Dispatches from Overlook Mountain Vol. 1
Junior, Tiny Tim And The Titanic
A recent hike up to Overlook Mountain Fire Tower in Woodstock, NY, provided fodder for a whole string of stories - honestly it was one of the most adventurous hikes that I can recall in a long time. So, in an effort to give that all to you in bite-sized pieces, this week we’re presenting a series we’re calling Dispatches From Overlook Mountain. I hope you enjoy!
Part 1 - Junior, Tiny Tim and the Titanic
He never tells me his name, but I’m certain it’s Frank, or Ray, but I’d wager everyone calls him Junior.
We meet up on the trail, near the summit of Overlook Mountain in the Catskills, right at the long, strange section that runs straight through the ruins of the old Overlook Hotel. The concrete walls and foundation are what’s left of the ill-fated resort hotel, and I’ll write about that tomorrow.
For now, Junior, who is hiking with his wife and says he’s from Southern Connecticut, is carrying a hand-made walking stick (or maybe he found on on the ground), jeans and holding a plastic water bottle.
He’s peppering me with questions as he assumes I’m from around here, though admittedly I do know a lot about this mountain.
“What the heck was this,” he asks.
“Old resort from the 1920s,” I say. “Called the Overlook Hotel.”
“Ohhhh, we all know what that means don’t we? Heeeeeere’s Johnny!” he bellows. His wife smiles.
I laugh. A few hikers passing by give him a wide berth. Then he rips into a story about Tiny Tim.
“This reminds me, where we live, Tiny Tim has this mansion, at least everybody called it a mansion, but one day I went over to look at it and you know what, it was nice but I wouldn’t call it a mansion,” he says.
I don’t know how to respond so I nod.
“But back then, in the 70s or whatever, it was huge and grand, you know? Like the Titanic…”
He just brings up the Titanic in a speech about Tiny Tim like it’s nothing and now he pretty much has me. Is Junior a motivational speaker? What’s happening here?
He continues. “My wife and I, we went on one of those Disney cruises and my God the ship was so huge. You could fit a Titanic right into the cruise ship and have room left over. But back then, the Titanic was it, it was the biggest and grandest, nothing else like it.”
Now I see where he’s going. “Like Tiny Tim’s mansion that wasn’t much of a mansion.”
“Right,” he says. “Just like this…” He waves his hand out over the ruins. “Think what this must have been when it was built. Wow! But compared to resorts of today, well, just another building.”
“Makes you think,” I offer.
“Sure does.”
We stand and look at the not-so-huge-anymore ruins for a few moments. Junior’s wife has already moved up the trail. He sighs, do I detect melancholy?
“Anyway, gotta keep things in perspective, right? Whoops, wife has moved on, I gotta go. See ya at the top.”
“You will for sure,” I say. “See you up there.”
Junior moves on leaving me to contemplate the smallness of everyday life, and Tiny Tim, and the Titanic. The ghosts of the Overlook shrug and go about their business.
Tomorrow: The Ghosts of the Overlook