CONCORD, N.H.—Two decades after New Hampshire’s famous Old Man of the Mountain crumbled to pieces, the state is paying tribute to the granite profile that symbolizes its independence with new geological research, poetry, a song, and a scavenger hunt.
The 40-foot-tall (12-meter-tall) natural rock formation—a series of ledges that resembled an old man’s facial profile—was suspended 1,200 feet (366 meters) above Franconia Notch, held in place by turnbuckles and rods to fight erosion. It collapsed, and the rubble was discovered the morning of May 3, 2003.
“When he was up there, he represented a kind of reliantly steady, reassuring presence in a world that was otherwise changing really rapidly,” said Brian Fowler, a geologist and president of the Old Man of the Mountain Legacy Fund that led an online tribute Wednesday, with shared stories, poetry, and a new song. His departure was a stunning and shocking event, Fowler said….