Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1914-08-19
ANIMALS LIVE
THROUGH WINTER
ON BALD PEAK
Forest Service Official OBJ
serves Life on Iicadita
Mountain in PecoS National
Forest.


tBy Paul n. PitchIynn.)
The average person, unaccustomed
to the high mountain country above
timber line. lmaglncs II an uninhabited
wilderness OF rocks and cTags with
no form OF life other than an occa-
si0nal aerie In possession Of eagles.
trip TO the summit OF Jiearita peak,
a forest service fire lookout station
on the northern part OF the Pecos ma
tional forest would dispel this impress
sion. The station can hardly be oc-
cupied before the middle Of June. ow-
Ing to huge snowdrifts that remain
practically impossible until that time
and II is even then necessary to ride
or climb over packed drifts many feet
in depth.
The trail. built by the forest SER
wee. climbs through dense stands of
spruce along turbulent streams OF COLI
snow water. and then along ridges
where II Is almost Impossible to see
for over one hundred feet in any d.
rcctlon unless one looks up the avenue
hcwed out for the trail py forest
guards An occasional mountain
meadow covered knee deep with grass
and starred with myriads OF Wild
flowers. however. affords distant
views Of other mountain ranges
against the FAR skyline.
Following IN brief description Of
his trip given by recent visitor 70 the
summit: ~
Deer Follow Snow Line.
"As the summit In approached small
patches OF snow appear, the air grows
cooler and the horses splash through
pure clear water ankle-deep in every
depression. Hundreds Of flowers APP
pear. the blossoms Just clearing the
surface of the pools. Others grow inn
mediately alongside the drifts of snow.
Traces Of snow now appear where
they have followed the retreatlng
snowline for the new tender heritage.
An occasional startled grouse whirs
off to some distant tree; the sound OF
woodpecker drumming against a
dead tree reverberates through the
still forest with a crash of sound
THE drifts now become too deep
for the horses to wade through and
IL Ia necessary to make small detours
around, or II they are hard, ride over
them Tracks Of the snowshoe rab-
bit are found in some soft snow and
A number OF small birds fit from limb
to limb of the trees under the dense
green canopy. Timber line is reached.
sim far above, the bare summit OF the
mountain appears. With the excep-
ton Of one huge drift protected from
tho direct rays Of the sun by a cliff.
the snow here disappears. The trail
disappears directly beneath this huge
bank almost forty feet deep, but II is
so we'll packed that 1t easily bears the
weight OF the horses weight.
"sIanting" Lake.
"a number of small lakes are now
seen. one, owing to the slope Of the
mountain. appears to have decided
slant. Another has narrow spit OF
land almost bisecting II that has all
the appearances Of huge snake. Ice
cold water gushes ont In numerous
places from crevices in the bare rock.
"The patrolman's registry box, now
to be used for the first time of the
present fire season. stands as II was
left the preceding summer.
After another climb. the trail
switching back and forth along the
steep ridge. the top is reached. a
wonderful panorama is visible In all
directions. The whole northern part
Of the forest seems TO be directly UNI
der the mountain other lookout sta
tons OF the fire protection system,
miles away. seem wonderfully near
Ranges of mountains. far distant In
are plainly visible. The
Trucnes peaks, near neighbors OF il
carta and little higher in altitude.
seem almost within a stones throw.
"Machlnes" at Peak.
With the exception OF n large hawk |
idly circ.ing a couple OF hundred feet |
below. no living thing was in sight.
Suddenly a dark object appeared on
a rock two hundred Yards away. Then
another and still others, until almost
a dozen were in sight. These were
the machines" pronounce the ''ch'
az in chicken. Mexican named-the
of this high peak estimat-
ed to be 1900 feet above sea level.
Here among the wildncss Of rocks
they make their home. They seem to
be variety OF ground hog or mar
mot, but are ordinarily little larger
than the average ground hog, being
when full grown two feet or over. full
over all length. They are extremely |
shy and even If one is shot It is ex-
ccedingly difficult to secure the body |
unless death is instantaneous. as they /
fall back into the creviees of the
rocks where they can be. heard fall
ing to unknown depths. That they |
hibernate during a large part of the I
year is almost certain. as their home
is covered to great depth with snow
from early fall to late spring.
Their home, lonely and unvisitaed
nine months OF the year. is daily Wis
tied during the dry season by the fire
guard, who makes it his lookout sta
ton from which fires can he located |