Alex Logan Mace, known as Snow, was the manager of the Stratford Mountain House along with his wife Lorna. They managed the iconic property between 1959 and 1983. Snow hired out equipment such as this axe for his guests who wished to give climbing to the summit of Mount Taranaki a go. Snow kept track of the success of his guests - along the handle of the axe are 31 notches cut into the wood, marking trips the axe went on which successfully reached the summit of the mounga.