Litchfield enquirer., 1870-11-24
A ROCKY MOUNTAIN PARK.

I'T A hOOA1 MOONIA1N tFAhh. Ff
 The difficulty one experiences in coming
 down from the exciting poetry of ram the very dull prose of writing letters. IS
 my apology for having so long delayed to send you the promised account of my trip
 to this Park Likes so many others who
 come to Colorado for their health, had
 started for Denver without the least idea
 of what should do, or how should do it
 after getting there. ss9+t9 s'@ qS "''s .''-
 Circumstances mentioned in a previoils letter, induced me4o stop at Greeley The first night was there, received an invi-
 tation to join party of the towns.people,
 then making up for the mountains;s ;sand. although was repeatedly warned against
 the danger of the light air of any higher altitude so soon after bleeding from the lungs, nevertheless determined to gratify
 my great desire to get among the noun
 talns, whose snowy peaks loomed up so enticlngly cool Ill the blue distance.
 An experienced mountain teamster with
 bis heavy emigrant wagon and large lazy
 mules, $ cook of classical etiucatio6, but, equally well versed in all the ny sterics of
 the culinary art, with his ''Dutch oven, ;" sacks of flour, baking owder, etc; . treasurer fresh from the Pnritan city of Boston, to '' carry the bag," and attend to the perplexities of the financial depart ment. and load of eight jolly boys, with thelr camp equipags, rifles, revolvers, and fishing tackle constituted ou' turn out.
 The monotony of nearly two days drive across the hot, treeless plains was now and then broken by sudden entrance into a village of prairie dogs, whose motionless, upright bodies made tempting targets for revolver shots, but who, whether hit or not, would always drop in twinklipg into their holes-or by the occasional shooting of "jack rabbit "a much larger species of rabbit than ever saw in the States-or by the sight of 8 band of antelopes, grace fully galloping in the distance.
 At last we reached the Foot Hills. at the north of the Little Thompson Canyon. Here, basking" by himself in wild soli- tude, we found regular mountaineer, who, in his rough way, declared he wouldn't
 live on the plains for all there was there. who was then looking after his thousand or more head of cattle. which. strange to say, he will take far back into the noun. talns when Winter comes on, where they will graze and grow fat, while he, with his rifle and his dogs, amuses himself with the game that will then be abundant about his cabin. 4.faf .g e.of.4 afI a
 To our many inquiries about. the best route to Estes Park, he finally gave the reply: Gentlemen, you will know d--d sight more about this road before you get back than you do now,"" which we found to be strictly true.
 Two days we were travelling among the Foot Hllls and smaller mountains, over roads that at times seemed impassable; now descending into deep ravines. again as- cending some lofty height from which we could catch glimpses of the plains stretch ing away to the horizon, and anon coming into pleasant open park, car peted with grass and flowers in great vari ety, until, through this constantly chan gipg scenery. we came upon a amaenifUvut7 view of Estes Park. -1-- N ,.t3 e.,,s-..; i,
 We had been riding somewhat wearily through U long narrow gulch. shut in on all sides by mountains, except far ahead, where our road seemed to lose itself in tue recess of 3 deep .ravine. Arriving at, the end of this comparatively level stretch, in- stead of the unlnviting ravine we expected to ind, we saw, over the tops of the trees, hundreds of feet below, an open plain stretching for miles in either direction, through which, like the winding Ayr" n broad, sparkling stream makes it's toltuous' course, while all around. in the widest confusion, are thrown the rugged ramparts of the mountains, here rearing their bald, pyecipitous cliffs as if in defiance of Time's conquests, there rising in sym metrical reg ularlty-now stretching away in con nected chain, and now opening in deep, dark canyons, through which their super fuous waters may flow out to the thirsty plains; while over all, in solemn and lord ly grandeur, the s'Snowy Range" lifts it's white peaks to the sky. Standing before such scene as this, who can feel that these mountains are Gods sgreat altar stairs, on which, if no where else, his soul can climb to Him that made all things.
 But night is coming on, and we must descend to some camping ground below, where wood and water, are convenient Once in the Park, and finding that meals can be had at log cabin in the ranche. and lodgings in tent pitched near by, I said to myself, ir the language of the song, e Now will rest"-and here am, resting after i've weeks. the guest of Mir. Evans, one of the owners of the land here-an experienced hunter-a trusty guide to any part of the mountains, and in every re- epect. genial, jolly and accommodating
 WclSumdu. 1IS eXC0lI0uG WIG, uOLWlIn. standing her present limited circumstan- ces, sets 8 table that tempts us into the most voracious eating, and the beauty of it is that yielding to the temptation one doesn't experience the horrors of dyspep- sia, but rather escapes them. And, what with climbing the neighboring peaks for extended and enchanting views, and wan dering along the streams for the sslightly jumpn. glowerin' trout, or galloping on
 the easy riding poney among the emoun-
 tains, in search of game, whether you find it or not-or lying in the shadow of some great rock and reading Shakespeare or Dickens --the Bible or Burns--how can one help getting vigorous in body and mind 1 if there is anything left of him to get viz orous? f*s7&a@ at0fasaa AAER 4ss-si
 And here, for the benefit of any of your readers who may be thinking of coming to Colorado for health or pleasure another year-I will say that MT. Evans has enter: ed into an arrangement with two enter- prising young men, the Dunbar brothers, from Connecticut, owning stock and land lin the park, by which believe they will
 recommend themselves to the grateful pat ronage of alt such. sz ssa e44aa eE1 s U. They propose to set table equal to that of any first class house, to have cabins plainly bat neatly furnislled for the ac.
 commodation of families ior parties who may wish to be by themselves, to furnish