The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1912-12-20
E&NlIDNE&a-
ONE VIEW OF SSsa.a~ TIE BACKBONE

Be it rememberedssRt this point, up
here one never sees Is mountain. Col
orado has her back up" and what
you see Of great mountain is merely
| slight irregularity in the vertebral
line, for even while you are in can
yon you are on a mountain top over
| 5000 feet high. So, as you are on
30-story sky-scraper Every real scra-
pers of the sky these), 40-story one
| only looks like a ten-story. And you
have to be told that here within sight
are half-dozen monarchs Of the
| Rockies two and half miles high. So
1 say the Rockies are not sight;
they are an experience. You climb
six-story mountain, thinking it is the
! top, and, behold, when you arrive,
there stands a history one that de-
ceives in the same way, until one ex'
claims at sight of 25-story one be-
yond it. With accumulated astonish-
| ment your next climb reveals a 40.
story one beyond that, and-but I an
ticipate.
Accompanying these experiences are
the foaming, roaring torrents of purest
marbly water, tumbling over gray and
pink granite.
At z o'clock one morning-it was
the last day of July-a party of three
ladies and escorts mounted horses for
a trip to the highest wagon road In
the world, the one that crosses the
roof gable Of America at Argentine
pass / was one Of the party.
Caught in Storm.
1t was about twelve miles up the
left gulch of the canyon and nearly
5000 feet above Georgetown. 13,2OO
feet, to be exact Winding slowly up
the road along the base of mountains
on either side, we crossed and re-
crossed the roaring waters. A pocket
! barometer registered our ascent In
feet. Mines and concentrating works
were passed, and glorious patches OF
mountain flowers, wonderful in their
purity of color and vast variety-a
very fur of flowers, often growing
right on the rocks from little cups OF
! soil. Now and then we got dwarf
mountain strawberry which exceeded
the ordinary one in richness as much
as the dwarf gooseberry exceeded the
Iowland puckerer in sourness-which
is saying much.
Up and on we go, until 10000 feet Is
registered. Of there is Pixies peak. half
way across the state, with storm on
one side, the upper half Of which Is
plainly snow and the lower half rain.
OF back of US, beyond many noun.
tain, lie the plains of eastern Colorado
in the sunshine, while up the valley
come rain clouds, shedding their
brush-like rain below-far back just
above Georgetown. Off to our left, as
we look back, the rain" is showing
on the top OF the range miles away.
| 1t is wonderful! But, bark! It thun.
ders above us just over the range! 1t
| is so cold we add raincoat to our
overcoat, for plainly we are in for
| snowstorm; for be it remembered a
thunderstorm dp here is always .
snowstorm.
Up. up, only little farther. More
thunder. Look" cries one, the
storm is coming this way" Up, up,
$4,000 feet-only 200 feet more. 90.
90, but it is cold!" exclaims another
tenderfoot The electricity begins to
snap on the ears of our horses and my
horse distinctly doesn't like 1t.
The first to reach the pass" and be
hold the view beyond was Mr.. l.,
and his cry of Wonderful" spurred
US on. The horses gathered about
him, showed great fear. and shook
their heads vigorously. and their hair
actually stood on end-a funny sight.
Lock at Mr.. Is head!" some one
called out, and to our amazement his
hair was on end, too! Miss J0's
hair raised her hat fully an inch in It's
efforts to stand up! From the point OF
every horses ears came sound Ike
a singing flame. AS the rest OF Us
came up we all had the same expert
ences amid gales of laughter that was
suddenly stilled by the marvellous
sight that we beheld beyond the
! range.