”
We did not go until September, and, like every one else, you may
wonder why we waited so late, when we have often started as soon
as the “crackers” were fired off. Well, Jerry had not become used to
our climate, although July was hot enough for any Southerner. Then
the company season came, and various things made it advisable to
wait until September. We were quite reconciled, because you know
all those “conjunctions” of the planets were to culminate in August,
and it seemed likely the world was to be turned upside down. We
thought it would be so much pleasanter to be swallowed up by the
same earthquake, or blown away by the same cyclone as our home
friends.
Jerry waxed in strength, the world still stood, the last summer guest
had departed, and on the afternoon of Sept. 8, we started for Stow.
“What on earth are you going there for?” and similar comments
reveal the impressions of our friends; but we knew why, and do not
mind telling you. We were going to Boston to begin our journey, and
we could not go beyond Stow that afternoon, without going farther
than we liked to drive Jerry the first day, for he is young and we were
determined to be very considerate of him. We knew we should be
comfortable at the little, weather-beaten hotel, and that Jerry would
have the best of care.
How lovely that afternoon drive! It was the day after those terrific
storms and gales, the final “conjunction,” probably, and there was an
untold charm in everything. As we drove leisurely along, gathering
flowers to press for “Summer Gleanings,” we thought of our friends
who were speeding their way back to New York just at the time when
the country is loveliest, and knew they were envying us. Still,
somehow it did not seem as if we were traveling, but only going to
drive as we had been doing all summer. Perhaps we missed the July
heat and dust!
“Still as Sunday” gives no idea of the quiet of Stow. It seemed as if
one might live forever there, and perhaps one could, if permitted, for
just as we were leaving the hotel for a little stroll, our landlady was
saying to some “patent medicine man,” “We don’t have any
rheumatism here, nobody ever dies, but when they get old they are
shot.”
We had not walked far before we came to a cemetery, and,
remembering the landlady’s remark, we went in to read the
inscriptions. No allusion was made to shooting, but if it was a familiar
custom the omission is not strange. We noted a few epitaphs which
interested us:
“When I pass by, with grief I see
My loving mate was taken from me.
Taken by him who hath a right
To call for me when he sees fit.”

“A wife so true there are but few,

And difficult to find,
A wife more just and true to trust,
There is not left behind.”

“A while these frail machines endure,

The fabric of a day,
Then know their vital powers no more,
But moulder back to clay.”
“Friends and physicians could not save

My mortal body from the grave.”

There were six stones in close proximity bearing these familiar lines
—
“Stop, traveler, as you pass by,
As you are now, so once was I.
As I am now, so you must be.
Prepare for death and follow me.”
All that night was lost, for we never woke once. Was it the stillness?
or was it that cosy, bright room, with its very simple, but effective,
“homey” touches? Be that as it may, we were fresh as the morning,
and ready to enjoy every mile of the drive to Boston, gladdening our
hearts with the sight of friends as we tarried now and then. We in
Boston and our Boston friends in the country was something new,
but a room at the B. Y. W. C. A. is next to home, and we heartily
recommend it to homeless ladies traveling as we were, or on
shopping expeditions. The night, with the unceasing din of the horse
cars, and the thousand and one noises peculiar to the city, was a
marvelous contrast to Stow, but in time we became adjusted to our
environments, and were lost in sleep.
How delightful to be in Boston, and know that there were only two
things in the whole city we wanted—a Buddhist catechism and a
horn hairpin. These procured, we went for Jerry and began the day,
which was to be devoted to making calls. We went spinning along
over the smoothly paved Columbus avenue on our way to the
Highlands, and rattled back on cobble-paved Shawmut avenue.
Dinner over, off we started for Allston, Somerville and Cambridge,
and as it was not yet five o’clock when we came back over the Mill-
dam, we could not resist turning off West Chester Park, and hunting
up some friends in Dorchester, returning in early evening. Jerry
seemed perfectly at home; perhaps he has been used to city life in
Kentucky. The day was long and full of pleasant things, but the diary
record was brief; for just this once we will confess we were tired.
Secured the catechism and hairpin, and oh! we forgot, a bit of
embroidery we got at Whitney’s, and mailed to a friend who asked us
to do so if we “happened to be near there,” drove eighteen miles and
made twelve calls, that was all.
