The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1912-12-27
A SCHOOL TRIP.
lLeft over from Autumnl

A1CAt oFCf fAVhi <aakahuhJ
Last Saturday morning at the us
ual school hour, fifteen members of
the Physical Geography class, met
at the school house in preparation
for a trip to Stephens Peak. All
were mounted on horses. The six
girls brought lunch baskets filed to
bursting. which the boys gladly con-
| sented to carry. Everybody was
feeling like a ten year old boy in an
tcipation of q Christmas dinner. The
day was perfect, and after little
adjustment of saddles, we were off.
Out beyond the Asylum we soon left
the road and plunged into the sage
brush over the foot hills. We
reached the .Blaekfoot river at the
headgates south east of town. The
boys were uu long in picking out
the best place TO ford it and were
soon across. Leaving their horses
they recrossed on the hasonery Of
the headgates. and with some air Of
glorification, rode the girls horses
across also. All were soon mounted
again and In Indian fashion were
following tbs trail that led to the
peak.
Within hundred yards Of the top
we dismounted, tied the horses, took
the lunch boxes. and climbed to the
top-most rock on the peak. When
all had gathered at the top. and be-
fore consuming the luncheon. note
books were taken out and some very
interesting observations made and
noted.
To the south of us, floundering on
the tops Of the hills below us was a
beautiful cloud. This cloud was not
visible until the summit of the peak
was reached. where its beauty at
once attracted attention. The follow
ing facts we're noted, that the cloud
extended upon the mountain tops to
the south, beyond the power Of Wis
ion that 1t was thin and floated in
a strata of air of its some weight;
that from such clouds SHOWS accum-
ulates upon the mountains that the
valleys below know nothing about;
that the cloud was likely to disap-
pear with the increasing heat of the
sun (which it did in part before we
left the peak.)
Then We noticed to the east of us,
at distance said to be thirty five
miles. range of mountains almost
high enough for perennial snow,
whose crest and sides were pretty
we'll covered with white mantle
from just such clouds as that at our
feet.
With this, it was perfectly natur-
al thing to look to the north upon
the meandering Blackfoot in the
hills and valleys below. Here was
our river control. The range we
were looking upon was a great div
ide, and the source, not only of the
Blackfoot, but of many other
streams. Here spread out be-
fore us was wonderful story of the
work of rivers. 1t had been pointed |
out in the ravines and gulches, we
had passed on the way.
A glance to the westward compile
ted the compass and tested and
rounded out the imagination. Here |
stretched the magnificent valley of
the Snake River, the consumate work !
of water ages gone by. On the ex-
IRENE side of the valley, just to re-
mind us of its gigantic work and the |
eternity past, stood like pyramids or
the Nile, three giant buttes all that |
Is left of the once lofty plateau.
But this was not all. Under our
feet was story just as great and
wonderful We were on the summit |
of volcano who's height we were
certain had been much greater.
What force had lifted 1t up above
the clouds and when? And why is
this particular peak SO much sharp
or than the others? 1t was lifted |
many ages ago by volcanic action and
is sharper because its rocks are
harder and have resisted the forces
that tend to tear them down. How
ever slowly but surely they are CIV
ing way to those silent but powerful
forces.
Take hold of the rocks. They
crumble away. Lichens and messes
are growing upon them and chang
ing them into soil. After water frez-
es and cracks them and washes them
down the valley below. In time the
rocks and the peak will all be gone.