Litchfield enquirer., 1870-05-26
VII.
THE MOUNTAINS.
OCEAN TO OCEAN. !"

| This country not only abounds Tn gold but other minerals: copper, iron, silver, coal, &c.. &c., but these mines are not any of them very fully developed as yet. The expenses of freighting are such as not to warrant an outlay in that direction; but the day is not far distant when the country will be inhabited by an industrious intelli gent and thrifty people who will make it, as it should be, the garden of America There is every variety of climate and soil, but man is fearfully demoralized. Il abounds in every variety of game, from the California lion and grizzly bear to the harmless chip-muck; trout weighing 8 lbs. to 1a lb.-any less than 1s pound too small to eat-ducks, geese and quail. My first experience in fishing was in "Red Glover Valley some 24 miles distant. We pack ed our "mules, mounted our Spanish hor- ses, and were on the road at a. m., the 29th of November. The sun shone beau tifully in the valley, and so warm that we had to strap our coats tc aae horses so in- tolerable was the heat. The scenery through Genesee Valley was beautiful. This is narrow canyon some miles long one-half, or three-fourths of mile wide, and of great fertility. The mountain sides tower above us to the height of 2,500 it., their snow covered sides cooling the atmos. phere as We pass along facing the noun tains which, like the Devils Gate in Weber Canyon, seems to shut out possibility of getting through them.
 RED CLOVER CANYON.
 On reaching the head of the valley g narrow detile presents itself, to the left, into which we turn in single file and trace our way through rocks and chasms, finally entering ''Red Clover Canyon" some 200 feet from the river that roars and tears its way through this rocky gorge. My com. panion told me to dismount, that it was dangerous to ride, &c. I laughed at hi. fears, and took survey. The mountains lowered some 4,000 feet above, and when looked below the distance seemed SO insig ni6cant I replied that people must be COW ards who dared not ride on such a trail. ev en at such height, and despite his fear, rode the entire distance, with one excep tion. This canyon is some thirteen mile: long, and in some respects is wilder thar even Weber or Echo canyons. There i an awful solemnity here. Those can yons have been disfgured by man; here rough, rugged ature presents herself a left after those terrible upheavings whicl caused the mountains to shake from thei very foundations, breaking their ribs o granite in pieces and piling them into
 mass upon which time and his co-laborer have had no perceptibly effect.
 ''TRA1Ls."
 It may be we'll to describe these ''trails They are formed by constant travel, tn same as you see paths in fields made b, cattle, and are scarcely passable in man places. Where the sides of the canyon ar of dirt there is generally a'respectable path but woe to the animal that looses its foot hold. The soil is of clayey natur and the constant sapage from the noun tains renders it very slippery and greasy Again the trail runs between rocks so clos that the rider has to raise his fee from the sides of his animal t allow him to squeeze through.
 often found myself fast, in consequence O too much gazing above and below. Tn scenery was so grand I thought of nothin, else. My horse was noble one and I al lowed him free rein as found him bette acquainted with the mode of procedur than was. The trail followed along th right bank of the stream for s,me fou miles, gradually ascending the mountains sometimes 1,50O feet from the river below again.nearly down to the waters edge. Tn windings of the river were so abrupt tha one can scarcely see 800 yards ahead. M, impression was that of being shut up in { closet, with sides insurmountable, and witt the blue expanse of Heaven for its ceiling The change of atmosphere was very severe In passing tue corner of the river occa ] sionally we would enter sunny territory