Colorado -- Description and travel; Natural history -- West (U.S.); Rocky Mountains
It was an exciting experience, but at the close of one great day the
clear weather that had prevailed came to an end. From the table-like
summit I watched hundreds of splendid clouds slowly advance, take
their places, mass, and form fluffy seas in valley and cañons just
below my level. They submerged the low places in the plateau, and
torn, silver-gray masses of mists surrounded crags and headlands. The
sunset promised to be wonderful, but suddenly the mists came surging
past my feet and threatened to shut out the view. Hurriedly climbing a
promontory, I watched from it a many-colored sunset change and fade
over mist-wreathed spires, and swelling, peak-torn seas. But the
cloud-masses were rising, and suddenly points and peaks began to
settle out of sight; then a dash of frosty mists, and my promontory
sank into the sea. The light vanished from the heights, and I was
caught in dense, frosty clouds and winter snows without a star.
I had left my skees at the foot of the promontory, and had climbed up
by fingers and toes over the rocks without great difficulty. But on
starting to return I could see only a few inches into the frosty,
sheep's-wool clouds, and quickly found that trying to get down would
be a perilous pastime. The side of the promontory stood over the steep
walls of the plateau, and, not caring to be tumbled overboard by a
slip, I concluded that sunrise from this point would probably be
worth while.
It was not bitter cold, and I was comfortably dressed; however, it was
necessary to do much dancing and arm-swinging to keep warm. Snow began
to fall just after the clouds closed in, and it fell rapidly without a
pause until near morning. Early in the evening I began a mental review
of a number of subjects, mingling with these, from time to time,
vigorous practice of gymnastics or calisthenics to help pass the night
and to aid in keeping warm. The first subject I thought through was
Arctic exploration; then I recalled all that my mind had retained of
countless stories of mountain-climbing experiences; the contents of
Tyndall's "Hours of Exercise in the Alps" was most clearly recalled. I
was enjoying the poetry of Burns, when broken clouds and a glowing
eastern sky claimed all attention until it was light enough to get off
the promontory.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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