During the day we decided to stay over Sunday, as a cousin we
wanted to see was coming. Jerry rested all day, and we did, except
the writing of many letters, dining with a friend, and attending service
at the only church we saw lighted on the Back Bay in the evening.
We thought of many things to do and places to go to, and wondered
how we should like to take a carriage journey and spend all the
nights in Boston. There would be no lack of pleasant driving, and if
we missed the variety in hotels, we could easily remedy that by
going from one to another. Boston would supply that need for a
while, and we are sure Jerry would be more than glad to find himself
at Nims’s in Mason street, day or night. But we had other things in
view for this journey, and, the cousin’s whereabouts being wrapped
in mystery, we left Boston early Monday morning.
Now, we will take you by transit, hardly excelled in rapidity by the
feats of occultism, to Narragansett Pier, and while you are taking
breath in our charming room in that vine-covered hotel at the
jumping-off place, with the surf rolling up almost under the windows,
we will just tell you a bit about the journey as we had it; driving all
day in the rain on Monday and enjoying it, making hasty doorstep
calls, spending the night at Lake Massapoag House in Sharon, and
on through the Attleboros to Pawtucket the next day, dining
Wednesday with friends in Providence, then on to East Greenwich
for the night. A drive of twenty-one miles Thursday morning, and we
are with you again at the Pier, where our first exclamation was, “Oh!
let’s stay here!” We like the mountains, but the ocean is quite
satisfying if we can have enough of it, and as our host said, here
there is nothing between us and Europe, Asia and Africa. We wrote
letters all the afternoon, with one eye on the surf, and the next
morning we drove to Point Judith, where we investigated the wrecks,
went to the top of the light-house, and were much interested in
hearing all about the work at the life-saving station. We took a long
walk, and visited the Casino in the afternoon.
We were still enthusiastic about the Pier, but the next morning was
so beautiful it seemed wise to enjoy it in Newport. The captain could
not take our horse across from the Pier, and we drove twelve miles
back to Wickford to take the ferryboat. It was quite cool, but with
warm wraps it was just right for a brisk drive. We had time for dinner
before going to the boat. The hour’s sail was very delightful, and at
half after two we were in Newport, with nothing to do but drive about
the city until dark. We saw all there was to be seen, even to the
hydrangea star described in the Transcript by “M. H.” We did not
know which was Vanderbilt’s and which Oak Glen, but that mattered
little to us, for to all intents and purposes they all belonged to us that
bright afternoon, and are still ours in memory. We fell into the grand
procession of fine turnouts on the prescribed ocean drive, but the
people generally did not look as if they were having a good time.
They had a sort of “prescribed” look, except one young lady we met
several times, perched in a high cart, with a bright-looking pug for
company; she really looked as if she was enjoying herself.
The charm of Newport fled when we were inside the hotel. The
fountain in the park below our window was very pretty, but it could
not compete with our ocean view at the Pier, and we had to sit on the
footboard of the bed, too, in order to see to read by the aspiring
gaslight.
We walked around the Old Mill and went into the Channing Church
and then left Newport for Fall River. There we called on several
friends, then inquired for some place to spend a night, on our way to
Plymouth, and were directed to Assonet. We had never heard of
Assonet before, but we did not mind our ignorance when the widow,
who “puts up” people, told us the school committee man where her
daughter had gone to teach had never heard of it. Our good woman
thought at first she could not take us, as she had been washing and
was tired, but as there was no other place for us to go, she
consented. When she saw our books, she asked if we were traveling
for business or pleasure, and as F—— drove off to the stable she
remarked on her ability; she thought a woman was pretty smart if
she could “turn round.” We had a very cosy time. People who always
plan to have a first-class hotel lose many of the novel experiences
which make a pleasant variety in a journey It is interesting
occasionally to hear the family particulars and be introduced to the
pet dogs and cats, and walk round the kitchen and backyard, where
the sunflowers and hollyhocks grow from old-time habit, and not
because of a fashion.
