Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1882-10-25
Che freemau.
Our Vacation Camp.
gY REV. r. w. C. FARNswoRTH

In a previous letter gave an account
If vacation life in Southern California.
will now describe our own vacation
camp. By the kindness of our people we
have a month for rest. There are no
hinder people than are found in our church
o. here. Last year we pitched our tent in
grove of sycamores at tho mouth OF
S,nta Monica canyon close by the ocean.
This y..,r We .cT The mountains. About
,wcnfr i've miles from the ocean and
sbog .vo th,usani feet above il at the
foot rthe Sierra Ml1re mountains is cur
camp. We are nearly surrounded with
hil,s and mountains. With the exception
of some plains and broad valleys this rs
A very mountainous country. The hlghest
altitude in our vicinity is about five thous.
and feet above The ocean. These mouu-
t.ins are r'qlq unlike those in the east
Their sides arr usually very steep, and
consist u ye..2.aa;e sharp ridges ana dccp,
corres v.ul have been made by the
winter torrents Ut ccuiuries. This gives
them a av.IiEc appearance, and so their
Spanish name, Sierra, which means n saw.
The deeper .ocges, of which there ale
MANY are always called canyons. The
largest in cur vicinity is the Arroyo Seco
CANYON, which winds in tortuous course
twenty miles or more back into the un-
feouented mountain wilds. A little brook,
which in the s,,ring is well stocked with
trout makes its way down the canyon
over bed of granite pepbles and
boulders snl through dense narrow
ribbon of trees, brush and vines. One of
our camping adventures was TO explore
two miles Of this canyon. A little distance
from our clmp we made our way over
a low sD1r ofthe mountains. where a good
wagon road winds for mile down
steep ridge into the very bottom of the
gorge five hundred fee. below. At the
foot of our wild desc ant live in a quaint
old house an old soldier of the Mexican
war and young man from Buffalo, who
pass a strange hermit existence in their
lone retreat. Such cases are said to be very
frequent in the secluded mounta in recess
es of California. We were inv tied into
the rude abode and entertained most
courteolslg. The old gentleman makes
paper cutters and weights. canes and
rustic work out of the woods of the noun
tains, and sells them to his visitors and in
Los Angeles our horse was kindly put into
the barn that he might eat his grain un-
fretted by the flies, and we were shown to
the cosiest little shady nook by the brook
that we might eat our picnic dinner in
fperlect comfort. The rippling brook and
the pools Of water among the granite
rocks, the intensely deep shade the COM
Portable seats, and The appetizing viands
gave us delightful replst at the bottom
OF that great m)untain amphitheater, for
such seemed to be our resting place
ride oftwo miles over rough road, in
which distance we crossed the brook six
teen times, which at this season alternately
sinks in the sand and rises again, brought
us to the mouth Of the canyon.
These CtIli'rais mountains were not
very attratllvr o Us whaa w lirst came to
this countr;, hu' no" We greatly admire
their boui's, y ist JhaY lo,&ei bart
rem; bu we linl ,hay aIo clothed with
small loE brush O, various kinds, mos, Of
which bears l)Hers at somo season of the
year, furnishing some Of the wat b2c
pSure, Of R1et John Muir has recently
written in a. Century His ascent Of the
Sierra Nai'ic range, called by MIN the
Sm G.5ia' which Journey be so charm,
y desuro--, was made tiyo or SIX miles
east Of "1r clrp. M ooeaso1si spruce
Slanl3 sentinel u tha m0dn.4in sides,
and hr.Aer u4gA there are forosts. Vary
ing tnts Aal shadows give 10 these r1g
gea m)antlins, especially near sunset
po2ni,r botuy, which the more one
sees the more he aluures.
Weari in thi hDm, Of the Spanish bay
onet. When we came to our camp we
could see hundreds of them with theil
"'"tHmOln blossoms. Ol tlle luOuHIdil
side close by us counted fifty from
one cabin door. They bloom for severa
weeks during the early part of the dry
season, and m1Se trulyroyal appearance
Like the century plant they flower only
once. After several years of growth
acentral stalk shoots up suddenly out o
the great round mass of bristling bayonets
and often reaches the height of ten OIL
twelve feet. The upper half of this hug,
stem bears hundreds of delicate cream
colored t1)wors, all so arranged as tc
make one enormous, symmetrical aud
beautiful flower. On our way to camp
wesaw little grove of them. So far a
know they grow here only in mountain
regions. They are generally found il
srnly places on the sides of mountains
where il saamS as If nothno wotlld grow