2024 Elmira College Mountain Day at Quarry Farm
Dean Anstice Harris instituted the Mountain Day tradition at Elmira College in October 1918. The day is not a designated holiday, but rather a day in which classes are cancelled, allowing students, faculty, and staff to engage with each other in memorable and less formal ways.
In early years, students, faculty, and staff enjoyed a picnic lunch and hiked to Quarry Farm and the Mark Twain Study on East Hill. They also participated in games, planting projects, relaxing, and enjoying the colorful foliage. In recent years, Mountain Day has been more campus-oriented. After a number of morning activities, a picnic lunch is served to the entire campus community, and the remainder of the day is spent enjoying the fall weather, games, and outdoor events.
Early this morning, Dr. Charles Lindsay, the President of Elmira College, declared Mountain Day. Elmira College continued the Mountain Day Tradition by running and hiking up the steep climb of East Hill. Mark Twain famously made the same trek while resding at Quarry Farm. Whether it was in the 19th century, or the 21st, the climb up the East Hill is not an easy one. While the Mark Twain Study is now located on the Elmira College campus, the students, faculty, and staff made the trek and had the opportunity to relax on the Quarry Farm Porch and enjoy the view of the Chemung River Valley.
A sincere thank you to New York Sport and Fitness for sponsoring Mountain Day at Quarry Farm this year. NYSF graciously provided the official CMTS T-shirt for 2024 Mountain Day. Thank you!
