Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1882-09-09
ABOVE THE CLOUDS.
Camping on the Uncapagre. e.-Fourteen Thou
sand Eight Hundred and Fifty Feet
Above the level of the Sea.

I
aDo not forget your field glass. -
says my better-half, as I button up
my heavy wooden ulster in the gray
of the August dawn. | am bound
for Uncapagre, the sire of the Rock
les, and goal of all curious sight
seers. / am to meet my party up
Hensen canon at half-past six, and
my shaggy burro (small mule) is
waiting at the door. Once out in
the delicious freshness of the morn
ing, | sniff the pure air and bless
the mountains in August. Lake
City yet lies in the coolest, deepest
shadow, but up on peaks the sun
has pictured his brightness. As |
reach the tristing place, l find the
party all assembled, and to more
perfectly portray our adventures
and "hair breadth escapes, l will
name them. Mesdames Mac and
c., two worthy duennas, as ready
for fun as the younger element,
Misses Eva c., Fannie and Ella
NJ and myself constitute the
weaker portion. Mr.. R, an expe-
rienced mountaineer, Mr.. Mac, a
jolly young Pueblo gentleman, and
a grave Missouri doctor. On three
trusty little burros was packed our
tents, lunch hampers and other in
dispensables, and each one Of the
party was furnished one of the
afore- mentioned burros. Such odd,
/ shaggy, funny little beasts, but at
the same time so sure-footed and
trusty that we would not dare risk
our lives on anything else over the
steep, dangerous paths that lead to
Uncapagre.
Our ascent began at once, and it
is up, up until we reach the peak.
Ere long the little city lies below US
like toy village, and three miles
distant we see the blue waters Of
lake San Cristabal, still and asleep
in the sunlight. The charm of our
great height comes gradually upon
us. In the lights and shadows that
shift and culver over the hill-sides /; /
in the increasing number of bright
and odorlferous flowers, and the
strong, fresh mountain wind. AT
l O'Clock, we stop for lunch, and
Gypsy-like build fire and make
coffee. When we again proceed,
the path becomes SO precipitous
that my heart grows still from
fright, and l sometimes find my
arms tightly clasped around the
shaggy neck of my beast. Yes, it
cannot be denied; am still ten
der-foot. My eighteen months in
the mountains has not emboldened
me, look with envy at the other
ladies of the party, erect and care
less they thread the circuitOus paths
singing snatches of songs, making
Jokes, and occasionally lashing their
lazy mules. At length, L beg our
solemn doctor to let me walk awhile.
So he assists me down and begin
the hardest work ever did i'll my
life. L could not 60 ten steps with
out losing my breath. l submit to
being lifted again into the saddle,
and the train goes on. We reached
the top of that mountain, and .or a
while had smooth travel. Station
EIenen and Roma Top, the loftiest
peaks around Lake City, we now
look down on, and yet we are not
half way to Uncapagre. All at
once a flock of deer sprung from
behind a rock and bounded away
before our astOnished gaze. | shall
never forget the sight. The long,
swinging leaps, and many antlers
drawn against the sky. One of the
gentlemen proved crack shot and |
down came one of the beautiful, |
frightened things. 1t was yet liv
ing when we reached it, and it |
turned its soft, dying eyes upon us
as if in reprOach. l will here re-
mark that the memory of that look
did not keep me from relishing |
brOiled venisOn around the camp |
fire that night. AT O'Clock, after
having travelled nine miles, Unca-
pagre suddenly loOmed before us.
You would know it was Wncapa-
gre did no one tell you, the lOftiest
peak in the Rocky Mountains, and
the second highest IN the United
States. AS I stood and gazed upon
that mighty rock, yet miles distant
from us, could but place it in my
mind as Gods monument. Surely
so noble and wonderful a thing
should stand a symbol of immor-
tality. Uncapagre, the mountain
of the red waters, l should love to
know what human eye first rested
on thy grand and majestic form.
1t seemed so still and immoYable
that almost wished | could see a
flame Of smoke and lava burst from
its summit; l could then associate
the idea of life with it. But on to
the camp. Tents erected, supper
over and beds laid down, we gather
around Il bright campfire, and
abandon ourselves to mirth and
song. We open with "three blind
mice," that merry old round, and
the mountains fairly rung back the
echo. The young ladies then sung
some of Glover's pleasing Duets.
Intermission for conundrums, and
then "John Browns body" At
last weary, we crept into our COM
modiOus tent, through the crevices
of which Gods white sentinels, the
stars, shone down on us. Only a
thin sheet between us and the
broad jeweled heavens, and it some-
how gave me the idea that we were
nearer the Master, or at least he
guarded us more tenderly, Before
sunrise we were up and heard all
the sweet sounds that herald the
morn. At eight we were off. At
eleven we stood at the base of the