The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1904-10-28
LETTER l:; From {: ION COLORADO co ! 4''l'' }

n ss- = "H|Sg'
Oscar Moore Gives interesting Account
Of Experiences ln the West.
Oscar Moore writes The Advance
the following interesting letter from
Longs Peak, Colorado; ... "a
After camping at the foot of Long
Peak for few days we decided on
the morning OF September 2nd to
make the ascent to the top. Where
we are camped. The elevation is
5000 feet and in going to the top,
distance of seven miles we have to
Z make an elevation Of one mile. On
account of recent snow and rain and
a chilly morning no one seemed to
be anxious for an early start, al
though we knew it would be hard
and perilous trip to make on &C.
count of the snow to be encountered
r near the summit.
There were three of us and two
horses, so at first thought it would
seem as though some one would
have to walk, but before the trip
was completed We all preferred walk
ing most of the time. Not having
saddles and the trail being so steep,
in going up we would slip off the
horse backward. and in coming
down We would gradually slide the
other way. The trail first led up
: through a very dense growth of
pine and along a beautiful stream
that came roaring down the noun
tain side around and over great
rocks in it's great haste to get to
the fertile valley forty miles below,
where it gladdens the hearts Of
men by irrigating their land.
There are few little park like
places along the stream that are
covered with a very laxuriant
growth of grass, where We stopped
a few minutes to let the horses rest
and Craze, knowing that there
would be nothing for them to eat
farther on the trip =
The little chip munks and squirrels
were very plentiful and, BY the
y |-tI
way, they chatterede and barked
and seemed to be- rleased d-tossss1uz
Soon. the trees began 10 get
smaller and very short and sorubby
and the soil TO disappear, and VEL
knew that We were nearing an eles
vation tof about 1ieo feet, where
trees ceased to grow and nothing +
but rocks are to be seen. !: We: e::can-
no. take tho horses moro than four |
miles where they are left tied to
some ROCKS to await our ) return.
For the next mile we Cross what il
called = boulder field, on = slight
elevation, and covered with broken
pieces of rock some a. large as
common sized house.
: After this is crossed and making
an ascent of a few hunded feet we
come to tho Keyhole large OPEN
ing through high thin ledge Of
rock. Sitting in this opening we
get q grand view Of mountain
scenery. Looking in all directions,
except east, innumerable peaks
arise one after another as far as the
eye can SEQ, many Of which are per-
petually covered with snow, while
lying at our, feet are no less than
five beautiful little lakes with their
clear blue icy waters. h
AS we leave the Keyrole the
trail turns to the left and then the
real climbing begins, as we climb 4
along the narrow ledge on our hands
and knees on the snow or hold on to l.
the rocks with our hands we look j!
down the steep incline and think of
the awful consequence were we to
lose our hold. We soon come to the
trough which we find filled with
snow and ice, making climbing very
slow and dangerous, 80 much SO
that we came near giving up and b
back. But being WITHIN
about one thousand feet of the top 3
We summoned new courage and at +
last reached the summit after an /
other hour of hard la bor. {; /: