New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-10-27
climbing PIXIES PEAK-H.


~u,ors the nS rntams-we made hasty toilets
With the brook for . mirror; breakiasted. and
resumed eur journey, through two rugged cahons, |
with . smooth, grassy valley between. Land
sGdss have left their broad, bare. tracks through
ne forest down many of the hill-sides. Ihat
epeinnati author, who, forty years ago, oeec'ed
10 the name Rocky" as inspplicable TO these
mountains, evidently wrote of Thugs he nad not
seen. The endless masses of disintegrating rocA |
assume great variety Of forms. One huge gran
iie chair oyerlooks a little kingdom oil mountain |
and valley; but the Titan who sat upon 1t was long |
.,o Sstbroned, in one of Natures terrible convul-
,sops which uprooted hills and rent them asunder, |
anS hurled gigantic powders about like pebbles
TIE burdens begin TO hang like mills about
cur necks, enabling to appreciate for the first
tine the emotions OF pack-mule, and IN my own
mind provoking the inquiry whether man who
will carry twenty. seven pounds OF blankets up the
mountains, is not of the lOngeared species hmselfl
At IL o'clock, cold, violent rain set in. Half
Srenched and shveriDg we reached the shelter OF q
shelving rock upon hillside; with difficulty kin
Sled fire. and dined upon o rabbit which had sur
rendered Internationally to Mr.. Blunts revolver.
The only true philosophy of getting wet is to get
soaked. Moist clothing brings hesltatmg dlsc0m-
fort; but in feeling that every thread is drenched,
there is kind of desperate satisfaction So, leav
me the leaders in their dismal retreat we went out
nte the driving rain, toasted for an hour upon the
Yipe raspberries which were very abundant, and
then returned bearing cups of the delicious fruit
native offerings to the damp divinities.
In song and conversation, reading and WHIST
PLAYING, the afternoon wore away. Early IN the
evening our robust Colorado frieads who had gone
mile or two beyond our camp, passed by on their
return having given up the trip as too severe i9r
them We gathered an ample supply OF WOOD;
The dead pines often six inches In diameter and
~; faith oh Npr
their brittle IOOts swapping like pipe-stems AS the
FIRE was our only sOace, piled on the logs until
The red flames leaped high into the air and chased
fhe thick darkness far away. -Four OF us huddled
Hnder the rock, while the fifth as the least OF TWO
evils sat grimly in the open air, wrapped IN his
blanket aud breeding upon destiny. The rain be-
came very violent, and the natural roof, sOplng,
unfortunately in the wrong direction, shOwered the
water upon US in melancholy prOuson.
After many lachymose and dismal jests which
certainly did not originate in dry wit my cO-tenants
one by one dropped asleep. My own recollection
Of that procrustean bed extends only to IL o'clock,
when was wOOing the drOwsy god, with my legs
In mud puddle sharp rock piercing my ribs,
and stream of water pouring down my back Al
nidnight general connection awakened me; the
air had grown very chill, and the whole party arose
and sought the fire. After steaming for few min-
stes before It, crept far as possible under the
rock rolled myself once more IN wet blanket, and
slept sOundly until morning, leaving my companions
to muse On The beauties of nature. When l awoke,
socn after daylight they were still out in the rain,
ranged around the campfire, sitting among the
rocks in gloomy contemplation, like Marius amid
the ruins.
We took our frugal breakfast that morning, as far
a. exterDals were concerned mOrOse and melan-
eholy group. We, the pack bearers, carried our
heads with great ragdity and belonged to ST.
necked, if not perverse generation Less than
half the Journey was accomplished, and we had but
one days provisions remaining. One of the ladies
had worn through the sOes of her shoes in several
places and both were wet chilled, and exhausted
but to our inquiries in regard to the feasibility Of
proceeding, they replied that they had started to as
cend the Peak, and were going to the summit either
with or without us BY o'clock we are again
climbing the slippery rocks; the rain ceases the
breaking clouds turn forth their silver hning
"And genial morn appears
Like pendve beauty, smiling through Der tears"
Behind and below us the valleys were submerged
under an ocean of pure white clouds, with noun
faipsummits here and there dOtting its surface
IN islands of purple and emerald. Before, and far
above the dark intervening bills, rose the Peak,
naptled in fresh snow, with the path or DEPRESSION
up it's barren eide clear and distinct. In the genial
un-iQht for the first time in "a hours, we be-
gan tO experience the comfort Of dry clothing The
hills for thousands of acres, swept by vast cOnfag
ratiCDs were verdureless and black thlckly studded
with tall pines and fra leafess AID branchless-ike
fhe wilderness Of masts in great seaport The
valleys were shaded by graceful aspens, whose
leaves quivered in the stu air; and carpeted by
Iuxursnt grass rising almost TO our faces, and In
fergpersed with bright flowers of pink and white,
blue yellow, and purple. Our progress was greatly
impeded by fallen tree-trunks, three and four feet
above the ground, whose sharp and jagged branches
while climbing over them, were trying to the pa
thence of al-and especially to the meager skirts Of
the ladies.
We dined luxuriOuslyin raspberry patch, where
the ground was almost literally covered with the
luscious fruit Soon after struck the base of the
Peak itself and began climbing YEARLY up the steep
rocky caTon which extends to its very summit. The
thin air rendered respiration very difficult and az
o'clock We camped greatly exhausted. The wild
ewes and flushed faces Of the ladies began TO excite
serious apprehensiOns but they fell asleep almost
INSTANTLY In the midst of a sudden shower, two
Of ms started for water The stream-bed, ten yards
distant broke the word of promise TO our hope-it
was dry as the Sahara, and we had no alternative
bat 10 limp down the canon for half mile. La
something more than an hour, each bearing two
cups filed to the brim, We again reached camp My
companion had barely strength to artculate that ne
weud only repeat the walk to save his dearest
friend from dying; / succeeded in gasplng out an
Injunction to take precious care Of the costly hulf
and we sank upon the ground IN utter exhaustion.
But the strong tea, usual revived us all and
We started on, Just as the clouds broke revealing
ia HOndlOus beauty the mountains behind, with
their narrow canon walls, opening out upon the
preat. dreary prairies beyond. One of the ladies
was taken suddenly and violently i'll; but, after
fit of vomiting, recovered with equal abruptness
In half an hour we reached the verge OF vegetation,
and canned for the night. We were just stretched
beside roaring FIRE, when another shower came
on. drenching our blankets, aud then turning TO
hail. Before o'clock, Mr.. Beach began to pay the
penalty Of his exposure and fatigue, by distressing