The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1895-09-12
A TRIP WESTWARD.

ton Springs. II is the home of many
milllonaires who are attracted by the
salubrIty of its climate and its general
cleanliness. The mesa road leads to the
Garden of the Gods and drive over 1t
Is sort of introduction to the beauties
OF which one gets a view 10 making the
ascent of Pixies Peak. The Garden OF
the Gods Is noted more for the fantastic
character OF its formation than for any
special feature of grandeur. II is one OF
the thresholds If thu Rocky Mountains,
and one Is lost in admiration OF beauties
which would not receive passing notice
when what lies beyond has burdened the
senses with their colossal grandeur and
detail of beauty. Manltou Springs
nestles at the foot of Pixies Peak. Its
site is gorge just IS 1t merges into the
valley. Tho mountain streams have lost
their turbulence but their liquid purllng
is IS enchanting to the ear as their CLINT
ing waters are charming to the eye
ManItou Springs Is dwarfed by the
mountain. One sees no beauty that is
not fashioned by Natures hand. A
mountain city borrows no beauty from
It's surroundings. 1t has no identity dis
tinct from them and is swallowed up by
their overshadowing magnlficence. There
Is no Manitou Springs, as city, IN ons's
recollection. 1t is the mountain which
the imagination pictures with this one
speck of beauty added, which brings 1t
more in touch with our experience.
The ascent of Pixies Peak is made by
means of cog wheel railway. There are
other means, but they are laborlous. The
ascent requires two hours The track
follows the canyon through which PUSHES
mountain stream, beautiful OF itself,
| but indescribably SO because of its envir-
onments. Through this canyon one
| catches at times glimpses OF the valley.
1t seems d glance at paradise, and when
sudden bend IL the road shuts out the
view the majesty Of the towering cliffs
| but poorly compensates foI what they by
their inteposition has taken from US.
The pulse beats fast when the summit
| is reached. The head swims and the
eustachian tube is SO filled with air that
one is tempted to puueture the ear drum
to secure relief The least physical ex.
ertion is wearylng. 1t is an unpleasant
| sensation to grow weary on this great
| hight as it seems you are on the verge OF
a total collapse. The government sta
Uion appears lonely though it affords ia
cIlities for instant communication with
| the world below.
The "queer feeling" prevents one from
| approaching fully the grand panorama
spread out before him. The magnificent
| valley which stretches ont III the direc-
ton Of Denver has It's inequalities of sur
face softened by distance. The Garden
of the Gods with its castellated peaks OF
terra Gotta lies at the foot as if otferin G
homage to this magnificent creation.
Manitou is in the shadow, beautiful in It's
voluntary subservieuce. Colorado Springs
and Colorado City are toy cities IN the
distance. Fringes of green mark the
river courses, and the mesas appear like
gentle undulations. The sunlight on the
valleys, viewed from great hight, have
an lne> pressible charm. In other dlrec-
tions mountains tower as if in rivalry of
this SCARED monster of the aerial nights,
| whose summit has never felt the soften
ing touch of vendure, Off in the distance
| Cipp!e Creek comes within the line of
in tins wilderness of stupendous crea.
tons. In the descent openings in the
canyon reveal the valley bathed in It's
| loneliness. Viewed from the darkened
recesses of this mighty fissure, the valley
seems suspendt d ia the air and the over
| lying atmosphere seems tinted. The san
light has lost its glare and the shadows
of clouds moving on lazily give one the
impression of gazing on dissolvlng view.
The Denver & Rio Grande is very ap.
| propriately called the Scenic Line of
|
tinction. a narrow gauge road runs
from Sallda to Grand Junction, dis
lance Of over $50 miles. The excursion
had been so arranged that the Pullman
coaches would be sent on from SalIda to
| Grand Junction over the standard gauge
another branch of the Denver & Rio
/ IRON hn n
traversed by the narrow gauge road is
the grandest in the world accessible by
rail. The road follows the Gunnison
river In its course through the mountains
one of the grandest pathways of which
mind can CONCEIVE When the Black
Canyon was reached an observation car
was put on as these towering cliffs can
not be seen to their full hight from the
windows of an ordinary coach. One may
as well attempt ''to paint the lily or
gid refined gold" as to give description
OF this canyon at all commensurate with
it's magnifcence. The cliffs rise precipit-
ously to a hight of $500 feet. Their
CONFORMATION prevents their becoming
monotonous. and their munifcence of
color deprlvee them of the gloom usually
attendant upon creations OF indescrlbable
power. One looks upon these mountains
of rock with awe, and the Imagination
runs riot in picturlng to itself the fearful
convulsions which were the source of the
dynamic power which reared these
mighty columns. For miles and miles
you are whirled through scenes which
defy description until you feel oppressed
| by their magnifcence and are almost ter