Preserving a Fragile Formation

As early as 1876, observers warned that the rocks of the Profile were shifting and slipping, and scientists predicted that the formation would one day collapse. Many specialists and volunteers worked to prolong the lifespan of the state's official emblem. In the summer of 1958, a major state-sponsored effort to stabilize the Old Man included the addition of four large steel rods and turnbuckles. The largest rod, weighing 700 pounds and measuring 21 feet long, came down with the collapse of the Old Man in 2003 and was retrieved by helicopter from the rubble beneath the cliff in October 2010. The only other artifact recovered is a smaller end section of a similar rod, while the remaining end of this rod and parts of three other large rods are still imbedded in the cliff above.

Franconia, New Hampshire · United States