The National tribune., 1902-05-15
OUR FAMOUS MOUNTAINS.
The Mighty Masses That Top the American Continent and Put
Ne the Alps to Shame.


| of these present any great difficulties OF
ascent. Indeed, one can ride to timber
line, and on several OF them to the sum
NIT. They are all OF granite, and present
broad, massive outlines, rounded below
the timber line, sharp-cut and rugged
above.
West Of the Sawatch Range are the
Elk Mountains in the Gunnison country
These are mainly composed Of stratihed
sandstone, red, brown, and purple, the
strata tilted, broken, and upheaved by
eruptions and trachyte, which also forms
mountains, easily distinguished in the
landscape by their light, almost white
color Castle Peak, Of purple sandstone
afforded more of a climb than any other
Colorado mountain with which I have
any acquaintance. For this ascent we
camped at timber line, 1880 feet, at the
southwest base of the peak, and started
up the ridge which runs west from the
summit. The face of this ridge is COM
posed of horizontal beds of rock, present
ing an alienation of cliffs and slopes.
Our only way of surmounting the lower
cliff was in finding a crevice, UP which
we climbed putting the back against one
wall and the feet against the other, and
alternately raising the points of support,
thus slowly and painfully making progress
upward. Above the cliff was q steep slope,
at the top of which was second cliff,
which we climbed in a similar manner,
and so on to the top of the ridge. The
ridge was very narrow in some places,
with a cliff on either side, and while ii
was possible to walk on it, the prospect
was not alluring. So we Straddled It,
using our hands for propellers. Occasion
ally the ridge widened, to support a pin
nacle Of rock, which we got around by
close hugging, when it was not too large
We reached the top of the mountain just
in time to be enveloped in a storm, and
the few glimpses of the surrounding coun,
try which we obtained through gaps in
the clouds were very unsatisfactory.
The San Juan group in southwestern
Colorado also contains many fine noun
tains of great hight, which offer an in
finite variety in rock climbing One OF
the best known of these SUBMITS is I'm
compahgre Peak, Il, 2S9 feet, in the north
ern part Of the group. This mountain
served as a station in the transcOntinenta
triangulation of the United States Coast
and Geodetic Survey. While it was un.
der occupation the observers had camp es
tablished near the top, which they visited
every clear day. Other notable submits
in the northern part OF this group are
Sneffels, II, 15S feet; Wilson, IA, 2S0, and
Lizard Head, whose pinnacle is probably
inaccessible to any being without wings
In this same mountain mass, south OF
Baker Park, is a fine, rugged group
known as the Needles, from the sharp
ness of the pinnacles into which the sum
mits have weatheTed.
THE WYOMING GIANTS.
Going north into Wyoming, and across
great stretch of plateaus, the first range
encountered is the Wind River, in which
the Green. Snake. and Wind Rivers have
their source. And here is the classic Ere
mont Peak, 1880 feet high which the
Pathfinder Travelled 5000 miles to dis
cover. and reached its summit after inf
mite toll and danger. Across Jackson
Hole, to the westward, are the Three
Tetons. those landmarks of the early trap
pers. The chief of these, the grand Teton,
13,GJl feet, has a sheer slope OF 20 de
grees for 1900 feet to Jackson Hole. 1t
was first climbed by Messrs. n. P. Lang
ford and James Stevenson, in 1872, and
more recently by Mr.. w. o. Owen. 1t is
long, painful ascent, involving real
climbing much Of the way, and especially
in the last 800 feet. Here the difficulties
and dangers are so great as to have de
tered several nervy and experienced
climbers.
In the Tetons are found the first
glaciers, in the form of little fragments
of moving ice. Although in the Colorado
ranges there are everywhere evidences Of
their former existence, no glaciers exist
there today.
In the Yellowstone National Park are
many mountains, the most notable Of
them being Electric Peak, on the north
boundary. 1t is the highest peak in the
park, having an altitude of II, 155 feet.
Its unusual name suggests its story. In
1872, while connected with the Hayden
Survey, and engaged in exploring this
region, | had occasion to climb this peak.
On reaching the summit, was soon made
aware that something unusual was going
on. There was u humming and buzzing,
as though a hive of bees was swarming
in my fingers and toes. Then my hair
and beard stood on end; but it was not
until | received an electric spark from my
theOdOlyte, by that time fully charged.
that | discovered what was the matter
was serving as a lightning rod. / fed
from the summit. leaving my instrument
to the mercy of the storm, which by that
time was very near. After going down
Il couple of hundred feet, | was relieved
from the unpleasant sensations, and when
the shower had passed, | returned to the
top of the mountain and finished my work
Near the northern boundary of Mon
tana, the lower temperature and greater
precipitation have produced glaciers OF