Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1903-05-11

banks. Travel grows less easy and
occasionally must dismoust to show
Patsy how it is possible to climb over
a slippery rock or to step across q
tangle Of fallen logs.
Suddenly the trail seems to have
ended; there are no more friendly
"blazes" ahead. Patsy and | stand
a moment gazing. Together we dis
cover that our pathway here leaves
the river bed and begins to climb .
mountain spur, alosgside OF which still
another snow-fed stream comes DASH
ing down to join the one we've trav.
1rsed.
Upward, steeply upward, the trail
leads us beneath dark spruce timber,
through which we now catch occas-
ional glimpses OF the deep canyon be-
low and the tall peaks left behind is
the morning. AT last we emerge into
a grassy little park through which
falls a tiny stream. rushing toward
the depths from which we have come-
Springs gush on every side: the
ground fairly oozes water We have
found the sources Of our river.
now realize that we have reached
the low shoulder from which rises the
height Of Elk mountain. cansot see
that summit. because Of the tall, dense
forest, but know we'll In which direc-
tion II must be. A little belt OF tim
ber lies ahead and beyond that anoth-
er grassy opening. We find SONS
snow under the trees of our litile
grove, but readily pass through it.
Now another belt Of spruces and furth-
er on another open space appears.
There is more snow here. which Patsy
stumbles through. At the succeeding
timhered belt 1 must dismount to
show Patsy how to get through, ana
suddenly | find myself waist deep In
the wet. cold SNOW look for q place
ahead not so deep. but none can be
seen. What shall we do?" I say to
Patsy. II doesn't take long to con-
clude that we must back out" OF that
particular spot. ~
Higher up and further ahead we dis
cover a larger open park, and we de-
termine to make detour to reach 1t,
hoping that from that point passage
through the timber may be found lead-
ing toward the coveted peak. Our
plan is carried out only to find that
the snow beyond this opening is still
deeper and absolutely impassable. I
now decide that Elk mountain cam
only he gained by the southwest slones
npnn whieh the snrshas nyrAter fnrc3
and where the snow ought to have
less depth. So Pasy and I begin a
'enls movement and after n long
scramble find ourselves on the Pecos
side Of the peak with the grand range
Of Santa re Rockies booming np in
cleaning splendor westward and
northward.
Flated and confident. we now pre-
ceed to climb our Elk but--not far!
For here the snow is deeper nd tho
fallen timber more dense than on our
other siope. Time and again at point
after point poor Patsy and attemp.
the impossible. Then we do ais others
have done, give II up" but not hope
lessly. or. no, In the distance we rec
ogsize the grassy tree-studded park
like south slope of Willow creek. and
We do determine as last resort to
reach that delectable land, surmising
that thence we may scale Elk mount
ain before darkness falls to stop our
travel.
II Is needless to tell of the struggle
around the Pecos side OF the Elk, the
slipping and falling and scrambling
and sliding. the stumbling through
snow drifts and leaping over down
timber. by which at last we reached
the gushing waters OF Willow creek,
which run to the Pecos.
The sky grew overcast. thunder
rolled erandly and snow began to fall.
Patsy suddenly began to show new
interest In the journey by stepping up
more briskly. At first did not think
why, but lifting my eyes. there saw
far above me the grand old front Of
Elk mountain, with the snow clouds
drifting about his brow
Night was falling fast and we made
all haste to climb upward. With ono
final struggle through five-foot snow
drift Patsy and stood at last upon
the mighty shoulder above which
loomed the mountains forehead. Here
Patsy and had to disagree. He was
determined to seek shelter and camp,
while was bent upon gaining the
very summit OF Elk mountain. | won.