The Samoset House at Plymouth seemed all the more luxurious
after the modest comforts at Assonet. We “did” Plymouth once more,
this time taking in the new monument, and having plenty of time, we
drove down to Manomet Point for a night. The Point is quite a resort
for artists, but as we have given up sketching, we did not delay
there, but returned to Plymouth and on to Duxbury. We did not ask
Jerry to travel the extra miles off the main route to take in Brant Rock
and Daniel Webster’s old home, as this was our second drive in this
vicinity, and rather than drive two miles to a hotel possibly open, we
took up with the chances near by. We found oats at a grocery store,
but it was too cold to camp; indeed, we did not have one of our
wayside camps during the entire journey. There was no hotel, no
stable, no “put-up” place or available barn, but the grocer,
appreciating our dilemma, said he could easily clear a stall back of
his store, and while he was helping us unharness, we saw a large
house perched on a high bluff not far away. Although it was a private
boarding-house we made bold to cross the fields, mount the many
flights of steps and ask for dinner, which was willingly granted.
You will surmise we are bound for Boston again, and will not be
surprised to find us with friends on the Jerusalem Road, after
enjoying the beauties of this road from Cohasset to Hingham, where
we went for a handful of letters only equalled by that parcel at
Providence.
Oh, how cold it was the next day! The thought of Nantasket Beach
made us shiver, and preferring to think of it as in “other days,” we
turned our faces inland and drove a pretty back way to South
Hingham. Of course we could have driven right into Boston, but it
was Saturday, and we thought we would have a quiet Sunday
somewhere and go into the city Monday. After protracted
consultation we agreed on a place, but when we got there there was
no room for us, as a minstrel troupe had taken possession. Hotels
four, eight and nine miles distant were suggested. In consideration of
Jerry we chose the four miles’ drive. We will not tell you the name of
the town, suffice it to say we left immediately after breakfast. It was a
beautiful morning—far too lovely to be spoiled by uncongenial
surroundings. We intended to drive to the next town, where we had
been told there was a hotel. We found none, however, but were
assured there was one in the next. So we went on, like one in pursuit
of the end of the rainbow, until the last man said he thought there
was no hotel nearer than the Norfolk House!
Here we were almost in Boston, Sunday, after all the miles we had
driven to avoid it. “All’s well that ends well,” however, and a little visit
with the “Shaybacks” at home, not “in camp,” could not have been on
Monday, and before we reached the Norfolk House we were taken
possession of for the night by a whole household of hospitable
friends.
Monday morning we drove into the city proper, and hovered in its
vicinity several days, calling on friends we did not see before and
driving here and there, among other places to Middlesex Fells, so
often spoken of. We ended our journey as we began it, searching for
our clerical cousin, but all in vain. We did see so many of our friends
of the profession, however, from first to last, that privately we call it
our “ministerial” journey.
Everything must have an end, but we did wish we could go right on
for another month. The foliage was gorgeous and the yellowish haze
only made everything more dreamy and fascinating. We prolonged
our pleasure by taking two days to drive home, straying a little from
the old turnpike, and driving through Weston, spending the night in
Framingham, and then on through Southboro to Northboro, Clinton
and Lancaster to Leominster. The country was beautiful in contrast
with flat, sandy Rhode Island. We gathered leaves and sumacs until
our writing tablet and every available book and newspaper was
packed, and then we put a great mass of sumacs in the “boot.”
Finally our enthusiasm over the beauties along the way reached
such a height that we spread our map and traced out a glorious trip
among the New Hampshire hills, and home over the Green
Mountains, for next year.
“Summer Gleanings” is now complete, and the last pages are fairly
aglow with the autumn souvenirs of our sixteenth annual drive.
 CHAPTER IX.
BOSTON, WHITE MOUNTAINS AND VERMONT.—A SIX
HUNDRED MILE DRIVE.
In self-defence we must tell you something of our seventeenth
annual “drive,” for no one will believe we could have had a good
time, “on account of the weather;” and really it was one of our finest
trips. We regret the sympathy, and pity even, that was wasted on us,
and rejoice that now and then one declared, “Well, I will not worry
about them, for somehow they always do have a good time, if it does
rain.”
If two friends, with a comfortable phaeton and a good horse,
exploring the country at will, gladly welcomed and served at hotels
hungry for guests, with not a care beyond writing to one’s friends,
and free to read to one’s heart’s content, cannot have a good time,
whatever the weather may be, what hope is there for them?
