New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-07-29
CAMPING IN CALIFORNIA.
THE MOUNT OF PINES.

wsra vexed nv furious north wind which
blew in angry and dtful gusts. not tempering
Che heat, and filing our eyes, our food. and our
beds with dust and dirt. IL was q hve hours hard
march to the top of the mountain, and we went az
usual In two divisions. The first party, oppressed
by the hot day, and troubled good deal by the
waywardness of some of the animals especially
the cow reached camp nearly exhausted. but In
spite of that Soper returned with the horses the
same evening. We of the second party began our
packing at o'clock the next morning, yet with all
our experience it was nearly by the time we were
ready to mount. The trouble was that we had sent
away Dne of our horses on other duty and our load
had mean while been increased by the arrival OF at
least two hundred pounds of fresh supplies but by
ing rs much as possible behind the riders the
extra burdens were at last disposed Of More
fortunate than companions, we had cool day'
and the sun was partly yelled in the clouds wn'ch
almost always follow the Californian north wihu'
W. had to retrace about four miles of our former
route through the valley, over the sandy oottons
Then Wa turned to the north, and passing some
striking cliffs, whose high cavities abonnded with
eagles nests we entered by a rocky portal narrow
goree running down from the flank OF Mount Plnos
TIE way was only exceedingly narrow smell
trodden out of the loose sandy slopes OF the gorge
Offering at best treacherous footnolo, ana very
stcep beudes and INSTRUCTED by brush. The chasm
below was sometimes quite deep, and Win
heavily loaded horse there was spice OF danger IN
the ascent which we missed in the earlier stages
of the journey. After while we came upon tne
open ridges which stretched from the wooded
rayine to the summit, and along the crests OF these
We moved until we reached the tough final ascent
We rested. Iunched, and made TEA and coffee on
grassy upland, and then, after hard pull, we
found ourselves upon the long top of Mount Pinos.
The mountain is not peak. but a sharp ridge run
ming nearly fifteen miles east and west, the highest
part being a sort OF knob near the east end' tine
elevation Of which is marked on State maps as
$500 feet, though survey stake at the summit
gives il only 7,040. Reaching the crest some dis
lance west of this, we rode about two miles under
the towering white pines. Even here the fres had
swept. A large proportion of the trees were dead.
The black monuments of folly ana recklessness lay
all around u.s. There was little or no underbrush,
and there were very few saplings. Presently the
scene grew more cheerful In the midst of the open
green wood We trayersed two shallow and grassy
valleys longitudinal depressions III the top of the
rdee bosl,y acres fragrant with resnous Odors and
adorned with tracery of dancing shadows; and
here we found Durer wandering with his gun, and
the cow browsing contentedly alter her long
Journey. little way further, and the tran sud-
denly plunged Into a hollow on the south face OF
the mountain, giving us half mile OF the worst
Dath WI
among rocks and crumbling soil with slope at
which even the practised horses stopped sghast.
Most of us chose to dismonnt; and, i'll cloud OF
dust. riders and animals slipped somehow to the
bottom of The glen. Here was to be our camp.
deem and narrow nook scooped out OF the ridge two
or three hundred feet below the crest, withcon-
fused masses of broken rock piled mp on all sldes
except the south, where superb prospec' opehed
over the valley; the Santa Ynez range, aud lar
beyond the dim oceaD-sucn was the spot We had
chosen At the back, spring of delicious purity
and GOODNESS issued from cave IN the rocks. LII
was for the sake of The spring that we had come
here the summit, which Is far Preferable IN owner
respects. has no water Indeed we not long in
realizing that camping on Mount Pinos Implied
choice of Inconvenience If we remained at the
spring we must not only put up with some lack OF
shade and air and space for exercise but we placed
that terrible ascent between us and our COW and
horses for which there pasturage in theglen.
If we went to tine top we must devise some way OF
hauling water over the same difficult path.
But in The meantime another trouble confronted
u.s. None of the many friends In Nordhof ana
Santa Barbara who encouraged us to camp on
Mount Pinus thought of mentioning that the noun
tain was annually visited by large flocks of sheep
1t is so rempte from human habitation that the
possibility OF annoyance from this source never
occurred to us: aud it was a great shock to find
thousands of sheep pasturing near and flock OF
22OO-one of five bands belonging to a rauchc I'D
the San Emidio canon. far north of us-makog for
our very camp. or course they needed water Just
as We did and had the same right TO it, this being
unblic land Our first division passed the sheep on
the way and established the claim, such as 1T was,
of prior possession. But while they were absent
from camp next morning the herders came In I'M
loaded their pack-inue. and damned up the spring
Tn make watering pools Anybody who has seen a
niece of ground upon which 1000 sneep have bee n
feeding will appreciate the sentiments with when
we regarded tins invasion. 1t looked as IL we
we're to be driven off the mountain for even II we
kept tho sheep away from the camp by force
which we might be able to do and might not-thsy
could devOur or spoil IN few days all the pastur-
age upon which we depended for our horses.
The matter turned ont happily after all. When
the shepherds came i'll we had no difficulty IN esaD
fishing amicaDle relations with them. They built
other pools below the camp; they promised 70
bring in their sheep by roundabout way 50 as not
70 annoy us; they areeed to leave us IN undis
turbed possession of the two little upland valleys
which we needed for our stock they we're wiling
to sell us mutton. and rs preliminary they gave
US half q freshly killed lamb as compliment. The
herders we're three brothers-clvil and apparently
good natured Frenchmen, pleased to be addressed
In their own language. The cordial understanding
was completed when Albert Durer. having asked
one Of them to pose tor pencil sketch. produced
In a few moments spirited and striking likeness
"Mon Deu!" exclaimed the uelighted rustic
"whar a marvel" lie filed his little water-keg'
at the spiing took his long staff IN hand, babe u
good day. and went up the ascent. twisting
about among the rocks and pines which sometimes
left nothing visible bat his dark bearded face ano
conIcal slouchod hat, aud sometimes permitted q
glimpse of his short brceches and leggings H'
was fair copy of the traditional shepherd OF the
Abruzz OF the disguised brigand OF the opera; anc
we all came out into tue sun to watch his pic
turesque progress. These surely we're the practi