Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1912-12-25

De II ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS SllS pOluls up
here one never sees 8Smountain. Col.
orado has her back up" and what
you see of a great mountain is merely
slight irregularity in the veTtebral
line, for even while you are in can
yon you are on a mountain top over
5000 feet high. So. as you are on a
S0-story sky-scraper livery 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 a half miles high. So
| say the Rockies are not a 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 do
ceives IN the same way. until one ex
claims at sight of a 25-story one be
yond it. With accumulated astonish-
ment your next climb reveals 40
story one beyond that. and-but ! an
| ticipate.
| Accompanying these experiences are
the foaming. roaring torrents of purest
marbly water. tumbling over gray and
pink granite.
| At o'clock one morning-it was
| the last day of July-a party of three
I ladies and escorts mounted horses for
! trip to the highest wagon road in
the world, the one that crosses the
! roof gable of AmericG at Argentine
pass. was one of party.
Caught in Storm.
! 1t was about twelve miles up the
/ left gulch of the canyon and nearly
/ 5000 feet above Georgetown. 1920
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
mo, ntain 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
lowland puckerer in sourness-which
is saying much.
| Up and on we go, until 10000 feet is
registered. OFF 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 a noun
tain, lie the plains of eastern Colorado
/ a.. xr-ni1n ~ the valley
come rain clouds, shedding their
! brush-like rain below-far back just
| above Georgetown. Of to our left, as
we look back, the rain" is showing
on the top of the range L lies away.
1t is wonderful! But, bark! 1t thun-
/ ders above us just over the range! II
| is so cold we add a raincoat to our
! overcoat. for plainly We are in for
snowstorm; for be it remembered
| thunderstorm up here is always a
/ 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. 100
ool 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 it.
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.
I Look at Mr. Is head!" some one
/ called out, and to cur amazement his
| hair was on end, too! Hiss is
! hair raised her hat fully an inch in its
efforts to stand up! From the point OF
! very horses ears came sound like
/ a singing flame AS the rest OF us
came up we all had the same expert
/ ences amid gales OF laughter that was
suddenly stiIled by the marvellous
sight that we beheld beyond the
; range.