Why has no one ever written up the bright side of dull weather? The
sun gets all the glory, and yet the moment he sends down his
longed-for smiles, even after days of rain, over go the people to the
other side of the car, the brakeman rushes to draw your shutter, the
blinds in the parlor are closed, and the winking, blinking travelers on
the highway sigh, “Oh, dear, that sun is blinding,” and look eagerly
for a cloud. Then, if the sun does shine many days without rain, just
think of the discomfort and the perpetual fretting. Clouds of dust
choke you, everything looks dry and worthless, the little brooks are
moping along, or there is only a dry stony path that tells they once
lived, and the roadsides look like dusty millers. Now, fancy a drive
without the sunshine to blind your eyes, no dust (surely not, when
the mud fairly clogs the wheels), every tree and shrub glistening and
all the little mountain streams awakened to life and tearing along,
crossing and recrossing your path like playful children; indeed, all
Nature’s face looking like that of a beautiful child just washed. Really,
there is no comparison.
Perhaps you are thinking that is a dull day drive. Now, how about a
drive when it pours. Oh, that is lovely—so cosy! A waterproof and
veil protect you, and the boot covers up all the bags and traps, and
there is a real fascination in splashing recklessly through the mud,
knowing you have only to say the word and you will come out spick
and span in the morning.
We have purposely put all the weather in one spot, like “Lord”
Timothy Dexter’s punctuation marks, and now you can sprinkle it in
according to your recollection of the September days, and go on with
us, ignoring the rain, as we did, excepting casual comments.
Our journey was the fulfilment of the longing we felt for the
mountains, when we were driving home from our Narragansett Pier
and Newport trip one year ago. Perhaps you remember those hazy,
soft-tinted days, the very last of September. The air was like
summer, as we drove along through Framingham to Southboro,
gathering those gorgeous sumacs by the wayside, and wishing we
could go straight north for two weeks.
The morning of Sept. 6th, 1888, was very bright, just the morning to
start “straight north,” but with our usual aversion to direct routes we
turned our faces towards Boston. We could not stop at Stow this
time, for the old hotel, where we slept so sweetly our first night one
year ago, is gone, and only ashes mark the spot. Waltham had a
place for us, however. A cold wave came on during the night, and we
shivered all the way from Waltham to Hull, except when we were
near the warm hearts of our friends on the way.
The ocean looked cold, but nothing could mar that quiet drive of five
miles on Nantasket Beach just before sunset. We were lifted far
above physical conditions. We were just in season to join in the last
supper at The Pemberton, and share in the closing up. We were
about the last of the lingering guests to take leave in the morning,
after dreaming of driving through snowdrifts ten feet deep, and
wondering if we should enjoy the mountains as well as we had
fancied. The weather, however, changed greatly before noon, and it
was very sultry by the time we reached Boston. Prudence prompted
us, nevertheless, to add to our outfit, against another cold wave. We
found all we wanted except wristers. Asking for them that sultry
afternoon produced such an effect that we casually remarked, to
prove our sanity, that we did not wish them to wear that day.
Night found us at Lexington, pleading for shelter at the
Massachusetts House. Darkness, rain and importunity touched the
heart of the proprietor, and he took us into the great hall, which
serves for parlor as well, saying all the time he did not know what he
should do with us. We wanted to stay there, because we do not often
have a chance to stay in a house that has traveled. The signs are
over the doors just as when it stood on the Centennial grounds, and
many things seem quite natural, although we did not chance to be
among the distinguished guests entertained under its roof when in
Philadelphia.
Our stay there was made very pleasant by a lady who gave us
interesting accounts of her journeys by carriage with “Gail Hamilton”
and her sister.
Here ended our one hundred miles preliminary, and bright and early
Monday morning we were off for the mountains. The day was just
right for a wayside camp, and just at the right time we came to a
pretty pine grove, with seats under the trees. We asked a bright
young woman in the yard opposite if we could camp there, and were
given full liberty. She said Jerry might as well be put into the barn,
then helped unharness and gave him some hay. Jerry was happy.
He does not have hay—which is his “soup,” I suppose—when he
camps. We went to the grove with our little pail filled with delicious
milk, and a comfortable seat supplied by our hospitable hostess.
When we went to pay our bill, everything was refused but our thanks.
We said then, “If you ever come to Leominster you must let us do
something for you.”
“Oh, do you live in Leominster? Do you know ——?”
“Oh, yes, she is in our Sunday-school class.”
This is only one of the many pleasant incidents of our wanderings.
We spent that night at Haverhill and had one more camp, our last for
the trip, this time on the warm side of a deserted barn.
