Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1912-04-11
A Letter From the West.

Aspen, COlO., HpIll z, iSlo.
Dear Register-Would you like 10 hear
something of this part of the country :?
One might think that we are troubled
with great snow-drifts or suffer from ex-
IRENE cold. but such is not the case
While the trains from Denver 10 the east
were blocked rather seriously during the
past winter, yet the roads over the noun
tainS have been open all OF the time. AS
TO the cold, we had one or two nights
when the thermometer went to thirty be-
low. but that is rather unusual, and we
were enjoying comparatively nice weather
the time they were having II so colo IN
other places. But we have had seem,
ingly endless amount OF moderately colo
weather, from freezing down to ten above
zero.
Aspen is slightly west of the center Of
the State, and at the hub OF great wheel,
whose rim is series OF peaks offourieen
thousand feet elevation. From the tops
of the hills there is splendid view. In
the far north one can see the Front range
of Northern Colorado, then as he glanceS
along the horizon towards the east. ne
sees the back of the Mount of the Holy
Cross, and due east is the jagged top OF
Mt. Massive, the highest in the State.
To the south is the Montezuma, only a
few miles away, and TO the southwest are
the Maroon peaks, great piles OF red SAND
stone, and aStthe eye follows the honzon
il sees in the extreme northwest MI.
Sopris, the guardian OF the Roaring FORK
valley.
Even in midsummer, over three hun
dred degrees OF the horizon presents IN
unb, oxen line OF snowy PEAKS, lhS o1y
open place being in The extreme norm r.
west. where the river cuts lis way Out ~
the hills.
We are at the junction OF four creeks,
and at the point where the Sedlmentdry
rocks touch the GRANTEES, over mile ana
half above the sea, in most beautiful
country. AT higher elevations the granile
is weathered into rounded forms, while
lower the limeStoneS are Smoothed INTO
domes; but at this point the streams,
pluneing down from the granite. have cut
deep gOrges in the Sedinentary rocKS.
The creek bottoms are from one to two
thousand feet below the higher ground,
and there are many cliffs hundreds and
even thousands of feet in height.
The horizontal strata give the scenery
its characteristic aspect. There is one
mountain al with the snow on its Lodges
looks like great slice OF cake, with the
icing oozing out between the layers, the
side OF the slice being over fur thousand
feet high.
Pyramid Peak is the most interesting
OF them all. Ii is about twelve miles from
here, and is almost a perfect pyramid. A
sight of its great bulk, silhouetted against
the sky, would ma e the mummy OF old
King Kufu turn green with envy, tor while
the pile of stones that he raised on Inc
bank of the Nile is less than five hundred
feet high, this block Of stone rises above
the general level OF its base over tour
thousand. Here, there are two OF the
most beautiful lakes in the State. The
water in passing from the upper to the
lower lake flows beneath a pile OF rocky
debris nearly as high as the Washington
monument, the terminal moralne OF an
ancient glacier.
In the fall, the advance OF the snow is
most wonderful sight. Ii is on the Nigh
est peaks all of the time, then we occa-
sionally see all OF The ground above t"elVe
thousand feet covered. In a few weeks
the line has moved down TO the ten-thou-
sand-Ioot mark. Thus the snow gradually
encroaches, down and Later, SOME
morning. we see that all OF the NILS are
covered down to nearly the level OF the
town, and as yet none on Our level. But
when il comes il stays long time.
At first, the snow made me teel ike
prisoner, but since learned TO use snow
SHOES do not mind II. Ii IS pleasant to
tramp over the drifts, among the pines,
with the big hills all around, amid The
extreme stiffness of the winter woods.
There are lots of trout IN the streams,
and we have tasted both bear-Steak and
venison, but am no epicure, and for me
Potomac eel or Virginia porker makes
just as good meal. ,
GEO. 2. UNSELD.