La Junta tribune., 1916-08-26
PICTURESQUE COLORADO.
Continued from First Pase)

Hotel Ramona is located here ana
this is likewise the starting point of
the Pixies Peak Auto Highway, a
toll road TO the summit of the peak.
II is eleven and one-half miles from
Colorado Springs.
Half mile further on is Ute Park,
with Ute Lake on the right. Two
miles or SO further on is another
Falls. Here the water descends p
600 feet down an almost perpendicu-
lar slope. There is small power
house hanging on the face of the clif
about half way up. There is an
enormous amount OF energy going
to waste in this part OF the world
that could be utilized II some one
found way to use IT,
Twenty miles from our starting
point is Woodland Park. Here we
can see Pixies Peak eight miles to
the south, and is perhaps the best
''N" Va 'ha' poiH' Nhhi van nc oU-
tanned from any spot. The Wild
Flower fields are next and will be re-
ferred to later.
Divide is the next stopping place
and is the highest point reached on
this trip, the altitude being s,lgS
feet. Leaving this We go down some
steep places, the one engine having
been taken off before this and the
remaining one, putting as hard and
holding us back. as it does going up
the next hill. Nine miles from Di-
vide we see the Florissant Fossil
Beds, also to be referred to on the re-
turn Journey. At forty miles we
pass Lake George and run along side
the South Platte river.
The next point OF interest is Gran
ite Canon. eleven miles in length.
The river just mentioned, tumbles
and splashes its way between two
massive walls OF solid granite. with
Just enough room on the left side
for the railroad. Here are the Twin
Tunnels.
We make stop at ldlewilc, with
the Rock OF Ages" on the right.
towering up 1000 feet above the
track. A picturesque spot ischosen
and We were invited TO have our pie
lures taken. Seats for the two prin-
cipal characters of this adventure.
were reserved on the top OF the en-
gine cab. That is where we didn't
regret having worn our second hes,
suit. The engine was covered with
humanity from stem TO stern. ex-
cepting OF course. the safety valve
We were In q pretty sensible crowd
and nobody attempted 10 rock the
boat or sit on the safety valve. The
photograph makes an interesting
souvenir OF the occasion. Ten or
twelve miles farther and then the
next stop" howled the announce
through the megaphone. "is Spin
ney. the end OF the trip" Here you
may obtain a fine view of the Cole.
giate Range and Mounts Princeton.
Harvard and Yale. To the light you
may see also the highest mountain IN
colorado-Mount Massive. The .lo-
walton OF this spot is 14,4O1 feet
above sea level
We duly observed and the train
took the "Y" and we were on the re
turn journey. The return was more
leisurely, the first stop being AT the
FOSSIL Beds for fifteen minutes. This
Is a shale bed raising above the level
OF the railway. Biologists tell us
that during the Mioeene period
whenever that was-ihe Florisani
region was a lake covering about
four square miles. Millions OF flow
efs. leaves and insects were buried in
the lake by ashes and lava showefod
upon Its surface from volcano.
whose location was no, visible 10 us.
Each eruption formed n new layer OF
shale rock underneath which we're
buried more vegetable and animal
life. thus forming the impressions or
fossils that are plainly seen upon the
rocks when the layers are spill, apart.
The passengers are given fifteen min.
utes 10 gather a souvenir. We disooy-
cred one specimen with beautifully
defined outlines OF four diccrent var
ie'ies OF leaves. Others were more
fortunate. and some got nothing but
the exercise.
The next form OF excitement r.
gathering wild flowers. There are
thousands of Wild flowers blooming,
the varieties changing with the sea-
son. blucbcils. wind flowers. marlpo-
"a lillios. columb!nes. and so on. As