Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1906-09-26
A WEEKS CAMP IN
THE MOUNTAINS.
A NOVEL AND INTERESTING EXPERIENCE
FILLED WITH ADVENTURE.
LOST IN THE MOUNTAINS.
Climbing tine Mountains on Horseback
Sleeping Under the Open Sky. and
Catching Mountain Trout
From Beautiful
Lakes.

Returning TO Grand Junction from
Salt Lake City by night, we made
preparations for what promised to be
the real treat of our whole trip, and
an experience novel and strenuous
tramp up the mountain trail and
a camp in the mountains, far awav
from civilization and human habi-
tation, experience ing at least a part OF
the trials and privations of the pio.
neer who first blazed the trail through
this uneXplored and undeveloped coun-
try.
Arriving at Grand Junction we
were met by Mr.. E. E. Schuck, who
is staying there, and Mr.. and Mrs.
Earl Barber, who were to be our
guides up the mountain trail. They
had everything III readiness for the
start. and nothing remained for Mr..
Mckay and the writer TO do but to don
an old shirt and heavy suit, sweater,
high hunting boots, etc. and COM
pleting the uniform with a broad
brimmed hat and huge red bandana
about our necks, we at least had the
appearance of old time "cow punch
ers." Bedding, eatables, fishing
tackle, guns, etc. were soon gotten
together. and after rounding up our
six horses and saddling them. we
were ready to go. The start was
not made with blare of trumpets,
for already down in our hearts there
was lurking fear of what might hap
pen when we attempted to show the
small crowd which had gathered about
to see us off how to ride those blamed
bronchos. Our fears were allayed for
the time, at least, when we were told
that We were to have the privilege of
riding the first fourteen miles in a
wagon, until we came to the last cabin
at the foot of the trail where the real
ascent of the mountains began.
Climbing into the wagon. we
started off, Mr.. Barber and Mr..
Mckay trailing along behind to keep
up the horses which we were later to
ride. We were in high spirits, ex-
pecting to experience 1.-THE time of
our lives" and we did. A short
distance out of the town we stopped
at the fruit ranch of Mr.. Barber S
brother, to get some supplies, and
then leaving the city and the beauti-
full, fertile valley, with it's miles Of
orchards laden with luscious fruit.
we soon began gradual ascent
Emerging from the valley past the
boundaries supplied with the life Civ
ing water of the mountains through
irrigation bitches we came up onto
a plateau overlooking the city and
valley, a barren, forsaken, non.pro-
ducing fear-inspiring, SANDY plain,
upon which nothing grows and no one
lives, but which few years hence
will blossom as the rose, and will
furnish sustenance, wealth and happi-
ness to thousands of thrifty citizens,
who are even now engaged in turning
towards this plain the water from the
that benificent gift of
nature which transforms the barren
deserts of Colorado in a garden of
abundance and an over. flowing har-
vest.
For three or four hours we trudged
patiently along over this plain,
gradually rising from the city toward
the Grand Mesa, the great mountain
whose heights we were to scale, it
seemed to us, in few hours, but
which afterwards proved to be a
couple of days. Finally we came
down into valley and the little town
of Whitewater, where we stopped
long enough to get few things more
that we thought we might need. and
then proceeded along this valley and
up again quite distance to the cabin
home of Mr.. Bradbury, former resi-
dent and county official of Iowa,
where we had dinner. Preparing to
start again without delay the writer
agreed to saddle his horse and ride.
so that Mr.. Mckay could occupy our
place in the wagon. We took the
brute around on the opposite side of
the barn and conjured with it a few
moments when the others were not
looking, promising it all kinds of
good things, and beseeching it to keep
uppermost in its mind the fact that
we had never ridden saddle before,
and above all things a broncho. With
the assistance of Mr.. Barber the sad.
die was adjusted, and just as We
started to mount, Mr.. Barber's friend