The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1876-01-29


he, "you will need it before you
reach the summit" we began the la
borious ascent. The distance to the
top of the mountain is estimated at
three miles from the Dr's. Our
route lay along ridge, or backbone
of the mountain, where there is an
old Spanish trail, leading well up to-
wards the summit and bearing off to
the west, over the range toward the
ocean. The sides of the mountain
arc covered with diminutivc chap
arral brush, averaging from three to
four feet in height, very stiff and
stubborn, and covered with thorns.
In many places this brush stands so
thick that it is impossible to get
through it. The surface of the
ground is covered with gravel, the
rock being of basaltic character.
The perspiration strcamcd from ev-
cry pore as we toilcd upward on the
lee side of the mountain, with scarce
ly a breath of air stirring, The sun
shonc very hot, and the bottle of wa
ter was almost exhausted before we
left the trail to climb over the jagged
rocks of the last half mile. We
blessed the good DR.. for his thought
fulncss, and blamed ourselves for
not bringing two bottles instead of
one. But like all things terrestrial,
our journey had an end, and at IoH
o'clock, two, tired, tattcrcd and torn
individuals might have been seen
looking like pigmics in the distance,
standing upon the summit rock, wav-
ing the national flag to the watchers
with the spy glass in the valley below.
The flag had been planted there by
some patriotic visitor who had pre-
coded us to the summit earlier in the
season.
Words cannot adequately describe
the beauty and grandeur of the pan
Drama spread out before us from the
dizzy height. | never climbed one
of the snowy kings of the Cascades,
but have stood upon many mountains
of lesser note, III Oregon, WashinE-
ton and Idaho; have gazcd upon
scenes where the aspect of nature
was more wild and picturesque, but
never before where the view was SO
complete in its blending of beauty
and grandeur, so full of natures
grand works and the busy civiliza-
ton of man. "Oid Oceans gray and
melancholy waste" in the back ground
seemed to reach up and lap the sky
in the distant west, the waters of the
Golden Gate shimmcrcd in the sun
tight, the Bay with its numerous
branches, winding in among the hills,
stretched away out of sight in the
far southeast, Goat Island, Angel Is
land and others dotted its silver sur
face at intermediate points, ships un-
der full sail, steamers and other crafts
rose and fell with the waves as they
rode in scores upon the waters below.
Seemingly almost at our feet cmbos
omcd in a little valley at the foot Of
mountains rcposcd the town of San
Rafael; then there was Saucilita,
Oakland, Alameda, Brooklyn, San
Quintin, Petaluma, San Jose, Santa
Clara and the busy hcc-hivc Of San
Francisco, all in sight, furnishing
abundant evidence Of the presence of
man and his work among the scenes
of nature. All was still as the grave,
not sound broke the silence. In
the distance, the steamers seemed to
move as projected by some unseen
power. On a perfectly clear day,
the snowy ridges of the Sierras are
visible from this elevation; but the
atmosphere was little murky and
we could not see them to-day.