Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1884-12-23
sHAgE sIoA7y IN 7ME six8sAs!
or sbe Great sisause saiIs, ~ shss1rs -
which garesy su,kss Mss's Ess'
se.~.. v.-t. Ttwcaf

Hssirc heard 20 many conflicting reoosn
.hont thc wopderfsII scenery % the had
waters Of the sisquoc creek. We 10 COR
pauy with Mesxrs. Wheat aud Fvsrs9ees,
concluded to make thorough cxpt'f.twn
OF that section. whi.h has until iateiy DPee
Almost terra iacognifa 70 even the 01ese
settlers. owing to the dense chapwrsf
which covered the mountains on all ssdes
ara made u almost inaccessible un;u
an extensive fire swept over scyera
hundred square miles about three
wears ago. making II possible 70 get
In there. We supplied ourselves With
necessary outfit, mainly blankets, wtnehe>-
fer riGe. ard salt, mounted the hurricane
deck OF our iavorite csbaIlo and the iirst dy
reached Mr.. wbest's ranch. tblrfy-uvc
miles FROM SAINTS Maria. After yas'iug she
Narrows we had to cut trail Tor miles
until reaching the burned country above
the main forks Of the liver. Asccndtnx tnc
southeast fork about twelve miles from s1c
river We came 10 Ventura FM'--s We
named it--from the great number OF
them about there. The gorge ct ths s0os
Of the faIl was Wild and picturesque
IN the extreme. Huge bouIders and faisep
trees. with occasionally cascade varying
in height from ten 20 one hundred feet to
climb around. Grizxiy.bcar tracks were
quite plenty, but no grizzlies came "a sight
on the top. nor were we hunting any. We
climbed above and measured the main tall.
and found ft to I've $50 feet IN height-a
sheer descent, with about thirty miners
inches OF water flowing over II. The
stream falls about 1900 feet In two miles
and half. making greet number OF bcati-
,iful cascades. The pool below the fall Is
eighty feet long, forty feet wide. and up
wards OF thirty feet In depth. clear aud
cold as ice, and 80 sheltered by the over
hanging bluffs that the sun rarely shines
| in u.
Climbing the mountain above the fall
we found TO be terrific work. The dense
chaparral, partly burned and partly grown
IN again, was impossible TO get through
without chopping for miles. The slope ts
so steep that we could lind no place level
enough to spread our blankets without
| shoyelling, except at the extreme summit
| Of the mountain. There we had mag1ih-
cent view Of the whole surrounding cotin.
try. To the south and west lay the Santa
| Barbara islands. Far out across the Mo-
have desert, upwards OF two hundred
miles distant. the Providence mouu-
tains were plainly seen. To the northwest
the vide sweep OF the san Joaquin valley,
on the further side the Sierra Neyadas, the
snow.cappcd summit Of Mt. whitney and
other lesser pe3ks. while Ia the northwest
| Law the coast range. succession Of sharp
ridges and steep cgnons. covered with dense
chaparral for hundreds OF miles, with here
and there beautiful valley uest!ing below.
The day was exceptionally clear. and the
prospect well repaid us for oil the trouble
| Of getting there.
The following day we tried TO ascend the
main south fork OF the creek, which Is
even a rougher and wilder gorge than the
other. n possible. After climbing mile
and bali we came in sight OF another fall
from 2JO to 800 feet high. considerable wa
ter flowing over IL. We had 10 give 1t up
as bad Job that day, and we advise any
one undertaking the trip TO take along
| sheet-Iron suit OF clothes. Those falls are
about G5 miles from santa Maria. and the
timber belt spoken OF about 20 miles.
On coming back TO camp we found one OF
| the party. MI. Roberts, In chasing wound.
| ed deer. had broken bone In his foot.
compelling us to start out as soon as pos
siblc.