New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-08-29
, DrscRrpTroN OF AN ASCENT.


pleasant day during the summer, by some party OF
tourists and not week passes that ladies do not go
to the top and return the worse for the exer-
ton except by little unusual fatigue and. perhaps,
some lameness from remaining SO long in the saddle
Formerly two days were required to make the as
cent and then the last fifteen hundred feet, the
most difficult of the whole climb, had to be made on
foot. Leaving ManitOu about noon, the tourists
used TO go to the Lake House, timber line, and
about five miles from the summit, and remain
there over night. Then in the morning they would
ride to within about mile of the top. leave the
ponies and scramble up tile Signal Station az best
they could. Even if two hours were taken for this
last stage of the Journey the climber would be 50
much exhausted by the time he reached the summit
as 10 make it very difficult for him TO walk about
there or enjoy the beautiful views that are TO be seen
in all directions. Now a new trail has been built,
| which is not only three miles shorter than the Ole
! one but Is easier. Those who make the ascent may
now ride TO the very top and return the same even
| ing being gone from ManilOu only ten or twelve
hours few prefer to divide the journey and go
only to the Lake House the first day, and few ven
tnresome mn. and occasionally woman, reject
the pony altogether and make the ascent on foot.
SETTING oUT FOR TIE CLIMB.
went to the .op Of Pixies Peak one day last week
| There were IN our immediate party n banker from
| New-York ald one from Cincinnati. each accompa-
! MED by his wife, and one IF he most eminent evil
engineers of the country. About Twenty-Five Others
from the several hotels in Maniou made the COM
| pauy the largest thai had gone To the top III the
mountain this year, and it was really an interesting
sight to see this long cavalcade winding mp the
steeD path on the SIDE of the mountain. The ponies
were ready at O'Clock III the morning " sharp n
they say in tie West and the scene IN front OF the
] hot ttfra was
animated than the horses were ior they have climbed
the prccptous trail too often TINS summer. carrying
their heavy riders to have left much OF that proud
| spirit which makes them among the modest OF
beasts If they ever possessed it, But rhey are sure
footed and can hardly be driven off the trail so that
/ the rider who is content to throw the birdie down
and trust TO the agacy and caution Of his pony, Is
pretty sure 10 20 10 the Peak ana return IN safety
The guide who was to take the party up was
| everywhere in demand. Here someone was calling
for him 20 lie an oyercoat waterproof cloak upon
the saddle: there a mans stirrup-straps were TOO
| long OF too short, and, they are tied up with
ieathern strings instead OF beng buckied 1t takes
an expert 10 change them. As soon any portion
Of the party was mounted orders came from the
ouide to 90 on and rendezvous at the tollgae, about
a mile mp The trall. and, having seen the last one
started be himself put the lunch fr the party in
a1puy-sack tied II Oh behind his saddle, and came
calloplne along TO reach the tolgate with the adj
vance guard Here each rider paid his dollar toll,
and when his saddle girth had been frightened, tell
INTO line ana started up the mountain. The way
they s.nch up horses that are to 20 on steep
/ trails exctas the wonder and the pity Of tender
foot. Taking the girth-strap in both hands the
guide placed foot against the horses side Tor
! brace, and tLen throwing back the whole weight Oh
! his body with jerk. lie brought the giTth up SO
tight thar It seemed though 1t must cut the AMI
nal ID two But the horses did not seem to mind Il.
suppose they are used it, like the cells that were
skinned. Il is certain that there was 10 danger
that the saddles would slip and this Is an important
precantlon. as a loose saddle might lead 10 serious
accident On the narrow, steep path We were to
climb.
MANSIONS CANON.
Harrison's Canon begins just back Of the Iron
Spriuc. three-fourths Of a nile from Marltou, and
extends about SIX miles to the park in which Fon-
t,ine Creek has Its source 10000 feet above the
sea. From the entrance 10 the canon, the trail
built in the disiniegrated granite which, Ike a
/ loose sand covers much of the mountains lace,
leads up from the stream very rapidly The sides
of the gorge, exceedingly steep. and i've OF SIX
hundred ieet high, we're once solid granite walls
Rut the rock when exposed to the elements, rapidly
cruulbles away ana falls down the slope, leaving
the more durable portions sticking up on the TOP
or projecting from the Sides and these contribute
wonderfully to the wlldness OF the place FROM
time 70 time huge fragments OF the granite that
have been left become detached and roll down
tho side into the stream until its bed j. filed with
enormous boulder-. over which 1t dashes II
series of perpetual cascades. clear and pure as
crystal and almost as cold as ice In places TIE
disintegrafed rock Is covered with thin soil whct
supports a sparse growth Of bunch-grass or fores
nj nine spruce and cedar trees, while IN others tn
fr,ouept rams uproot every plant before 1t las Z
chance TO get q start and Tor a hundred feet there
is simply great inclined plane OF crumDied granite
rock the surface of which moves with every storm
tn enumerate the beauties OF this canon woult
| 10 ;,nno.sible much moro 10 describe them. Every
time | pass through OF the grand gateway
which the little streams have cut through grea
mountain ranges in their search Tor The sea
whether il has now become highway Tor com
merce or Is only explored by tourists III search o
rugged rocks, beautiful cascades and wonderiu
, scenery. am more and more impressed with th
! resistess power Of the natural forces that nav
formed them. These little mountain riyulets "a
they dance and play over their rocky or gravel,
e beds. so narrow that one can step across them
, have vet eut down through the solid granite rocks
many hundreds OF feet, and carried out upon tn
plains enough material 10 bury great Guy man
iathoms deep. And still they keep on wearing
deeper and deeper into the hard rock In one year
I in ten years. in hundred years. perhaps, no ap
nreciable change has been made by them in th
face of the country, but everywhere there IL th
evidence Of their power as unmistakaDle a
tbough the canons had been cut through In yeai
and before very eyes.
? sometimes hear people say that the cafons G
; the Rocky Mountains are all alike, except tina
o some are on graDder scale than Others. This
e not true. Everyone visit presents new forms Q
4 fresh varieties of cooring, that make 1t never
ending source of inspiration and pleasure 10 eXpior
4 | l. nn MI