Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1845-12-05
THE HI0HEST PEAK OF THEK 0EKY'
MOUNTAINS.

MOUNTAINS.
! The following spirited sketch, Of ii
Il ascent. Of Ca p. F Ienfol and few Of b
conpanions 10 the highest peak of ii
Rocky flouaGaiffs. is an ex.raet trom. I'll
gallant explorers journal ~. -
Having tsi,ested ourselves of every ur
necessary eneumbrsnce, We commence
the ascent. This lime, like experience
travellers. we did no.spres. ourselves, Blu
climbed Ieisurely, sitting down SO sconsa
we found our breath beginning to fail. A
intervals We reached places where a, mum
Der Of springs gushed from the rocks. aiii
about 1900 feet above the lake. came I,
the snow line. From this poin. our pro
gress was uninterrupted in climbing
Hitherto had worn apair Of thick. moe
casins, VITA soIes Of pas,aeche, but here
put on Thin. light pair. which ] bad
bought for the purpose. as now the use o.
our toes became necessary to further .ad.
vasce. / avsiled myself Of sor. of comb
Of the monniais. which stood against the
wall like a buttress, md which The wind
and the solar tradition, joined to the smoo,I,
rock, had kept almost entirely free from
snow. Up This made my&wsy rapidly.
Our cautious method of proceediaa inshe
outset had spared my strength. and with
the exception Of slight disposition to head
ache, felt no remains of yesterdays i'll.
ness. In few minutes we. reached a
point where the buttress was overhanging.
and there was noo,her way ofsurmoun,inp'
the difficulty than by passing around one
side Of 1t, which was the face Of vertical
precipice Of several hundred feet.
Putting hands and fee, into The creyices,
between the rocks, succeeded in getting
over it, and, when reached the top found
my companions III small valley below.
Descending to them we continued climb
ng and in short time reached the cres,,
sPrang upon the summit. and another
''ep would have precip,a,ed me iato an
immense snow field, fse hnndred feet be. |
ow. TO the edge Of this field was a cheer
cy prec'p'ce, and then with aagradual fall
he field sIoped off for abou a mile until.
struck the foo. of another lower RIDGE
s'ood on narrow crest, about three fee,
. width with an inclination of 20 deg.
ORTIZ, and 81 deg. east As soon as 1 had
ratified the first feelings Of curiosity. | de.
cended. and eachsman assembled i'm his re-.
I'm; for I.would allow only one .. a time
mount the unstable and precariou. slab
Inch 1t seemed 40 if br ath would hurlL
ITO the abyss below. We mounted the Il
the snow of the summet, and t
King rainrod in a crevice, unfurled The
aslonal flag to wave in the breeze where q
ever nag waved before. During our NOR n
ng aseeiiswe had met no sign Of an h
,al life except sparrow-like bird. A n
anes' the most profound and terrible II
ll'ude forced themselves constantly on g
e mind e on ihe,features of The place. y
Here, on the summit, where the still. c,
IS was absolute, unbroken by any sound, n
d the solitude complete, we tipngh. our: ia
Ives beyond the region Of animated life: 81
while we were sitting on the rock. = ri
l''ary bee (6ronus the humble bee) came p
nglng its flight from the esssern valley. hi
III on the knee of one Of the men, m
was strange Place-the icy rock and s.
highest peak Of the Rocky Mountains.
lover OF warm sunshine and flowers: :,
we pleased ourselves with the idea that n ~
was the frst of his species to cross s.
mountain bar'ier-a solitary pioneer to -;
etell the advance Of civilization. lbe. W
re that moments though, would hayelii.,
dc US let him continue his way unhar,li|
but we carried out the law Of this coin. ="
where all animated nature seems. m W
and seeing him Immediately. pu, y. e
IN at least fit place-in the leaves of ~
'rge book among the flowers we had "a 20
ected on our way. The barometer stood ="
a,203, the attached thermometer A 4xly"
:; giving for ID elevation of thi. I sum. "e
1850 feet above the Gulf Of Mexico, W. ":
eh may be called the highest fight of a..
bee. II is certainly the highes. xiIownI =. 90
ut Of that insects ou'
DEF
'av'ng now MADE what observation our =
ms afforded, we proceeded 10 descend. .
had accomplished an objectof laud,. The
ambition. and beyond the stric. order H.
ur instructions. We had climbed the ing
est peak Of the Rocky Mountains and ing
ed down upon the snow a thousand ing
below. and, standing where never hu- in ,
loot had stood before, felt the exul,a. siz,
OF the tarst explorers. It was about plo
clock when We Jeff the summit: and 9th
n we reached the bottom the sun had tina,
'dy sunk behind the wall. and the dav ally
drawing to close, II would have wei
pleasant to have fingered here and va,e
'"e summit longer; but we hurried eide