The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-12-05

getting shorter, you know, and knew
it would be dark early, especially i'll
the thick woods which I must go
through before reaching the Crawford
house. But L rested and ate a good
dinner, and then l rested some more.
l should have started at o'clock, but
it was twenty-five minutes later when
I finally set out. 1 had worn my skirt
While was at the Summit house, but
as soon as l left there l took 1t off
again and rolled it up.
II followed the trail until 1 got onto
the side Of Monroe, and then L struck
off for the summit. 1 went up one side
and down the other finding the trail
all right, and going on to Franklin,
then to Pleasant and finally to Clinton.
Each of these peaks l climbed, but the
trail runs comparatively near the sum-
mits, so it wasn't great undertaking.
But it all took time. When l started
down Clinton, however, and realized
the real thing 1 set out to do was prac-
tically accomplished, why, L scarcely
felt tired at ALL The trail was bad,
though. 1t was full of loose rocks,
about as large as your fist, and there
were only corduroy patches which had
rOtted and had holes into which l had
to be careful not to put either my foot
OF my stick. The forest is dense there,
| too, and it grew dark early. But it is
easier to keep a trail in the thick woods
| than in those which are more open, SO
got on all right. L reached the Craw-
| ford house at 7:15, ten minutes less
! than five hours from the time L had
| left the Summit house The entire
! distance l covered was about twenty
miles. Distances in climbing are reck-
oned as about equal to three times the
| same amount of walking on a level.
| There are not many men who would be
/ up to the trip, and no other woman
! has done it,
| Miss Peck has the advantage of
| height, being five feet six and-one-half
inches tall. She is slender, and does
! not look particularly strong, but She
| certainly is an interchangeable climber.
She says that climbing the Matterhorn
was more dangerous, but that climbing
! Mount Orizaba was more difficult.
| Three men made the latter attempt
with Miss Peck, but only one of the
men reached the summit. Naturally
she was considerably elated at her own
success Orizaba is 1850 feet in height
/ but the Matterhorn is but $1,000.
Climbing in the torid zone said
Miss Peck, lis not so easy or inspiring.
Then, too, after you get above $1,000
| feet, it is much more eXhauSting. Be
! low that is just fun. | have said |
would never again climb mountain
in the torrid zone, but l own that /
| now pine to go up one of the mountains
| in Peru. l can't remember its name,
! but it is 25, 900 feet high and has. never
been climbed. Last summer Fitzgera. d,
the English mountain climber, attempt
| ed to go up Aconcagua. Chill noun
tain about $4,000 feet high. He did not
reach the summit, but his Swiss guide
did.
For the real pleasure of climbing /
prefer the Alps. The air Is fine, the
| scenery magnificent, and the climbing
is exciting. 1t is a real pleasure every
moment of the time. Even the Mat
terhorn is continual enjoyment. With
| good guides there is no occasion for
alarm. For instance, suppose L had to
| climb up right there" said Miss Peck.
| pointing to the side Of the room where
desk stood between two windows.
IF all that was solid" she explained,
ut would be easy enough. First, l
would step up here" and she put one
| foot up on the lowered lid of the desk.
Then l should catch hold up here"
! pointing to the top, land then up
here" indicating the top Of the window,
| a ledge about two inches wide. "Oh,
that would be quite wide enough for
| foothold,' she said. And anyway, If
| your foot did slip off the guide would
| have hold of the rope around your
waist Oh, it is quite easy!" with great
nCnchalance.
Miss Peck always carries on her
| climbing expeditions a bamboo alpen-
stock, which has helped her up and
! down the mountains of Switzerland,
Greece, Mexico. and this country. Many
American climbers do not use a stick,
but Miss Peck says that it enables one
| to descend a mountain with much
| greater rapidity and safety. She has
| ,.,orp no caroQ rair of shoes most
of her climbs; the pair which was made
for the Matterhorn ascent. She has an
extremely narrow foot. an AAA last,
but it is long and evidently sure. She
says that she would like to climb some
! of the Canadian rockies, but does not