St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1896-01-17
FROM DENVER TO CANON CITY ON
A BICYCLE.
BY n Ryeeafe Boy,

y
trip 10 Canon CITY and return on
bicycle.
When first started the weathe
was fine and the roads good, but tn
wheel gave out when | had mad
, about twenty miles OF the journel
and | returned aloot and exchanged
it for another heavier one and start
ed again the next noon, stopping a
night forty miles south, and reached
Colorado Springs at one O'Clock tht
next day.
That night | stayed at Mr. Goss'
and as the next day was stormy, ht
and | visited Maniton.
Sunday night there was fearful
wind that was afraid would blow
in the windows, though it did not
and Monday Mr.. Goss and visited
THE Garden OF the Gods"
There was a slight snow the next
morning and a sharp frost, several
degrees below zero should think.
The sun shone out in the morning,
and it clouded over later in the day.
! reached Dead Mans Gulch" at
noon, which is a deep, narrow,
grassy valley and enclosed with steep
hills and mountains except the high,
vertical, red rock on one side and a
ravine on the other guard the en-
trance. 1t was indeed weird place
within, though picturesque enough
from the high ground beyond. Far
Their along the ground was, in places,
as red as paint or brick, and that
would be followed by common clay
and in the ravines this same alterna-
ton appeared in layers and / noticed
the same variation of color in the
rocks on some OF the bluffs which
made them look as il deeply stained
with blood. Soon came to lots Of
tree cactus, two or three feet tall,
covered with a thick, heshy green
bark, loaded with thorns like steel
needles and numerous short branches.
arrived in Canon City before
dark. 1t is pleasant village of four
or five thousand people, nestled
among the hills in the Arkansas val
ley and within a mile of the opening
OF the canon, which few miles far
Their west, narrows into the Royal
Gorge. AS the next day was stormy,
| walked up through that great nat
ural wonder with high mountains on
every hand and in the narrowest
place the reddish wrinked rocks
stand only about forty feet apart
and at least five hundred feet high
and down through this the Arkansas
river with a good volume of clear
water rushes wildly. From this
river comes the city supply of water.
Rent and provisions in Canon City
were much higher than in Denver,
apples and coal less. The night after
the storm the temperature must have
been little below zero, and several
sleighs were out. The next morning
was bright, and by noon the two or
three inches of snow that had fallen
was fast disappearing.
The people thought it was very
cold and as bad weather as they ever
had during winter. Besides being
125 miles farther south, and no high
er than Denver, this place is we'll
sheltered from the wind, which gives
it an evener climate.
Two mineral springs of iron and
soda and a "hot spring" of 1O2
degrees are near the town, and apple
orchards are numerous in the valley,
anu the town itself is about as well
sheltered from winds as Wells River.
| started back Thursday noon,
stopping at farm house at night,
and continued the journey next
morning on foot through the slip
perry mud, which clogged the wheel
badly.
The following night l again put
up at Mr.. Goss' and the next morn.
ing started before daylight upon the
remaining rs miles and reached Den
yer about dark. got along well
coming up to the Divide as the mud
was frozen, and coming down this
side the roads were smooth, dry and
dusty. | have since learned there
had been no snow there all the time
was away.
The Divide is more than seven
thousand feet above the sea level,
but | didn't notice much, if any differ
ence, in the air, except perhaps | got
winded a little sooner there.
Colorado Springs is neat little
city, and its chief attractions are
altitude, snow water, magnificent
mountain views and the mineral
springs, which are located at Mani.
ton, hive miles from the city.
The city is located at the base of
the mountains near the edge of the
PLAIN, and is exposed to the winds
from the east and south, whence the
worst storms come. | think it is
fully as cold at Colorado Springs as
at Denver, and its higher altitude
would be an objection healthwise.
Canon City seems to offer more
advantages if we decide to leave this
place. E.S.M.
Denver, Dec. 20, 1895.