The Dickinson press., 1888-12-22
CLIMBING PIXIES PEAK,
INTERESTING ACCOUNT OF A TRIP
MADE ON FOOT.

On tho Old Trail from Manitou-The
Timber Line-Thc North American Pika.
Scene OH the Summit of tho peak-An
Impressive View.
IN view of tho opening of tho wagon road
to the summit of Pixies Peak, the following
account of trip on foot may prove interest.
ing:
10 ascend Pixies Peak by the old trail from
Mamtou is worthy the ambition of any younr
person. Thus nearly every day during tho
summer months may he seen from twenty to
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 younr.
male and female, may be seen on the trail
tic majority are young or middle aged per-
sons, and the larger number are men or BOYS.
oat IL Is quito common for young ladies' to
make tho journey, and not unfreoucntly on
1oot. Some make the ascent leisurely during
inc daY, arriving at the summit in the even
ing, ana remain over night in order to cnioy
the sunrise.
1t Is twelve miles from Manitou to the
summit, and tho elevation to be overcome is
nearly sWO0 feet, Manitou having an altitude
OF over 5000 feet and the peak l4,21G. This
Is about GOO feet to tho mile. The timber
line varies according to latitude and other
conditions. Hero it is from II, 500 to l2.OOO
trct The same may bo said III regard to
snow remaining throughout the year. While
lhere may he no snow on the summit of tho
peak, 1t Is found many feet in depth in Shell
tered places little lower down
TIE TIMBER LINE.
The timber line Is in many cases sharply
defined. The quaking aspen is common to n
high altitude, but scrubby pines arc the most
conspicuous timber seen ut the upper edge of
the line, and beyond this not Il trace of anv
kind of woody growth is to be seen. But
tino short grass, where the surface is not
covered with rocks, is abundant, and there is
asproporion of pretty littlo flowers in great
variety but mostly without fragrance.
About the timber line an occasional mag.
pc or snowbir'l may he sccn also an eagle or
hawk. But the most remarkable inllabitant
Is the North American pika, n little gray
animal about the size Of Il guinea pig and
without any tail 1t is classcd with the hares
but the points of resemblance arc very few
and rather indistinct. Its home is in among
the rocks between the timber line and per-
l"tlal snow. This is tho only species of tho
animal known i'll America. They are numcr-
o'ls AMI several may sometimes he seen at
once sitting on the rocks. Their cry reminds
one of the prairie dog, but is less loud and
slrill. When approached they dart down
among tho rocks and are safe.
liie summit is by no means craggy and in
accessible, but consists Of about seventy five
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 caro- is
required for safety. The signal service station
is low stono building on tho southeastern
edge of the summit, below which the noun
tain is very steep, while on tho north side it
is prccpitous, and rocks started here 90
laundering down over snow banks for thou
sands OF feet, until they arc lost to both Sight
and hcnring. Tho west side is less steep, and
hero both tho trail and carriage road find
tlc!r way by Zigzags to the summit.
AN IMPRESSIVE VIEW
The view from the peak is grand and i'm.
pressivc, but You are too high up and too
far away to get the effects of landscape sccn-
cry that are to be met with in places of far
less elevation. Here one is impressed with
tie magnitude of tho surroundings. To tho
eastward tho great plains extend without ap-
parent limit, while far away on the west
are piled up mountains upon mount
aims, with many snow capped peaks,
while to the north and south tho dividing
Inc between the mountains and tho plains
can be traced to the limit of vision
While tho ascent Of the peak is fatiguing
and is seldom made in less than six hours,
yet it is always interesting, as new scenes arc
constantly opening up before u.s. and besides
nature has furnished an abundant supply Of
leo water ut frequent intervals This water,
coming directly from the snow banks, is as
pure us one could desire. small running
stream Of this ice water was noticed within
I'D yards Of this signal service station and
where the surface rocks were removed in
grading the new road ice could be seen in in
cxhauatble quantities.
We hear much about persons suffering
from difficulty in breathing and bleeding at
nose while at such heights, but others do not
experience any Inconvenience. Tho pulse il;
generally quickencd, however, and is usually
about that of n fever patient The signal
service hero will be abandoned in October, as
it is very exposing for the men, and the ad-
vantagcs to be derived fromit are not of suffi-
cient value to warrant its continuance The
winters are long and severe. Last winter tho
men We're showed in for three months, the
snow being thirty feet deep, completely bury
ing the station, but they always lay in sup
pies for such cmergencies.-Denver World.