The Yellowstone journal., 1894-11-21
ON MOUNTAIN TOP.
GRAPHIC DESCRIPTION OF THE VIEW
FROM LONGS PEAK.
A Landscape No Painter Can Put Upon
Canvas, No Words Fully Express-Trem-
bling with Fear at the stupend"us
seeae-Anna Dictinson's Card.


All lovers Of mountain scenery hav-
ing a few days time at their disposal
xa,st make flying trip 10 Estes p'rk,
the most beautiful and inviting of all
Colorado parks, but not the largest. lt
Is only six miles wide by ten miles long, /
through which run several streams, filed /
with ''speckled beauties" so much
sought for by skilled anglers. At tho
south end of the park rises Longs peak |
il all its majesty and grandeur, with a
sentinel on either side nearly equal its
height. The altitude of the park is
1900 feet.
We leave our wheels at the hotel and :
Asive up TO Lambs ranch, where we
send the night at an elevation of TO-
go feet.
Al sunrise the next morning, mount
81 oa horseback, with an experienced
saide in the lead, we ride up to timber
line, where we picket our horses and
commence the climb of the bowlder
aelds, necessitating much courage and
Aetermination, as these bowlders are
angular rocks Of solid granite and run
in size from chicken coop to mod
an dwelling In the center Of this bowl
der fieldwas passcdthe slabreeording the
Anath of Carrie Welton of Connecticut,
who a few years since unwisely insist
ed upon the guide accompanying her TO
he peak too late in the season. When
returning, they were caught in severe
gale and binding storm. After suffer
ing as only. one can suffer when sur
sounded by that intense Loneliness, stung
by the pangs Of cold and cravings of hun
ae4, her life was sacrificed. The trusty
guide for hours made supernatural eff
forts to carry her over those almost i'm
passable rocks until, at her request, he
left her to bring rescuing party from
she ranch, which upon arrival found
hfe extinct
Follow ing ti,e guide, we pass through
m opening called the ''keyhole" and
emerge beside an unwelcome precipice
We carefully pick our way along the
brink, which requires all our nerve and
resolution, but yet is not as tiresome as
the loose sand aud broken rock, rising
ut an incline of As degrees, just beyond.
By perseverance and an occasional rest
we are enabled to reach that ugly preci-
pice on our right, and by using both
hands and feet we make the summit,
where we stand speechless with wonder
and adlmiration. Hard as it was, we
would make the same heroic effort a
hundred times were it necessary to wit
ness the grand scene before uA.
Nearly s, 900 feet below is Estes park,
the sportsman paradise; TO the west Is
Middle park and Hot Sulphur Springs;
to the south South park Beyond these
peaks we see the range for distance Of
over 200 miles With the aid of our
glasses we discern Gray's peak, Mount
Lincoln, Mount Evans, Pixies peak and
Old Ouray in Marshall pass, some Of
which are 600 miles distant. What a
scene it isl What an ocean of mountain
pillows, in constrast to which we turn
to the east and see an ocean of plains
the one as quiet as the peaceful sea in a
calm, the other as tempestuous as the
tossing billows.
Never was time more valuable than
now. So much TO be seen. Such pic
ture to paint in our minds so that ii may
never fade Think of making this i'm
preston indelibly upon ones mind,
covering this panoramic view of 200
miles in either direction of plains, val
leys, parks and mountains, of growing
fields of wheat and far distant cities, of
snow capped mountains, of magnificent
forests and crystal streams.
Again and again we sweep the hori-
zon and study landscape no painter
can paint, no speech can express. Before
returning we must look at the souvenir
deposits of visitors. Here is shingle by
lTsllia,,a
Byres. was the first to make the ascent
in 1868 Here is Anna Dickinson S card,
the first woman to ascend the peak, also
of the party who climbed the peak in
1878 to witness the total eclipse, to-
gether with thousands of visitors cards.
The top of the peaRsSs level, covering
q few acres, and we wonder that a house
has not been built there for the accom-.
mediation of those who might wish tc
remain overnight and see the sun rise.
Before returning we must take one looi
over the crater wall, which has per
pendicular descent of 5000 feet How
nervously we approach the edge, steI
BY step, until our strength fails us and
we can go no farther.
Trembling with fear, we return from
this stupendous scene, hewildered witt
mixed feelings of pleasure and fear. Be
fore making the descent we take fina
view, the like of which we shall nevel
again see. We retrace our steps, ant
having passed the most dangerous
places courage is restored, and we reaci
the park after nightfall so tired ant
with such longing for our couch, bu
with the feeling that we would sacrific'
anything reasonable rather than deny
ourselves to Longs peak, but having
ence made it nothing would tempt III
10 climb it again. B. Ligh
in Good Roads.