The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1876-04-18
In Conejos Canon, Colorado.

From camp near Guadaloupc the ex.
pedi.ion explored the main branch of the
Conejos for about three miles, and then
diverged on a trail through n pass in the
steep walls to the west and over heav.
lily wooded activity, with n crest about
500 feet above tho level. The way up
the hill was obstructed in the earlier sta.
ges by fragments of rock scattered in ev.
cry direction, like the Debris of spent
shower of melcors, and as we mounted
higher, another difficulty appeared in a
dense forest OF cotton wood, with an al.
most ipipassablc underground OF shrubs
and bramble. The facility with which
this tree adapts itself to circumstances is
one OF the inarveIs Of the vegetable world.
When it has room it scars to height OF
seventy feet, spreading itself out like an
old yew, and it seems to thrive equally
well in confined space, where hundreds
OF its species are limited in growth to six
feet, and concentrated within a few inches
of each other. Its leaves are like those
OF the lilac, small oval IN shape, with
the lightness and sensitiveness of the as.
pen and the glitter Of the silver poplar.
But most beautiful is the bark, which in
nearly all the ages of the tree is a shade
of soft gray, and as smooth on the surface
as piece of ivory.
Climbing higher, we became entanglcd
III this maze OF cotton wood, which hid
us from one another, and knotted itself
In our brides and stirrups, making our
progress more laborious than ever. The
grass was tall and rank. and sprinkled
with blue, yellow, red and purple flowers,
the blue and yellow vying with the sky
aud sun, which at intervals were revealed
through break in the thicket. Occa.
sioDally breath Of wind swept among
the cotton. woods, aud their leaves shook
and glistcned like the drops of silvery
rain. So We went on, with our arms ex.
tended over our mules heads to ward off
the obstructing branches, until we came
to pile Of moss.covered lava at the head
of the farther slope. Beneath us was the
junction of the two branches Of the main
canon-two deep cuttings, with high,
precipitous banks, leading from an even
ridge to fat bottom. Here the cotton.
wood was still more profuse, and the
other vegetation still more redundant.
The bed of the canon was matted by
luxuriant shrub, called, our Mexican
guide told me, the jara, with leaves a
vivid greeen and stalks a bright red.
Underneath this there was low rirpling
sound, and when we swept the branches
aside, we discovered brooklet running
with the blush water of freshly melted
SHOWS. Shows? Yes; with all the
of foliage, in the middle of an
exceptional hot june, white mantle still
lay on the shady parts of this canon, 5000
feet above the level of the sea. The banks
were covered with cotton. woods varying
in height from six to seventy feet, all
trembling, all cleaning, as the wind
touched them. Some majestic pines,
with rugged limbs and dusky green foil.
age, were superadded to these; aud dense
as the living timber was. thousands of
dead trunks lay on the hill.sides, where
they had fallen in the last tempest.
Ahead of us cloud Of blue smoke
wreathed itself to heaven, and presently
we came upon wide patch of land was.
ted and blackened by fires that were still
spreading. As We went through the hol-
lows, the sound Of our steps was drowned
in the beds of MOSES and ferns, aud
numbcrless wild flowers constantly tempt.
cd us to dismount aud pick them.