The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1892-09-26
WALKING DOWN PIXIES PEAK.
A Big Feat of Pedestrianism, With Many
Stirring Scenes by the Way.
washington Start

Washington Start
It was exactly o'clock when the sun
first appeared. 1t would be close to
noon before the first train would leave
the summit to go down the mountain. |
was anxious to catch the $50 train from
Manitou to Denver, so concluded to
walk down the mountain. The tramp,
knew. would be a difficult one, but the
air was cold, and thought little hard
work Just then would keep me warm.
Ice and frost we're around me, and snow
reflected back the sunshine from the
mountains to the westward. Once,
when not careful in picking my way,
slipped down on the ice and sustained
rather severe bruises, as fell upon the
cog railway. Each of the the thermome-
tiers at the summit house indicated 330 f.
1t had been much colder before dawn.
1t was the biggest attempt at pedestri-
anism I ever undertook. Every time
stepped down the incline upon tie an
chored in the rocks my body was severely
Jared. Before had gone three miles
down was glad to rest frequently, and
by the time | got to Manitou, 10 miles
from the summit. it was with difficulty
that could move without making very
awkward attempts. The journey con-
sumed little more than four hours.
Many did it in less time, but the average
was greater. 1t was surprising how
many people essayed to walk to the
summit and back. When I started down
I left half hundred people grouped
around bonfires trying to keep warm,
and before reached the lower end of
the line of railway 1 met hundreds of
men and woman, boys and girls, determ-
ined on climbing the mountain.
Many were lying exhausted by the
wayside. One young lady had sunk
down when within rifle shot of the sum
nit, and her escort had gone to the top
and secured for her blanket. In the
folds of which she was sleeping. On
the train back to Denver l met one old
couple who had made the ascent the day
before. The husband was easily in the
sixties and the wife not many years his
Junior. They had started up the noun
tain at 8 o'clock the day before, intend
ing only to go short distance, but by
easy stages they reached the top at
O'Clock. in the evening. At s they
started down again and arrived at the
hotel in Manitou about o'clock in the
morning.
From the summit to the foothills,
fully four or five miles down, but
one house was found, and that was oc-
cupled by gang of men employed in
keeping the railroad in repair. At the
next habitation I stopped to see if l
of
typical mountain home. One apart
ment served as bedroom, while the
remaining one was used as a parlor,
kitchen, dining room and railway sta
ton. 1t was called Mountain Dew. 1
soon had a good breakfast.
It was not served in
the style of Delmonico, but everything
was clean and wholesome. 1 never saw
whittier bread than the mountaineer's
wife set before me.
No game worthy of mention was seen
along the route. Two or three miles
down from the summit saw specimens
of a strange bird, which emitted cry
similar to that of the ordinary bluejay.
1t was the Rocky mountain jay, much
larger in size than its namesalSe of the
plains and forests below. Many hun
dreds of squirrels that looked like chip
Perhaps they were the rodent that killed
the girl buried at the summit. At any
rate, l saw no other animals that looked
like rats.
The old burro trail has not been aban-
doned entirely, Notwithstanding the fact
that railroad has been constructed to
the summit. On my way down the
mountain I saw several small parties
making the ascent in this way. At many
points the riders would have been dashed
down precipice hundreds of feet high
were the horses or mules to make mis-
step. 1t may be interesting to the lady
readers of the Star to be told that there
were no side-saadles employed. Ladies
rode according to the fashion of the
Steiner sex, astride the animals, the
better also to be secure in the saddles
when steep places in the ascent or de-
scent were encountered. Some people
might like to have an idea of the height
of Pixies peak as compared with some