Two and a half days’ driving up hill and down to Dover, and over a
good road through Rochester and Farmington, brought us to Alton
Bay, where we all went on board the Mt. Washington for the sail of
thirty miles to Centre Harbor. Jerry was tied in the bow, and as we
got under way the wind was so strong we should have had to wrap
him up in our shawls and waterproofs if the captain had not invited
him inside. We braved it on deck, for Lake Winnipiseogee is too
pretty to lose.
We “did” Centre Harbor some years ago, so drove on directly we
landed. At Moultonboro we stopped to make some inquiries, and
while waiting, the clouds grew very mysterious, looking as if a
cyclone or something was at hand, and we decided to spend the
night there. The people were looking anxiously at the angry sky; and
the Cleveland flag was hastily taken down; but no sooner were we
and the flag under cover than the sun came out bright, dispelling the
blackness. We wished we had gone on as we intended, and looked
enviously on the Harrison flag, which waved triumphantly, not afraid
of a little cloud.
We saw a large trunk by the roadside as we drove through the
woods next morning. We gave all sorts of explanations for a good-
looking trunk being left in such an out-of-the-way place, but, not
being “reporters,” we did not “investigate” or “interview,” but
dismissed the matter with, “Why, probably it was left there for the
stage.” We do not feel quite satisfied yet, for why any one should
carry a trunk half a mile to take a stage when we had no reason to
think there was any stage to take, is still a mystery.
We got all over our disappointment at stopping early for the cloud,
for the drive, which was so lovely that bright morning, would have
been cold and cheerless the night before. It seemed as if we went on
all sides of Chocorua, with its white peak and pretty lake at the base.
Why has somebody said—
“Tired Chocorua, looking down wistfully into
 A land in which it seemed always afternoon.”

One might spend a whole summer amid the charming surroundings

of North Conway, but we had only a night to spare. There were many
transient people about, as is usual in the autumn. The summer
guests had departed, and now some of the stayers-at-home were
having a respite. We wished all the tired people could try the
experience of an old lady there, who said she “could not make it
seem right to be just going to her meals and doing nothing about it.”
Oh, how lovely that morning at North Conway! This was the day we
were to drive up Crawford Notch; and what about all the prophecies
of our seashore friends? Where were the snowdrifts we dreamed of?
The air was so soft we put aside all wraps, and, as we leisurely
drove along the bright, woodsy road, I wonder how many times we
exclaimed, “This is heavenly!” We fairly drank in the sunshine, and
fortunately, for it was the last we had for a full week.
We dined at the hotel in Bartlett, and strolled about the railway
station near by, so tempting to travelers, having a pretty waiting-
room like a summer parlor, with its straw matting and wicker
furniture. We took our time so leisurely that we found we could not
get to the Crawford House in season to walk up Mt. Willard, as we
had planned, so stopped at the old Willey House, this side. It was
quite too lovely to stay indoors, and, after we had taken possession
of the house, being the only guests, we took the horn our landlady
used to call the man to take care of Jerry, and went down the road to
try the echo, as she directed us. It was very distinct, and after we got
used to making such a big noise in the presence of those majestic
mountains, we rather liked it. We gathered a few tiny ferns for our
diaries, and took quite a walk towards the Notch, then came “home,”
for so it seemed. We had chosen a corner room in full view of Mt.
Webster, Willey Mountain, and the road over which we had driven,
and where the moon would shine in at night, and the sun ought to
look in upon us in the morning. The moon was faithful, but the sun
forgot us and the mountains were veiled in mists.
Will there ever be another Sunday so long, and that we could wish
many times longer? We had the warm parlor to ourselves and just
reveled in a feast of reading, watching the fluffy bits of mist playing
about Mt. Webster, between the lines. Just fancy reading “Robert
Elsmere” four hours on a stretch, without fatigue, so peaceful was it
away from the world among the mountains. After dinner we drove to
the Crawford to mail a letter and back to the Willey, having enjoyed
once more in the short one hour and a half one of the grandest
points of the whole mountain region, the White Mountain Notch. We
were now fresh for another long session with Robert and Catherine.
It was raining again, and steadily increased through the night until it
seemed as if there would not be a bridge left of the many we had
crossed the day before.
