The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1875-09-16

beneath the shadow Of a huge rock.
We were getting used to our new ex-
perience, and nature more and more
grand as we advanced. Our party
were no. in very laxative humor
lust here. The fact is, the trail was
two narrow for companionship; and
after we left the plateau, which We
soon did, and began another climb,
it became necessary to attend to
business. The trail became more
and more prccipitous. Some patch
es of snow here and there reminded
us that we were getting along. Our
tired beasts now could go but a few
steps at a time, and in their despe-
ate efforts to get their breath seemed
as If they would give up the ghost
We passed the timber line, and then
all the way up the mountain was
bare of every living thing, if | ex-
cept some beautiful flowers, which
disputed with the snow their right
to the territory. A fire in the woods
on the mountain side, Just opposite
Pikc-peak, added to the grandeur of
the scene; the smoke curled up above
the trees, and the flames shot forth
their lurid tongues. 1t seemed near
to us, but was too far away to do US
harm.
At this stage of the journey my
saddle girth slipped, and a jump was
necessary to escape fall, The
least exertion at such great altitude
robs you of your breath, and the at
tempt to replace my saddle almost
conqcrcd lie.
Through the kind assistance Of our
good friend from Alabama, the saddle
was adjusted and the ascent contlnu-
ed. but our ponies were giving I'M
,,;s.ol,ablc siuns of discontinue, and
we could not hope to push them on
much farther; and at last, a mile be-
low the summit, we dismountcd, tied
the ponies to some rocks, and contin
ued our ascent on foot. We crept
across gulches of snow, stepped over
high bowldcrs-it was not a hop, skip
and jump, but slow and difficult
climb-an advance of a few feet, sue
cccdcd by a long rest. An unpleas-
ant fullncss about the head now be-
gan TO be noticed by us all, and some
what retarded our progress. But We
were getting on, and when the snowy
range suddenly burst upon our view
we all exclaimed with delight. Two
hundred miles OF the snow-cappcd
SUBMITS of the Rocky Mountainslay
stretched before us, The snow on
our, track was now abundant, and
fearing to trust ourselves carlessly to
the surface, less We should sink to
worlds unknown, We proceed over it
with caution. In about an hour
seven hours in alive completed our
upward journey. The summit Of
Pikc-pcak was reached; we stood over
1900 feet above the level of the sea,
before a view indescribably grand
On the one hand Utah and Wyoming;
on the other New Mexico; the snowy
range and countless mountain peaks
to the west; to the east, the cverlast-
ing plains. At the United States
signal station on the summit Of Pike
peak. We received a cordial welcome
from Officer Brown and his assistant,
O'Kefee. From the recent correSpon-
dent of the New York Tribune, who
represented the condition of these
men to be 4 desolute and unhappy
one, it might be inferred that they
were the victims of some infamous
tyranny, whereas, taking their word
for it, they sought the positions and
enjoy its duties and peculiar expert,
cnccs. Mr.. Brown called our atten-
ton to what is known up there as
the abyss ofdesolation, a gulch in the
western slope, hundreds of feet in
depth, filed with snow, which looked
like it might have been there since
the creation, and when 0'kefce losed
a bowlder and threw it over, instead
Of sinking at once out Of sight, SC
PERCEPTIONS was the descent that il
skipped over the surface of the snow
until it was lost from sight among
the rocks far below.
No mountain view can be, it seems
10 mn Ennr thnn TINT of Pike-nnak