Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-07-13

ABOVE THE CLOUDS, Col. June 26.
As I step outside the door of the shelter
house the frozen snow crackles sharply be-
meath my feet. Close about me the scene is
one Of strange and chill desolation. Every
where the eye rests on the still white surface
of the fresh-fallen snow. notified by the irregu-
lar outlines of deep-brown protruding rocks
that look black in the dim light of the stars.
The absolute repose over the great sweep of
the mountain top suggests painfully the eter-
nal sleep of dead world The pulseless
silence of accomplished destiny broods over
all. Not the faintest movement of the air is
felt. To sense does there come
a sign of life. The air seems to grow
thick and heavy. You feel the stiffness as
an invisible, impalpable powder stealthily
stealing down about you. The eye cannot de-
tect 1t. but recognizes its presenc through a
gathering dImness of vision. 1t chOkes the
throat and Expresses the chest until the heart
beats faster and faster and the breath comes
quick and painfully. And then the spell IS
broken and the brooding silence put to flight.
The rapid beating of the heart nils the ear
with surging waves of sound. The churning
motion OF the blood pump is felt almost 10 the
toes and an involuntary sigh heaves up from
the oppressed recesses OF the chest. turn for
further relief and withdraw my eyes from the
white and cold desOlation of the vast noun
tain ridge. lift them above the white irregu-
lar line that marks the margin of the snow
capped peak and look beyond TO where the
plain should lie. Here they dIiate in pleasure
on a strange and beautiful vision of light and
life. Far away 20 the east, pendent on the
breast Of the darkness, dances and flashes
MIGHTY MALTESE CROSS OF IMMENSE DIA-
MONDs.
The light Of the great gems seems to live and
move, and it CLEANS through the cold air with
electric brIlliance. Each jewel must be swung
separately, for they dance and sway in diverse
directions and dash together in dazzling con-
fusion until at the center there is d wild and
bewilderlng crOss-hre OF shooting light. A
little removed from this strange Jewel dangling
on the breast of night, and nearer to the foot
OF the mountain, other lights CLEAN less
brightly, while nearer still. dim in the deeping
shadow. still others, faint in radiance and
few in number. Far away to the north, in a
harlow dusky belt between the white rim of the
snOW-cldd hills and the pale electric blue of the
horizon line, there rests a dull yellow glare. To
the southeast another smaller and similar spot
draws the eye. Above all the cloudless sky
CLEANS with thousands of stars whose light is
as cold as the snow fields that spread about my
feet.
/ am standing on the summit of Pixies peak
The great Maltese cross of dancing diamonds to
the east Is formed by the electric lights of Col
orado Springs, Is miles away. The nearer
nights are those of Colorado City and that gem
OF Rocky mountain summer resorts, Manitou
Springs. The latter is II miles distant. Just at
the foot of the great mountain on whose sum
nit stand The yellow glare to the north Is
the lights Of Denver. so miles away. while that
10 the southeast comes from PuebIo's lights, As
miles distant.
am repaid already for my hard DAVIS work,
my anNietIes and disComforts. | turn and re-
enter the big, cold hall Of the old signal service
station where l am to pass the night. The chill
IN the air causes me to hasten my steps | soon
SLOW up, however, with tightening sensation
about the chest and queer cOngested feeling
IN the head L recollect that am over 1900
feet above sea level and that nv lungs are not
Yet capable of extracting more than Just enough
oxygen out of the amount of the rarifed air
they can take IN to supply a very easy-going
existence. So / have to 90 slow Even then [
hnd myself occasionally painting spasmodlcaly
With feeling about the chest as of some one
drawing rope tightly just under my arms
Nearly all the time | can hear my heart beat
and feel myself shake like a building with a
powerful engine IN IL.
TIE TENDERFooT's AMBITION.
Nearly every tenderfoot who drifts into this
region, unless a pronounced invalid. becomes
filed with desire to make the ascent of Pixies
peak. All the glObe-trotters do il as part of
their prescribed routine. Last summer over
4.OUO people came 10 the summit. All but a
very small percentage of them came up on
horseback. This season the new carriage road
to the summit from place called Cascade is
distance by the old trail from Manitou Springs
Is twelve miles. This is still the favorite route
and Will probably remain so until the talked of
cOg-wheel railway 10 the summit is built. The
average tourist has considerable dash Of ro-
nance IN his or her makeup. They seem to
regard II as more romantic to crawl around the
sides of the mountains on horse or mule back
than IN carriage. Even women and girls
many OF them quite unused to the saddle
have this preference. OF course they sin in
Ignorance. but the nanalty il no INIT taI
That account by nature any more than by the
Revised Statutes. When they get back to their
hotels IN the evening they not infrequently
TOO utterly used up to eat. sleep, or rest in any
position Their nerves are shattered by har-
rowing anxieties, caused by their horses sink
ing breast deep into snow drifts. scrambIing
over jagged rocks, and sliding part way down
the trall where II winds about cliffs midway be-
tween heaven and Perdition. Some of the men
suffer quite as lnuch as the women. In some
respects the best way to make the ascent
Is ON foot In other respects it is
the worst way. To me il seemed
altogether the most desirable way and, after
trying IN vain for several DAYS to find a COM
panion who took the same view of it, I
started out this morning to make the attempt
alone To a hardened mountain climber the
trlP would doubtless have been mere baga-
tene. man with large lung capacity and
strong heart who was accustomed to arduous
outdoor exercise might accomplish it without
much distress. But for the ordinary Young
man OF not very vigorous build and little used
to rough outdoor life the undertaking was
moderately eXacting. SO how / Jared in the
toilsome tramp over the rocks and through
slush and snow may prove interesting and in
structlve to Others Of similar physical capacity
who have an ambition to go and do likewise
THE START.
IL was late start which / got this morning
from Manitou- The sun, over four hours high,
beat down blisteringly on the back of NV necl,
As passed the iron springs and lodged under
the chain at the toll house waich guards the
entrance TO the Pixies Peak trail proper. Cross
ing rude bridge over the beautiful mountain
torrent which makes perpetual music for
ManitOu as II dashes down to the plains. the
trail at once begins steep ascent along the
sOutherly side of Engleman's canon. take off
my coat, sling IL across my shoulder and. bend
ing TO my work, climb with considerable
rapidity up the steep and pebble-strewn path.
There are few trees growing on the
mountain side, but they afford little shade.
The burning sun pOurs down on me
and down pOurs the responsive perspiration in
trlckling streams from forehead and back.
The pebbles IN the trail are sharp. the rise il
continuous and great but one forgets all dis
tresses IN glancing up and about or down to
the fOaming torrent dashing in angry haste
against and around and above the great boul.
ders that obstruct Its chosen course The wild
and varied beauty OF the canon is beyond i'm
agInaton- Its precipitous sides are strewn
with huge rocks that 1t would seem the touch
OF "A Daby's finger cOud huri from, thai ro.+;, :