The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1873-09-16
ASCENT OF LA PLATA.


! Julya8. This morning three Of lis
set out to join Mr.. Gardner and his
assistants, on the summit of la Plata
mountain. Crossing the two creeks we
strick nearly sonth up the mountain
slope, through thick forest of timber
switch had been providentially spared
by the fire. Much Of the way was
very steep and the route tortuous 10
avoid difficult places aud fallen timber.
AT the end of il mile, and II thousand
feet above camp, we turned the point
of the mountain and thence followed
along the narrow valley Of u little
stream that plunges nadly down from
the great snow banks that surround
jts srourcc. There are some beautiful
little meadows and one diminutive
tree cmbowercd park that art could
hardly equal. Less than Two miles
from camp We reached the limit of
timber growth and had assembled twelve
hundred feet. Tho valley above is
choked with fallen rocks and we left
our saddles to make the balance of the
climb on foot. The ascent was very
steep and exceedingly tedious. We
had ridden from camp to timber line
In an hour, but II took three hours to
climb the next twenty-five hundred
feet of altitude the distance passed
over being perhaps two miles.
q, at more than twelve thousand feet
above sea level we found Strawberries
IN bloom and raspberry bushes grow
Ing among herocks. Athousand feet
higher were wild celery and parsnips.
The sky-blue forget me-not or star
flower, and other tiny Towering plants,
continued 10 tue extreme upper limit
Of vegetation, which was passed four
or five hundred feet below the summit.
From there up II Is vast pile OF fixed
and broken rocks--granite, felspnr,
p0rphyry, quartzite, etc.
We found the scientific corps on this
summit, busy with their triang,llations,
maps, proiiles and drawings. They
had been there since nine o'clock. We
reached them ut one. Being one of the
highest SUBMITS in the range, it COM
mands an extensive aud magnificent
view, including South Park, the wide
Gunison valley, oil ofthe upper Arkan-
sas valley, and dozen ranges Of
mountains with thousands Of snowy
peaks. Near at hand were visible a
score Of lakelets, forming the sources
Of the many little streams that make
up Lake aud La Plata creeks. No one
who ms not assembled one OF these far
western mountains can imagine the
vast extent of the ranges, or the
bewildering number of snow crowned
submits. The world seems made of
mountains; chaotic mass of rocky
ridges, peaks and spurs. Even timber
almost disappears. Only here aud
there can be caught u glimpse of the
upper fringe Of forest, bordering the
larger valleys and gorges.
TOPOGRAPHY.
For the purpose of information,
before the maps and reports of the
expedition can be published, some
particulars may not improperly be
given. From Twin lakes, looking
southwest upon n wide, timbered val
ley, and seeming to cut II of, IL a very
massive mountain, streaked with red
and brown aud yellow, relieved by
numerous and large snow patches,
which has been named Lake Noun.
tain. 1t Is not very lofty, thought II
looked to be one OF tho highest from
the lakes. It's altitude Ia about Il, 400
feet The large stream which comes
down tho valley spoken of Ia mainly
fed from the snow fields on its north
,ern slope, but branch Of It curvlng TO
tho westward around the south base of
tho Twla mountain, heads In some
little lakes nt|the southeast foot of In
Plata mountain. The stream might
very properly bc called Lake mountain
creek.
Next ~ the right OF Lake mountain
Is Tho Twin mountain, or Twin peaks
80 known for many years. Since the
lsmented drowning Of young Fnst-
brook and Cppp In the lower lake,
there las been all effort to attach their
names to these SUBMITS, hut II does
hot seem to have hcen very successful
among the people. Viewed from the
lakes the mountain seems very mas
sive and LOFTY, dividing Into two peaks,
Within two or three hundred feet al
tue extreme summit. On the nortl,
lace II presents = vast concaye. or nm.
phasheests extending, from top L
ipttol1, which oar kc0Rraphers ,iec,,l,
TO have been the result OF glacial NO
tlon. Anew million Of years ago, whe,
sn'icp river 1000 feet deep and mil
Wide, moved d0Yn tho chasnl wher
lake creek now hows, II inpinred q
earomed upon tlle ihoe al Twin mour
tall-whleh stoed y ths dISscslop I