26 JOHN WESLEY POWELL. 



to keep up a constant watch. As they moved by day, outriders 

 guarded their little trail, and at night guards were established. 

 Sometimes they camped on the same ground with other travellers 

 pushing westward, "pilgrims," as they were called in those 

 times, and common guards were established over large camps. For 

 much of the distance they travelled in sight of the Platte River, a 

 broad stream of shallow, muddy water, on the banks of which, at 

 rare intervals, cottonwood groves were seen. At last, in crossing 

 the Bijou Basin, about fifty miles from Denver, the party came in 

 sight of the Rocky Mountains, and were filled with enthusiasm as 

 the highland to which they were destined came into view. Ten 

 days later the whole party were engaged in crossing the Rampart 

 Range, as it is now called, sixty miles south of Denver, taking with 

 them their wagons and animals, by a route explored by them- 

 selves. The college boys were teamsters, cooks, and laborers, as 

 well as students, and with good cheer and great skill they climbed 

 the mountain range, opening their way through forests with the 

 axe, and sometimes finding it necessary to take wagons to pieces 

 in order to get them up the rocks. 



But days of great labor, endured with the utmost good-will, 

 brought them into Bergen Park, on the western side of the divide. 

 This is a long valley, with a mountain range on either side, enclosed 

 at the north by a group of lofty crags known as Devil's Head, and 

 at the south by Pikes Peak. 



In Bergen Park they camped for nearly a month, and made 

 a great variety of natural history collections. Thence the party 

 moved to the foot of Pikes Peak, which they essayed to climb. 

 At that time there was no Signal Service station at the summit, 

 and no trail led up its steep sides as at present. The Profes- 

 sor explored a route up the north side. The ascent was one of 

 much adventure, and required great labor; but at last, about three 

 o'clock one afternoon, the whole party reached the summit. No- 

 body in the party had ever before been above the timber line, 

 much less on a mountain's summit, among perpetual snows, and 

 unfortunately, having had little experience, the descent was com- 

 menced too late in the afternoon ; night came on with terrible cold, 

 and in the darkness they had to make their way down rocks and 

 over steep places, until they could reach the timber line. At last 

 this was accomplished, and they went into camp for the remainder 

 of the night, with no other shelter than rocks and logs, and pre- 

 served from perishing with cold by the huge fires which they built. 

 The next day they returned to their camp at the foot of the moun- 



