, 1879-03-29
The Passes Of the Sierra.

1nc SUSIdliitV Ufdi'iGuT Oh lnc Saiiiol-
MA Alps is forcibly illustrated by the fact
that, throughout the whole extent, there
is not single pass lower than 5000 feet
above the level of the sea. In a distance
of l40 miles, between latitude 36 deg. 20
min. IS dea. the lowest | have yet found
exceeds 5000 feet, and the average height
of all that are IN use is, perhaps, not far
from ii ,0oG.
\ carriage read has been constructed
through what is known as the Sonora
Pass, on the S;taniSlaus and the Walker $
rivers, the summit nf which is $500 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 immense qnantl-
| ties Of freight were hauled from California
! to the mining regions OF Nevada, rrior to
! The construction of the Central Pacific
railroad.
| 4 considerable number of comparative
| IL low misses. accessible To wheeled ychi-
! clcs occnrs liz the northern half of the
range. through whose rugged defies long
| Immigrant trains ,oiled YEARLY during
the exciting years of the gold period.
| But. however interesting, these northern
paSSes cannot property be brought within
| the scope If this work
Between the Sonora Pass end the
| northern extremity Of the Alps, distance
! If Il arlv 100 miles, there age only hive
! I,aSs $ through which trails conduct from
one side al the range to the other
These ar-e barely practicable Tor animals
| a pass il these REGIONS iIcaal"g simply
! any noteh ar canon through which one
rGay, by the exercise of Unlimited pa
ticnce. make out to lead . wule, or SIRE
! footed mustang Only three of the tlve
passes may b. said tn he in use, VIZ: the
kearsargr. Mono, and Virginia Creek,
| the tracks LEADING through the others be-
| ino only obscure Indian trails, not graded
| in the least, and scarcely at all traccahle
! hy white men fox much of the way Is
over solid rock pavemen;s and h"ssess
where the unshod ponies OF the Indians
leave no apprecahle sign, while only skill
Oh mnuufaineers are able To detect the
marks that serve to guide the Indians,
such as slight a6rasions of The loose rocks,
| tie ulSl'!dceillcn' pl SN'iiS> iiSiS "ii' ' :
and bent bushes and weeds. \ general
knowledge OF the topography, however,
| is the main guide, enabling one to deter
mine where the trail ought to go-n'us'
on One OF these Indian trails crosses
| the RANGE by a 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. lust to the south of the Minarets
tbis last being abont 5000 feet high, the
lowest of the five. The Kearsarge Is the
highest, 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 tie
most stupendous rock to be found
anywhere in the Alps. The summit oi
the pass is over 1900 feet above sea
level: nevertheless, it is one OF the safest
Of the five. and is used every summer
from July to October or November, by
hunters, prospectors and stoek-owners'
and to some extent by enterprislns pleas
rre- e-seekers, also. For, besides the sur,
nassina grandeur of the scenery about
the summit. the trail, IN ascending the
western flank. conducts through a grove
of the giant seqaoias, and through the
mannif;eent Yosemite valley of the south
fork of Kings river. This Is, perhaps
the highest travelled pass on the CONT
| nent.-SCTibner.