We were interested in the fate of the little bridges, for we were to
retrace our steps, seventeen or eighteen miles, to Glen station. We
had driven up through the Notch because—we wanted to; and we
were going back all this distance because we wanted to go on the
Glen side of the mountains; for with all our driving, we had never
been there. What a change from the drive up on Saturday! How
lively the streams; and the little cascades were almost endless in
number.
The foliage looked brighter, too. The roads were washed, but the
bridges all stood. We dined once more at Bartlett, then on to
Jackson via Glen Station. We had not thought of Jackson as so
cosily tucked in among the mountains.
Again we were the only guests at the hotel, and the stillness here
was so overpowering, that it required more courage to speak above
a whisper in the great empty dining-room than it did to “toot” the horn
in Willey Notch.
We usually order our horse at nine, but when it pours, as it did at
Jackson, we frequently dine early and take the whole drive in the
afternoon. These rainy stop-overs are among the pleasant features
of our journeys. Who cannot appreciate a long morning to read or
write, with conscience clear, however busy people may be about
you, having literally “nothing else to do”? It does not seem to trouble
us as it did the old lady at North Conway. It was cool in our room,
and we took our books down stairs, casually remarking to the clerk,
who apparently had nothing to do but wait upon us, that we had
been looking for the cheery open fire we saw in the reception room
the evening before. He took our modest hint, and very soon came to
the parlor, saying we would find it more comfortable in the other
room, where there was a fire.
Early in the afternoon we were off, full of anticipation of a new drive,
and by many the drive from Jackson to Gorham through Pinkham
Notch and by the Glen House is considered the finest of all. The
foliage was certainly the brightest and the mud the deepest of the
whole trip, and we enjoyed every inch of the twenty miles. We fully
absorbed all the beauty of the misty phases of the mountains, and
did not reject anything, thinking instead how we would some time
reverse things and drive from Gorham to Jackson on a pleasant day.
Another famed drive is the one from Gorham to Jefferson. Part of
this was new to us, too, and we must confess that the “misty phases”
were too much for our pleasure that time. Not a glimpse of the peaks
of the Presidential range was to be had all that morning. Even the
Randolph Hills were partly shrouded in mists. We dined at
Crawford’s at Jefferson Highlands, and one of the guests said Mr.
Crawford had promised a clear sunset, but what his promise was
based on we could not imagine.
It does not seem as if anything could entirely spoil the drive from the
Highlands to the Waumbek at Jefferson, and from Jefferson to
Lancaster the views are wonderfully beautiful. The clouds relented a
little as we slowly climbed the hills, and just as we reached the
highest point we turned back once more for a last look at the entire
White Mountain range, and we had a glimpse of the peak of Mt.
Washington for the first time since the morning we left North
Conway.
A moment more, and the Summit House glistened in sunlight, a stray
ray from behind a cloud. As we began to descend, what a change of
scene! Sun-glinted Washington was out of sight behind the hill, and
before us were threatening clouds, black as midnight, and the
mountains of northern New Hampshire looked almost purple. The
sky foreboded a tempest rather than Mr. Crawford’s promised
sunset, but while we were thinking of it there was a marvelous
change. Color mingled with the blackness, and as we were going
down the last steep hill into Lancaster, there was one of the most
gorgeous sunset views we ever witnessed. We drove slowly through
the broad, level streets to the outer limit of the town, and then turned
back, but did not go to the hotel until his majesty dropped in full glory
below the horizon.
The sun set that night for the rest of the week, and the clouds were
on hand again in the morning. We went to Lancaster just for a look
towards Dixville, but we made this our turning-point. The drive to
Whitefield is very like the one just described, only reversed. There
were no sun-glints this time, but memory could furnish all the clouds
refused to reveal, for that ride was indelibly photographed on our
minds.
From Whitefield we drove to Franconia, and as we went through
Bethlehem street we thought it seemed pleasanter than ever before.
The gray shades were becoming, somehow.
Having driven through Franconia Notch five times and seen the
“boulder” before and after its fall, we did not fret about what the
weather might be this time. We had been through in rain and
sunshine, in perfect, gray, and yellow days, and never failed to find it
charming. This time it poured in torrents. We dined at the Flume
House, and watched those who were “doing” the Notch for the first
time, and almost envied them as they gayly donned their waterproofs
and were off for the Pool and Flume. One party declared they had
laughed more than if it had been pleasant, and all in spite of that
ruined Derby, too, which the gentleman of the party said he had just
got new in Boston, and intended to wear all winter. They had passed
us in the Notch in an open wagon, with the rain pelting their heads.
