The Potter journal and news item. [volume] (Coudersport, Pa.) 1872-1874, 1873-04-11


for about two miles, when, small
ravine in the mountain side offering
q means Of ascent, we turned to the
left and began rapidly to rise from
rock 10 rock. The boys had started
in fine spirits; jokes were cracked :"
one even proposed a conundrum,
"Why our climbing resembled that
in Switzerland? because we used
alpine stats, Of course" but from
this point every one settled to his
task, and silence reigned, except
when some anathema was hurled at
a rolling stone or a burst Of enthusi-
asm was caused by some new scene
opening to our views.
Two hours of hard work and the
crest Of the first ridge was gained,
the aneroids We're soon read and an
elevation of nine thousand feet
shown. The great CONSIDERS and re-
freshers were next produced and
many putfs from as many pipes
might be seen curling through the
air. ! field Of snow two miles wide
lay before us; so we rested half an
hour, enjoying the scene we had left
below, before attempting the slippery
crossing. We were now on the
plateau bounding the canon in which
We had camped the night previous.
The snow crowned the ridges and
glistened under the rising sun, con
trasting strongly with the green val
ley below, while the foaming stream
rushed and sparkIed through the
trees, forming picture full Of yarie-
" and beauty.
Our crossing Of the snow was
amusing though difficult. Raised
into little ridges when in a melted
state and then frozen, it offered
but an insecure footing and many
tumble was experienced despite the
supporting staff. Mosquitoes pur-
sued Us to the snow-line and attacked
us undauntingly even at that cold
temperature. This " sea Of ice, ," the
snow ridges resembling white caps
on the water, having been crossed,
We climbed up the second divide, the
one that HID the Tetons from our
view.
The sight that burst upon Us on
gaining the summit Of this second
range well repaid the effort it cost to
reach it. a valley about three miles
vide lay between US and the third
ridge, from whose crest the massive
peaks reared themselves. The bot
tom was entirely covered with snow
how deep no one can tell, the white
ridges being raised by the wind and
extending to level with the range
Of mountains itself \ lake Of con
siderable size lay nestled under the
mountain at the foot Of the valley
Entrusting ourselves to an avalanche
Of gravel we slid down the debris,
our descent in a show
er of stones. On reaching the edge
OF the snow our descent became too
rapid but was easily checked by our
stats. Another snow tramp. more
difficult than the first, followed. The
ice beginning to melt allowed our
feet to sink into it making the walk
very fatiguing. Grasshoppers, too,
that we had noticed apparently fro
zen to death were revived by the
warming sun and began TO jump
around.
On reaching the third rarge we
again rested, some of the party de
spairing Of climbing the bare granite
peaks as they now rose Immediately
before and above us. Snow surround
ed rs on all sides extending up the
mountain slopes and above arose tie
<'rocks on rocks, aud rockets
still above" The whole country,
save the peaks themselves, now lay
below us. We had reached an alti-
tude Of eleven thousand feet. The
ridges we had crossed became but
hills, the rivers Iessened TO creeks,
valleys narrowed to ravines. 1t re-
one Of Switzerland, the tink-
ling bells and chalets alone being
to complete an Alpine scene. /
There is wild grandeur, feeling
Of solitude that belongs to Rocky
Mountain views not to he realized in
the more picturesque and romantic /
Alps.
From this point your correspond
ant is indebted to Captain Stevenson .
and Mr.. Langford, who alone Of the
party succeeded in reaching the ex-