The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1894-04-25
AMERICAS ALPS.
JAGGED PEAKS, DEEP CANYONS
AND RIVERS OF ICE.
A Region That Rivals Switzerland
hut That Country Has No
Gold Ledges - Flower Gar
dens Among the Snow.
T1HE scenery of Monte Cristo is
wonderfully grand and beau
tiful, says paper published
the State Of Wnnl,s,,,I...

| n S''yS PopSi
in the State of Washington.
| There are no foothills to give an ap-
pearance of remotencds. tc the land
scape, but peaks, glaciers, canyons
and rockslides rise in the widest con.
fusion from the very outskirts of the
| town, and give to the would-be noun.
taineer every opportunity for the
speedy qualification of his exploring
| proclivities.
The route up Glacier Creek asccnds
the gulch for the first half mile at a com-
paratively easy grade, past tho famous
Rainy Mine, and then across tho foot
of great rockslide that takes it's name
from the Mystery Mine, situated near
its summit. These slides are very
prominent features of the scenery
they always form an approach to any
particularly abrupt mountain, and are
the accumulations of debris resulting
from the gradual disintegrstion of the
cliffs during untold centuries. AS
| great masses OF rock and boulders give
way before the ceaseless workings of
frost and snow, and roll crashing down
the mountain sides, the huge stono
| piles increase until the solid earth is
buried hundreds Of feet beneath their
unstable mass, and uniform slopes arc
formed that extend we'll up the sides
Of the precipices. The law of gravity
precipitatcs to tho bottom of these
slides tho larger of the boulders,
which steadily decrease in size until,
ut the face of the cliff, the smallest
fragments are found that roll and give
under foot, and makes progress over
them very trying task.
| The Mystery rockslide ascends al
most directly from the banks of
| Glacier Creek to a height of 1900 feet,
where it joins On overhanging preci-
pice that rises another 1000 feet, and
Is known as the Wilmans Peak.
After crossing this slide the almost
perpendicular Mystery Hill is en-.
countered, curious rocky spur from
the peak, over which the trail gradu.
ally makes its way by the aid of switch
backs and an average grade of twenty
per cent. Down this obstruction the
mad waters of the creek dash in a
series Of picturesque falls through the
narrow chasm carved by it's own re-
sistlcss might, and then flows more
gently at the base OF line of snow
clad peaks scanned with tremendous
canyons until Mt about two miles from
town, and 1900 feet above 1t. Glacier
Basin is reached.
This is trcelcss and perfectly level
boulder-strewn valley OF fifty acres,
covered in summer with the greenest
Of grass and brightest of flowers and
shut in on all sides by great, Jagged
mountains that rise to an almost
vertical height OF $500 feet. It is
one OF natures paradoxes--a bit OF
summer reposing in the lap of winter
The loveliest of flowers bloom with
tropical luxu?iance at the foot of
eternal snow slopes. Perpendicular
precipices rise abruptly from spot
as level as n race track, and at the
head of the basin the creek emerges
from under the great glacier thai
frowns down upon the valley created
by it's own agency. and reflects tbs
sunlight from it's yawning ice crevasscs
In every Imaginable tint of green and
blue. To tie west tho Wi!mau, Peaks
three stupendous obelisks OF stone,
rise naked and bare 1900 feet above
the creek, aud to tho cast the haw-
tooth summita OF the main range rear
their Jagged heads in score of con
torted pinacles, and shut out from all,
save the most adventurous, tho
mysteries OF the great unknown he.
yond.
mile southwest of Glacier Basin,
and separated from it by the high,
rocky ridge which begins ut the face
Of the glacier and terminates in the
Wilmsns Peaks, lies the Seventy-six
Basin. This is not so large as the one
just described and the surroundings
are rather less abrupt and imposing,
but it is very beautiful, aud is con.
Ndered by some more attractive than
It's greater neighbor.
1t is possible to go direct from one
to the other by climbing the steep
snow slope leading from the top OF
Mystery rockslide to the gap between
the Wilmans Peaks anil then descend
ing gulch to Seventy. six Creek, but
the trip is one that few care to under.
take and il has only been accom-
plished, 1 believe. by those two ex.
pert mountaineers. George Blake and
Joe Pearsall. i had the honor OF see-
L II