The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1894-04-25


about two miles from town the basin
is reached very similar to the one
already described. with its sombre
glacier, glittering snow slopes, lovely
fora and mysterious box canyons.
These last rrc n peculiar feature Of tho
place; at least dozen branch off I'M
cell directions, some of them scarcely
twenty feet wide and with lofty per.
pendicular walls that almost exclude
the light of day from their gloomy
depths. From near the foot of tho
glacier n steep trail crosses the noun.
tnins by the pass through which,
scarcely five years ago, the little band
of prospectors first made their way
from the Silver Crock District into tho
then unnamed Monte Cristo region,
and from here began their memorable
trip through the wilderness and down
the unknown stream that was after
wards identified ss the upper Sauk
River.
Seventeen hundred feet above the
valley the eulcli widens out into tho
narrow, shelf-like niche in the noun
tains, on which are located The upper
workings of the Monte Cristo Mine,
and then, contracting to II mere cleft
in the cliffs scarcely fifteen feet wide,
extends to the summit at 80 sharp an
angle that it can only he assembled Gu
hands and knees. This is risky
place on account of the rock slides
that are continually laundering down
the narrow way at rate that makes
1t highly interesting for an ascending
party. The vertical walls wbic! are
perfectly straight and smooth, afford
no shelter from the descending bould.
ers, and in some cases the only thing
to do is to dodge to the best Of ones
ability and trust to luck.
Fortunately this last stretch is net
long, and after $50 feet of laborious
climbing the crest of tho dividing
ridge is reached, and the view-pnr
excellence-of the district lies at the
feet of the painting mountaineer.
This is n spot so sublime in its wild
grandeur that, standing upon it, the
most facile of writer's would have to
acknowledge tho inadequacy of pen or
language to do it justice.
Rising at the extremities of the di-
viding ridge-scsrce fifty feet long
and so narrow that it can be straddled
two perpendicular obelIsk like
shafts of weather beaten rock majes-
tically face each other across the mar
row gulf OF the descending chasm and
form gigantic portals to the Eastern
view. Looking down between these,
1900 feet below, can be seen the
green, park-like expanse of Glacier
Basin, with its creek meandering in
silver threads among the huge boul-
ders, and 5000 feet above all the great
rugged wall of the main range, tower
ing ridge on ridge, peak surmounting
peak. to the mighty submits wreathcd
in their eternal SHOWS. The view,
framed as it il between the gloomy
masses Of the overhanging pinnacles,
has wild, almost unearthly aspect
bat is singularly impressive.
Westward, the prospect is more ex-
tended. In an unbroken slope, n
glacier-bounded snowslide descends
for a distance OF 500 feet, and then
gives place to labyrinth OF cedar
covered hills and canyons that fall
rapidly to Seventy-six Creek, half n
mile away. Across the precipice-
bounded valley sea OF mountains
stretches in rugged confusion to the
horizon, rising and falling in graceful
slopes, or towering in sentinel-like
peaks, that contrast their Jagged
nakedness with the sombre green OF
the lower hills. Numerous patches OF
glistening snow add variety to COM
bination already beautiful, and just
across the valley, scarcely . mile dis
tant, the exquisite little Silver Lake
reposes in the shelf-like depression
that almost overhangs the valley a
thousand feet below. Seventy-five
miles to the southwest, snowclad
Rainier resrs its lofty cone, looking in
the uncertain haze of the far distance
like great white cloud, and when the
atmospheric conditions are favorable,
far to the west a mysterious surface
of glittcring silver reveals the waters
Of Puget Sound.