New-York tribune., 1874-10-14
THE HAYDEN EXPEDITION.
COLORADO SCENERY.

! ht.HfUl| y
COLORADO SCENERY.
AT Tim JUNCTION OF THE BLUE RIVER WITH THE
0RAND-ENTRANCE TO THE SOUTH PARk-As'
CENDISG MOUNT LINCOLN AND CLIMBING THE
PLAGsTAFP FOURTEEN THOUSAND FEET ABOVE
THR SEA
tFRoh An occAsIoSAL CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRBUNEl
SAGUACHE, COL. Sept. lat the junction OF
the Blue River with the Grand We found an ideal land
scape Standing knoll that juts out into the valley
you could best appreciate It, At your right hand you
naturally face the north the Grand winds down hve or
SIX miles from where bend 10 the river mits the
vew through meadows of that deep green grsss only
seen on wet ground, and on both sides seres OF hills
sweep up higher and higher till they merge into the
dark mountains behind them These hills are covered
with sagebrush whose dense sshy foliage makes them
appear carpeted with plush From this cinereus tint
there gradaon into the indigo Of the high range,
and as though to these out the ndsnct outline Of
peaks In the main range vsibea rank OF noun
tains At one point they rise into mass among which
Round Top at the side Of Grand Lake. the source Of the
river, is but a dwarf beside the towering hight Of
LOngs Further to right hill. Elk Mountain,
hides quarter Of the horizon which contains some Of
the highest peaks in the range but to the left you can
follow the line Of bald hills round to the north. where.
through the break In which the Muddy down. you
can discern Rabbit Ears and It's neghbors Of the Medi
cine Bow range, dim with distance and embroidered
with snow. Between them and you some remarkably
abrupt hills will attract your attention. and just In front
long, brown palisades OF ndursed clays form the prom
inent object in the picture Running along the
hills to the cliff you catch sight Of the Jaws OF the great
Canon Of the Grand rent through GRANTEES
and eruptye rocks three miles long and 1oo feet deep
In many places you may drop stone plumb from the
edge OF the cliff to the river below.
Now turn face around At your feet Ia another river
wriggling through the grass and willows Just as the
Grand does TIL II Joins that stream 10 the center OF the
valley II is named the Blue, but its waters yellow
with the mud from the rivers at Its head. Its hither
banks sage brush plains lovely In the distance
and uncomfOrtably close by but it's further banh
stand the Blue Mountains the finest range In the re-
gion, with their heroic head. Mount Powell, the most
mountainous OF all the mountains have yet seen The
whole Ia rugged and inaccessible In the extreme
and OF deep blue color, whether seen one or one
hundred miles away. Behind Powell stand almost bis
equals isolated bv great gulis" oil bare and ragged
and black the long thin locks OF snow blown back
from Their ancient oreheads Climbing 1000 rect 10 the
top OF an opposite hill, We photographed these noun
tans and their foreground During the time we were
there drfted through. banks OF clouds hed
their gorges from them and scudded across
the valley, their pinnacles swan one moment In the
glow Of sunt haze and stood out the next sharp ana
cold against a steel-gray Winter sky.
II rs so miles from the mouth Of the Blue River 70
Breckenridge-a little mining town-where we crossed
the Park Range to the headwaters OF the South
Platte through the Hoosier Pass. This Pass admits you
South Park There is nothing remarkable about IT,
though 1t contains much OF interest and quiet beauty
Its southern descent is however rather steep, and near
the bottom you to with high perpeudieu
lar smooth black granite perfectly marbled
with veins Of quartz ntersecting each other In every
direction measuring from tenth OF an inch 10 sx
feet in thickness Right here n the ruggedest OF rugged
gorges, where 1t would seem impossible for goats To
/ thA M Mnnf
gomery whose glory like that OF threefOurhs OF these
mountain towns departed The miners seemed to take
delight In forming their camps IN such way as to
exclude every possibility OF anything nice or inviting
In choice OF two objects they invariably take tha'
which ia most rude and uncomfortable. But this con
tributes to pcturesqueness and can think OF nothing
which exhibits this element Of beauty more than one
of these towns perched among the fallen debris OF
prmeval earthquake
Just stands Mount Lincoln the pivot upon which
all lines of elevation in this region would revolve II
they should take walk round" When got on top
and had swarmed up the stan on the highest point
felt that been high in the world be
| fore 1t was something over HiSo feet when ha'
reached the top OF the mountain took long breath
and began to pull the autographs accumulated In al
oystercan After had read them. concluded woult
not hand my and fame down to posterity IN al
oystercau. Next I took my shoe of and empted th'
rocks of II. Then took the other on ana clmoee
the hag-San as Aforesaid III oruef W See "os'0
| vew Then put both shoes again. aud managed p'
reckless disregard OF matches, TO light my pipe. Ih
accomplished put my hands in my pockets and took
look at the landscape. There was nothing small aoou
| that! South Park was but playground al my M ieet
Pixies Peak seemed that thought coud near
its thunders and Longs seemed noddne to II from tne
| Other horizon. The Buffalo Peaks were STOPPING %
drink together their plenteOus springs Inc bues
were broken, chaotic mass. crowded c,ose
against my pedestal and evidently not caring whetner
them not. All around me were gray oid Ie,ows
| bold hair head w
oogy just as though was not t1ere. me io d n% n,
horizon, ragged with mountain tops when coaa nes
walk to in Summer; the nearer nights whose terrinc
cOunenances had grimy smiled at me from tne suuy ny
valley below but frowned with awt tu severity the
solid olOws which seemed to surge up toward me on
every hand the absolute serenity and quiet %9icn
amounted suspense. Though the universe neia Its
breath, Impressed deeply than care 10 tell
| thought Of Thoreau's words:
With frontier strength ye stand your grounu'
| With grand eOntent ye circle round'
Tumultuous silence for all souad
His theme was only "lMonadnock and the feterooro
Hills" bat the idea great that ms congress VI
| mountain monarchs was not too large 10 II.
A RICH SILVER MINING REGION.