The drive to Campton that afternoon was one of those “cosy” drives.
It never rained faster, and the roads were like rivers. Memory was
busy, for it is one of the loveliest drives in the mountains. It was dark
when we reached Sanborn’s, at West Campton, but it is always
cheery there, and the house looked as lively as in summer.
One might think we had had enough of mountains and mists by this
time, but we were not yet satisfied, and having plenty of time, we
turned north again, just before reaching Plymouth, with Moosilauke
and the Green Mountains in mind. A happy thought prompted us to
ask for dinner at Daisy Cottage in Quincy, and unexpectedly we met
there one of the party who braved Franconia Notch in winter a few
years ago, and who told the tale of their joys and sorrows in the
Transcript. We mailed our cards to the friends whose house was
closed, and then on to Warren, near Moosilauke. We experienced
just a shade of depression here, perhaps because the hotel, which
had been full of guests all summer, was now empty and cold, or
possibly the sunshine we absorbed at North Conway—“canned”
sunshine, Mr. Shayback calls it—was giving out. Be that as it may,
our enthusiasm was not up to the point of climbing a mountain to see
what we had seen for eight successive days,—peaks shrouded in
white clouds. The sun did shine in the early morning; but it takes
time to clear the mountains, and the wind blew such a gale we
actually feared we might be blown off the “ridge” on Moosilauke if we
did go up. We waited and watched the weather, finished “Robert
Elsmere,” and began for a second reading, and after dinner gave up
the ascent. By night we were reconciled, for we had the most
charming drive of twenty miles to Bradford, Vt., crossing the
Connecticut at Haverhill, and saying good-by to New Hampshire and
its misty mountains.
A new kind of weather was on hand next morning, strangely like that
we have become accustomed to, but not so hopeless.
These dense fogs along the Connecticut in September are the
salvation of vegetation from frosts, we were told, but they are fatal to
views. We drove above and away from the fog, however, on our way
over the hills to West Fairlee, but it rested in the valley until nearly
noon. It was encouraging to learn that fair weather always followed.
A “bridge up” sent us a little way round, but we reached West Fairlee
just at dinner time, and while Jerry was at the blacksmith’s we
strolled about the village with friends. The afternoon drive to Norwich
on the Connecticut—a pretty, old university town—was very
pleasant. We were directed to the hotel, but when a lady answered
the door bell, we thought we must have made a mistake, and were
asking hospitality at a private mansion. There was no sign; the yard
was full of flowers, and the big square parlor, with the fire crackling
under the high old mantel, the fan-decorated music-room through the
portieres—everything, in fact, betokened a home. And such in truth it
was, only, having been a hotel, transients were still accommodated
there, as there was no other place in Norwich. When the very gallant
colored boy ushered us into a room the size of the parlor below, with
all the homey touches, we felt really like company. The delicious
supper, well served from the daintiest of dishes, confirmed the
company feeling.
We started out in the densest of fogs from our luxurious quarters in
Norwich, but soon left it behind, and the drive along White River was
very lovely. We had to dine at a “putting-up” place, with another
fellow-traveler, in a kitchen alive with flies; and at Bridgewater, where
we went for the night, we were received by a woman with mop and
pail in hand—a little “come down” after our fine appointments. We
must not forget our pleasant hour in Woodstock that afternoon. We
drove through its pretty streets, called on friends, and took a look at
the fair grounds, for everybody was “going to the fair.”
Fine appointments are not essential to comfort, and when we were
all fixed in our little room, with a good book, waiting once more for it
to simply rain, not pour, we were just as happy as at Norwich. After
dinner we challenged the weather, and set forth for Ludlow. We
overtook the little Italian pedler, with what looked like a feather bed
on his back, who had sat at table with us, and was now ploughing his
way through the mud. His face was wreathed in the most
extravagant smiles in response to our greeting. The rain had spent
itself, and we enjoyed walking down the mountain as we went
through Plymouth. It seemed an unusual mountain, for there was no
“up” to it, but the “down” was decidedly perceptible.
Ludlow was as homelike as ever, and the Notch drive on the way to
Chester as interesting. The foliage, usually so brilliant at that season,