The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1902-08-14
Secretary Adams, of the YIN. C. A.,
Writes of the Beauty OF the Fa-
nous Peak Of the Rockies.
A GOOD CHANCE FOR WALKERS.
He Fails to Accept the Offer OF a Twenty
Five Dollar Prize for Nine Mile Walk.
An Interesting Letter.

is always one memOra bic journey
which is never forgotten and that is
the trip to Pixies Peak, Colorado. It
makes little difference whether the
trip be over the great Cog road (built
in 1891 by Mr.. z. G. Simmons) or by
carriage, or by burro or by foot. AS
far as scenery goes the impressions
are about the same, and while the ma
| jority of visitors go over the Cog road
many prefer to walk, primarily to
boast of the feat of climbing Pixies
j Peak. Of these who attempt this
climb there is about one in five who
succeeds and the man or woman who
gets to the top may be certain to be
favored with good pair of lungs and
a strong heart. Strength of limbs is
not so important as heart that can
stand the altitude. After reaching an
altitude of about IL, 500 feet on the day
/ made the ascent it occurred to me to
time my heart action and l found it
humping Justify at the rate of $50
beats a minute. There were times
after long and severe climbs that it
seemed as if my heart would jump out
of my throat, but when I rested the
Isensation would cease.
The starting point for the Pixies
Peak trip is Manitou from which place
/ made the ascent Wednesday, July 80.
The distance over the "Cog road is 9
miles, by the ''Burro trail'' ID miles
and by carriage II miles. Thinking
to get better view took the 'Burro
trai1'' but before going miles had lost
my way and found further walking
blocked by the steep rocky gorges, so
I retraced my steps and made the rest
of the way over the ties of the Cog
road.
! 1t seems an easy matter to walk 9
miles over railroad, but there is
standing offer Of SIS to anyone who
will walk from Manitou to the Peak in
| four hours. The man can keep his
money as far as / am concerned.
Eight hours was not bit too much
and twelve would have been more
agreeable. Coming down is an easy
matter. Although completely tagged
I made the descent in three and half
hours without much exertion.
The condition of the road may be
divided into three parasitic first three
miles are fairly hard imbing, the
second three miles are quite easy and
the last three are something awful.
The road bed in itself is all in perfect
condition but it is the grade that kills.
Coming out of Manitou the climber
thinks he has an easy job until he
strikes what is called the "Son of
Gun Hill," hill about half mile
long with a Is per cent. grade or rise
Of one foot in four, and by the time
he reaches the top he forgets the high
estimate he has placed on his climb
ing abilities and is nearly willing to
quit.
House, (which is less than one-third
| up is grand, the road following Rux-
ton canon with all its beauty of water
fall, rocky precipices mountain high
and many beautiful peaks. The sec
ond stage of the trip was easy, the
grades being light and the altitude not
hindering much. During the past hour
of climbing, however, had noticed
sharp grade ahead as the road APP
proaches the timber line and makes
/ long turn to the left. This is the be-
ginning of Pixies Peak proper, and
knowing that the struggle was to come
sat down on rock to rest. [ asked
returning tourist who passed by how
the climbing was further on and he
said: IF you will take FOOLS advice,
turn around and go back"
met an Irish section hand a little
further on and after telling him lived
in Mr.. Simmons home town found
him quite willing to talk. He said
that if I could reach Windy Point at
about II, 700 feet high could crawl the
rest of the way. The thing that takes
the ambition out of a man is what
humorists call the 40 mile hill,'' that
awful grade running through the tim
Der line up Into the snowy regions.
| The hill is less than miles long but
thought the road would never be
reached.
| Once being completely winded laid
down on a. rock and went sound asleep,
the sun shining in my eyes. TWAS so
cool I did not dare to get IN the shade
but the blistering on face and lips from
two such impromptu maps makes me
wish had. Going up the last climb
| for about mile I found myself COM
PEELED to rest after each 100 ties and I
was about the happiest man in Colora-
do when the top was reached. The
temperature in Manitou that day was
about 95 degrees, but on the peak, with
the sun beating down, it was but 40
degrees. There was not much snow
visible at the top, but hidden down
deep in the rocks there was plenty Of
snow and ice and for at least three
miles could hear the melting water
| trucking over the rocks. There was
no discomfort in breathing at the top
and after resting half hour and Sc
curing a rather stiff priced lunch at
the ssPeak Restaurant felt equal to
the return.
i TIE view from %bo for, &c rraud ha