I thought this might be useful for new people coming in. Where the name “Mountaineers” originated.
Back in the mid-90s, when the Mountaineers formed the first organized forum online to discuss the LC (Lost Collection), someone shared a hand-written occult pamphlet they’d found in an estate sale called Monarch’s Mountain. It detailed a secret society of the same name that was dedicated to the collection and preservation of “lost” artifacts and literature. The pamphlet claimed questionable things like Monarch’s Mountain saved the contents of the Library of Alexandria before it burned and that Atlantis was a galactic library. People looking for the Ackerly Green books back then liked the idea of a secret society dedicated to lost books, so they started calling themselves Mountaineers.
This is only an observation of coincidence. Due to the recent connections we’ve been making to butterflies and symmetry to the Green family and Deidra in particular, how did you come about the name Basecamp 33? Is it because of this connections to butterflies? 33 when turned over creates two M’s which, I’ll move to assume, could stand for Monarch’s Mountain. Then Basecamp could insinuate that we’re at camp at the base of the mountain—Basecamp 33 meaning “Basecamp at Monarch’s Mountain.” When talking about “Monarch” I’m referring to the breed of butterfly, to be clear.Now, does this mean something? Is this something we should already know? Is this purely coincidental? Thanks and I’m looking forward to your thoughts!
Hi Cameron, all good questions! Back in the 90s when the Mountaineers were founded, the name came from a handwritten pamphlet that had been circulating around lit-wonk groups. (Ascender was there, and could shine more light, but he’s not usually one to regale others with tales of his past.) The pamphlet was an account of someone who had been admitted into a secret society called Monarch’s Mountain, that was dedicated to the collection and preservation of rare objects and pieces of literature. Like the first Mounties and the Lost Collection. As for the butterfly connection, well not only were they a major icon of MM, but if you do a little search for monarch butterflies, their migrations, and specifically their relationship with a certain mountain, I’m sure you’ll find some interesting material. They’ve become a sort of totem for the Mountaineers over the years. And the fact that Deidre (DG) has butterfly iconography on her site, well that lends credence to the idea that this is all connected and moving toward something larger.
Not sure if this is the mountain you are referring to, but this article (of dubious veracity) talks about an ancient mountain that supposedly stood where Lake Superior is now. Apparently Monarch butterflies migrate around that spot and one of the theories is that the location of that mountain obstacle has been passed down in their genes. An ancient mountain that no longer exists but is remembered? I can see a connection there.
That’s the one, Andy. Which, to some, lends credence to the theory that the Monarch’s Mountain society also believed our world changed, if that’s indeed where they got their name. What makes it so fascinating is that we assume time changed during the publication of the Lost Collection in the 50s-60s but Monarch’s Mountain was supposedly a centuries-old organization. I personally think they’re mostly myth but interesting nonetheless. Nice digging, Andy!
Could the mountain have been erased from memory and sight by magic?