Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-10-05
CLIMBING PIXIES PEAK.
INTERESTING ACCOUNT OF A TRIP
MADE ON FOOT.

On the Old Trail from Manitou-The
Timber Line-The North American Pika.
Scene on the Summit of the Peak-An
Impressive View.
In view of the opening of the wagon road
to the summit of Pixies Peak, the following
account of trip on foot may prove interest
ing:
To ascend Pixies Peak by the old trail from
Manitou is worthy the ambition Of any young
person. Thus nearly every day during the
summer months may be seen from twenty 10
thirty, some days more and some DAYS less,
vending their way in Indian file along the
narrow, zigzag path, up the long, steep
mountain side some on horses or donkeys
and some on foot While both old and Young,
male and female, NAV be seen on the trail,
the majority are young or middle aged per-
sons, and the larger number are men or BOYS.
but it is quite common for young ladies to
make the journey, and not unfrequeutly on
foot. Some make the ascent leisurely during
the day, arriving at the summit in the even
ing, and remain over night in order to enjoy
the sunrise
~ ID thelNe HilitS lTplIl hanlIOu 10 th6
summit, and the elevation to be overcome is
nearly 5000 feet, Mantou having an altitude
of over 5000 feet and the peak 4,2I6. This
is about GOO feet TO the mile The timber
line varies according to latitude and other
conditions. Here it is from IL 500 to 70 200
feet The same may be said IN regard to
snow remaining throughout the year. While
there may be no snow on the summit of the
peak, it is found many feet in depth in shell
tered places little lower down.
THE TIMBER LINE
The timber line is in many cases sharply
defined. The quaking aspen is common to a
high altitude, but scrubby pines are the most
conspicuous timber seen at the upper edge of
the line, and beyond this not trace of any
| kind of woody growth is to be seen. But
| fine short grass, where the surface is not
| covered with rocks, is abundant, and there is
aiproportion of pretty little flowers in great
variety, but mostly without fragrance.
About the timber line an occasional mag
| pie or snowbird may be seen, also an eagle or
| hawk But the most remarkable inhabitant
is the North American pika, a little gray
animal about the size of guinea pig and
| without any tail 1t is classed with the hares.
but the points of resemblance are very few
and rather indistinct. Its home is in among
the rocks between the timber line and per
| petual snow. This is the only species of the
animal known in America. They are numer-
GUS, and several may sometimes be seen at
once sitting on the rocks Their cry reminds
one OF the prairie dog, but is less loud and
shril. When approached they dart down
among the rocks and are safe.
The summit is by no means craggy and in
accessible, but consists of about SEVENTH
acres of nearly level surface, being somewhat
dome shaped, and consists entirely of broken
fragments of red granite rocks, over which
persons can walk without difficulty, stepping
from one stone to another, although care is
required for safety. The signal service station
Is low stone building on the southeastern
edge OF the summit, below which the noun
tain is very steep, while on the north side i,
is PERCEPTIONS, and rocks started here &c
laundering down over snow banks for thou
sands of feet, until they are lost to both sight
and hearing The west side is less steep, and
here both the trail and carriage road fint
their way by zigzags to the summit
AN IMPRESSIVE VIEW.
The view from the peak is grand and i'm
pressive, but you are too high up and toe
far away TO get the effects of landscape seen.
cry that are TO be met with in places of far
less elevation Here one is impressed with
the magnitude of the surroundings To the
eastward the great plains extend without ap
parent limit, while far away on the ives,
are piled up mountains upon mount
aims, with many snow capped peaks
while TO the north and south the dividing
line between the mountains and the plain.
can be traced to the limit of vision.
While the ascent of the peak is fatiguine
and is seldom made in less than six hours
yet 1t is always interesting, as new scenes ar,
constantly opening up before us, and beside
nature has furnished an abundant supply o
ice water at frequent intervals. This water
coming directly from the snow banks, is a
pure as one could desire. A small runnin.
stream of this ice water was noticed within
$50 yards of this signal service station, ant
where the surface rocks were removed il
grading the new road ice could be seen in in
eIhaustible quantities
We hear much about persons suffering
from difficulty in breathing and bleeding a
nose while at such heights, but others do no
experience any inconvenience. The pulse i
generally qulckened, however, and is USUALLY
about that Of a fever patient The sigma
service here will be abandoned in October, a
it is very exposing for the men, and the ad
vantages to be derived from it are not of sufl
cient value TO warrant its continuance Tn
winters are long and severe, Last winter tn
men were showed in for three months, tn
snow being thirty feet deep, completely bury
ing the station, but they always lay in SUP
plies for such emergencies World