Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1879-03-07
The Passes ofthe Sierra.
March scribner.

fornii Alps is forcibly illustrated by the
fact that, throughout the whole extent,
there is not a single pass lower than
5000 feet above the level of the sea. In
q distance of 40 miles, between lati-
tude SO deg. 20 min. ana So deg, the
lowest have yet found exceeds 5000
feet, and the average height of all that
are in use Is, perhaps, not far from
1000.
A carriage-road has been constructed
through what is known as the Sonora
Pass, on the Stanislaus and Walkers
rivers, the summit of which is 5000 feet
above the sea. Substantial wagon
roads have also been built through the
Carson and johnson passes, near the
head of Lake Tahoe, over which inn
mense quantities of freight were hauled
from California to the mining regions
of Nevada, prior to the construction OF
the Central Pacific Railroad.
A considerable number of compare
lively low passes, accessible to wheeled
vehicles, occur in the northern half OF
the range, through whose rugged detiles
long emigrant trains toiled YEARLY
during the exciting years of the gold
period. But, however interesting, these
northern passes cannot properly be
brought within the scope of this work.
Between the Sonora Pass and the
southern extremity of the Alps, dis
lance of nearly 100 miles, there are only
five passes through which trails conduct
from one side of the range to the other.
These are barely practicable for ami
mails; a pass in these regions meaning
simply any notch or canon through
which one may, by the exercise of
unlimited patience, make out to lead
mule, or sure-footed mustang. Only
three Of the five passes may be said to
be III use, viz: the Kearsarge, Mono
and Virginia Creek, the tracks leading
through the others being only obscure
Indian trails, not graded in the least,
and scarce at all traceable by white
men; for much Of the way is over solid
rock,pavements and bosses, where the
unshod ponies Of the Indians leave no
appreciable sign, while only skilled
mountaineers are able to detect the
marks that serve to guide the Indians,
such us slight abrasions of the looser
rocks, the displacement of stones here
and there and bent bushes and weeds.
A general knowledge of the topography,
however, is the main guide, enabling
one to determine where the trail ought
to go-nttst go. One of these Indian
trails crosses the range by nameless
pass between the headwaters of the
south and middle forks of the San
Joaquin, the other between the north
and middle forks of the same river, Just
to the south of the Minarets; this last
being about 5000 feet high, the lowest
of the FIVE. The kearsarge is the high
est, crossing the summit of the range
near the head of the south fork of
Kings river, about eight miles to the
north of Mount Tyndall, through the
midst of the most stupendous rock
scenery to be found anywhere in the
Alps. The summit of the pass is over
$4,000 feet above sea-level; nevertheless
it is one of the safest of the five, and is
used every summer, from July to 0cto-
Der or November, by hunters, prospec-
tors and stock-owners, and to some
extent by enterprising pleasure-seekers,
also. For, besides the surprising
grandeur Of the scenery about the sum
NIT, the trail, in ascending the western
flank, conducts through a grove of the
giant sequoias, and through the magniti-
cent Yosemite valley of the south fork
Of Kings river. This is, perhaps, tile
highest travelled pass on the continent.