The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1885-04-19
OBVIOUSLY GRAND.
xioht Storm in the Noun
a N'7 tains.
arAUr1FUL PEN PICTURE.
oonce of a sketching Trip at
Repil uead waters of Weber
t NATURES Beauties.
RY ALFRED LAMBoURNE.

-. had spent the greater part of a.
Won in climbing up wooded ra
ai'e which finally brought US out OF
Tn' " broad level space, covered deeE
y" r. luxuriant grass, dotted witt
VIZ ,,ns of silvery aspen and stately
cum A beautiful park of Natures
pln, making, it stretched of
" the southwark, far as the
could reach; a parR
H ,oved from the paths of man. and it:
,;tnde rarely intruded by him. This
s.aod nlateau seemed to occupy debat-
U sro ground between the serrated edge
a attbe Wasatch on one hand, and the
o. spS md domes of Uintah on the
O'I It had been our desire to view this
tended panorama of mountain and
e eaIIav III up by the hues of sunset.
TSia'i rival chains of mountains facing
Ln nb other, we had hoped to see the
gWSoo n shadows speed across the in
im0. a71ri space, and slowly climb the
sSlr sides of Uintah, but in
t tE!S we we're disappointed. When
.il first reached the plateau, but
NC cIouds were in the sky, and
t tSo brilliant sunlight flooded the whole
s scs with a golden glow, which seemed
soV enter into every color; the grass was
~ Golden green, in shadow golden
" Sro1n the myriad flowers were so
. U,U% Jewels; for although the mid
summer sT heat prevailed in the valleys
hollow making the air faint and heavy
and md the grass to be parched
an. and faded, here in this high
aIf was yet the reign of
s 1rtl :and the early tributes of Flora
II Apsllo we're in every glen, and upon
syorv hillside. The bee and humming-
brd We'd with each other in gathering
their stored sweets. Screened by pine
branches, We had watched the graceful
deer pass in long files from glade to
glade, and seen the spotted fawn wanton
like a playful kitten.
As the afternoon advanced how
ever. a sultry haze filled the
sky. whilst over the assembled
peaks at the canyon head, a massey
cumulus was forming, and all the
6lmv vapors approaching from the
vest were attracted and absorbed by it,
rntilits vast shadow darkened ten thou
sand acres, casting deep gloom over the
region of a hundred lakes, the birth
place Of as many streams.
At the northern extremity of the
plateau was a sombre pool where the
waters, as if 10th to leave their mountain
cradle, slept for a while ere glancing
down the rayine. A narrow deer trail
led to its shore, but no velvet-horned
stag would take the herd to their even
ing drink whilst this ominous silence
brOOded in the air. Bird and beast alike
with an unerring instinct had sought
their closest shelter. What a perfect
picture of quietude was the lake as we
passed it by. Its face CLASSY calm,
save now and then a skating spider
would skim across it, ..or the dancing
gnatS touch it with scarcely discern
able ripple. How hushed and still Not
the slightest motion in the spear-like
pines, not a waver in the purple black
ness of their reflected image. There
was no sound or motion of earth, not
sigh from the forest branches,
or whisper from the water
Sedge. Nature seemed to wait
and be expectant, but overhead was the
waving canopy OF vapors, and that
great spreading cloud. now risen to
such dizzy height, that the Hottest
peak was but its footstool, and its brow
was flushed with anger, and it wore
crest Of fame, the gift of the retiring
sun. M
As We hurried down into the ravine,
the night and the storm descended upon
Us at once. How fierce and strong were
tne contending elements. Hardly had
the first big drops fallen ere
the wind rushing by with wild haste,
Dent the pine trees earthward, and then
Inc darkness was cleft asunder by
stream of white binding light, and its
leap from the clouds was instantly fol-
lowed by the crash of the
thunder. From all quarters did
me electric fluid dart from ridge
70 ndge, orplunge into the canyon be-
low. Dazed by the incessant flashes
ana Jury Of the storm we, wandered as
ID 2 troubled dream through many sue
geeqlng hours, and from out their mary
background of confused and fantastic
Events, memory recalls most plainly
lneSe facts: First, the finding of slip
perry wood track, only to lose it again;
Il coming to a portion of the forest that
lag been swept by fire, and being in
oOlSsd In its network of fallen timbers.
t sau our dread at the swaying of
su4se olackened trunks yet standing; of
song Tor long distance through deep
s soass and under protecting boughs;
ISUinlhg then to chaos of granite de-
H. S,isi and being compelled to creep over
~ ~ sharp fractured edges, only to reach
=; !ast the foot of a barrier cliff, whose
"nlVe wall would start out from the
aIa rounding blackness with every
s''ie OF light. Here we made
= pause from sheer exhaus
u and under the beating
1nu ; .rled to find our bearings. Then
sto Iohed hands and made q fresh
s ami moving cautiously along steep
iaIIo:alkment, fearing each moment a
o W. IllIo the swollen stream, for the wet
Svuna was slipping from beneath our
AN AN. Out Of this trouble we got into
s eo!Il1th OF bushes, from which there
w ISa.eu no escape, and we became very
WERE Ta :, cold and sleepy. From this we
snc te aroused by flash of lightning OF
It's lntolerable brilIiance that
unor writing, snaky line burned
aitor - our retina for several moments
comos u mad ceased to exist, and we well
deIicadt me next flash that outlined a
stems os'e tracery of dripping leaves and
susn;oia against its course; for terrible
had oat that we might not see again
RI e.lnIered our minds.
RnaT'1h e END OF our troubles was near.
bushv' re1tricating ourselves from the