The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1894-12-08
ON MOUNTAIN TOP.
GRAPHIC OF scRlPTloN or THE VIEW
FROM LONGS PEAK.

A Landscape No Painter Can Put Upon
Canvas, No Words Fully Express-Trem-
bling with Fear at the stupendOus
scene-Anna Dicklnson's Card.
All lovers of mountain scenery hay
ing a few days time at their disposal
must make a flying trip to Estes park,
the most beautiful and inviting of all
Colorado parks, but not the largest. 1t
il only six miles wide by ten miles long,
through which run several streams, filled
with ~''speckled beauties" SO much
sought for by skilled anglers. At the
south end of the park rises Longs peak
in all its majesty and grandeur, with a
sentinel ON either side nearly equal it's
height. The altitude of the park is
2, 800 feet.
We leave our wheels at the hotel and
drive up t Lambs ranch, where we
spend the night at an elevation of TO-
900 feet.
At sunrise the next morning, mount
ed ON horseback. with an experienced
guide in the lead, we ride up to timber
line, where we picket u horses and
commences the climb of the bowlder
fields, necessitating much courage and
| determination, as these powders are
angular rocks of solid granite and run
in size from a chicken coop to q mod
ern dwelling. In the center of this bowl
der field was passed the s~labrecording the
death of Carrie Welton of Connecticut.
who o few years since unwisely insist
ed upon the guide accompanying her to
the peak too late in the season. When
returning, they were caught In q severe
gale and binding storm. After suffer
ing as only one can suffer when sur.
rounded by that intense loneliness, stuna
by the pangs of cold and cravings of hun
ger, 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, hi
left her to bring a rescuing party from
the ranch, which upon arrival foune
life extinct.
Following the guide, we pass through
an opening called the 'tkeyhole" and
emerge beside an unwelcome precipace
We carefully pick our way along the
brink, which requires all our nerve an
resolution, but yet is not as tirescme a
the loose sand and broken rock. rising
at an incline of 45 degrees. just beyond
BY perseverance, and an occasional res
we are enabled to reach that ugly preci
pice on orr right, and by using boil
hands and feet we make the summit
where we stand SPECIFICS with wonde
and admiration. Hard a. it was, w
would make the same heroic effort
hundred times Were it necessary to wit
ness the grand scene before us.
Nearly s. 900 feet below is Estes park
the sportsman's paradise; to the west
Middle park and Hot Sulphur Springs
to the south South park. Beyond thes
peaks we see the range for o distance {
over 600 miles. With the aid Of OF
glasses we discern Gray's peak, Noun
Lincoln. Mount Evans, Pixies peak an
Old Ouray in Marshall pass, some
which are 200 miles distant. What
scene it isl What an ocean Of mountai
pillows, in constrast to which we tur
to the east and see an ocean of plains
the one as quiet Is the peaceful sea in
n calm, the other as tempestuous as th
tossing pillows.
Never was time more valuable tha
now. So much TO be seen. Such q pi,
ture to paint in our minds 50 that il ma
never fade. Think OF making this In
preston indelibly upon ones mind
covering this panoramic view Of i20
| miles in either direction Of plains, Va
, leys, parks and mountains, of CROWN
fields of wheat and far distant cities, i
snow capped mountains. of magnfficel