The Nevada Democrat., 1857-01-21
Mountain Travel In California.


We copy the following from the Shasta Repub-
hcan, as a very graphic description of the dan
gers and hardships one is exposed to in travel
ing over the mountains of California in winter.
1t fully equals many of the stories told by trav-
elers about Switzerland
Mr.. George Bradley, formerly of this place,
and now a resident of Salmon River, arrived in
town on Thursday night He has given us an
account of his trip from Salmon River to this
place. In his route he crossed the Salmon,
Scott and Trinity Mountains.
He left his trading post, on Salmon River, on
December 28. Starting at daylight from Rus
sian River, he succeeded in making the passage
to Callahan's Ranch, i'll Scott Valley, in about
twenty hours -Four companions were with him
and the passage was exceedingly perilous. The
party used snow shoes On the summit of the
mountains the snow varied from sixty to one
hundred feet in depth. Here the wind was pier
/ cling and the cold intense. The drifting snow
| blinded the party, and they became separated
While in this condition, Mr.. Bradley fell over a
bank of snow and fortunately found some shell
! ter from the wind He was enabled, while ma
king short rest under the protection of the
drift, to clear his eyeashes from the frozen snow
and restore sight. Then proceeding, he made
the passage of the mountain, and soon found
two of his companions After waiting about
twenty minutes, their anxiety was relieved by
the appearance of the remaining two of the par.
ty. On the summit the timber is almost hid
and nothing is seen save dsolate and unbroken
waste of snow Mr.. Bradley assures us that the
cold was so intense that the human system could
not possibly endure it one half hour.
Proceeding down the mountain, they were
overtaken by the night, and vainly endeavOred
to build sufficient fire to warm themselves
At about midnight they all began to feel the
drowsy and fatal effects of the cold. All felt
sleepy. Concluding that their only safety was
in proceeding on their way, they abandoned
their inclement camp, and after a toilsome march
of four hours over the unbroken snow, they
reached Callahan's Ranch at O'Clock in the
morning.
Across Scott Mountain the travel was not so
difficult. On the summit, the snow was about
twelve feet deep. Near the summit, the spot
where Mcpherson lately perished was passed.
The body of the unfortunate man still remains
there, enveloped in his frozen winding sheet to
the depth of ten feet. Soon after he perished,
an unsuccessful attempt was made to bury him.
After the grave was dug, and while the body
was being taken from the drift of snow in which
he was found, storm came upon the party,
which soon filed the grave and compelled them
to seek their safety by fight.
SnOw-shoes were necessarily used in crossing
Scott Mountain. Coming down on this side,
Mr. Bradley represents to have been exceeding
ly toilsome. The snow was light and the snow
shoe sank at every step, about one foot in depth.
Throughout Trinity Valley the snow lies at
uniform depth of about seven feet.
The snow on Trinity Mountain was about
eight feet deep. The trail, however was bro
ken on Wednesday last, the day before Mr.. Brad
ley made the crossing. The trail across Trinity
Mountain will now probably remain open. II
is yet unbroken on Scott Mountain,
The ice had formed so thick on Trinity River
that person could ride a mule across without
danger.
Mr. Bradley arrived in town on THURSDAY
night He made perilOus trip, and we have
given brief account of it for the purpose Of
informing those whose duty calls them North
ward, of the fatigues they will be required to
endure, and of the dangers they will be likely
to encounter.