The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-11-16
THE HORSEMAN'S
PARADISE.
What May Be Seen on Horse.
back Trip Through California.
The Beauties Of Nature That Can Be Noticed
When Going Outside the Usual Routes
of Travel-0vsr the Trails.

y1 thousands OIL nll6S, nave Deeu ueaIu
to say that California is the paradise of the
horseman. If history and tradition count for
anything, there ought to be a race of superb
riders here. Before the Americans came to
the country it belonged to men who lived in
the saddle. The land. for hundreds of miles,
was unfenced and untitled. Horses and cat
tie were so abundant thatin years of drought
they were sometimes killed to save pastur-
age. Whoever found his horse tired turned
him loose and caught another, and ordinary
mustangs were sold for 81 apiece.
Gen eral John Bidwell, one of the first
Americans in the Sacramento Valley, has
told me that the California of 1S45, before
the discovery of gold, was the most beauti-
full country to ride over that ever existed in
the world. The wild oats, as tall as mans
head. covered all the valleys and even the
foothills. Wild flowers, of species now almost
extinct, bloomed in masses Of many acres.
To this day when the pioneers get together
they speak of this picturesque early Califor-
mia of the horseman, when every settler was
more or less vaquero aud lived outdoors
most of the year. General Bidwell once
rode up the Napa Valley with several
native Californians. 1t was in April, and
the grizzly bears were so numerous that ten
or twelve were often seen in single day.
Half dozen Mexican vaaueros were more
than match for the fercest of grizzlies in
the open. They would lasso him from all
sides and hold him still. while one of them
slipped from the saddle with knife and put
period to the story
FIFTY YEARS AGO.
The California of fifty years ago has dis
appeared, but it is still the land of the
horseman as much as those upper Allegheny
regions where wheeled vehicle is seldom
seen. Its great mountain widernesses are
crossed, to be sure. by beaten highways, but
back and forth between them is woven the
network of horseback trails from house to
house and ridge to ridge. The wonderful
forests of redwood and sugar-pine, called by
Professor Sargent the finest coniferous for
ests on the lace Of tile earth, are unfenced
for hundreds of miles. The country is still
unspoiled for the horseman. The people,
too. are frank. friendly and hospitabe.
ready to guide one to the best trout stream
or to the likeliest ravine for deer. There is
no place in America better than California
for the man who wishes to escape the beaten
paths and who enjoys grand scenery, new
character, studies botany, hunting or fish,
ing. Railroad and stages only carry one
into the desired region. No one except the
horseman is made free OF the whole realm OF
the Californian wilderness.
There are several distinct courses open to
a horseback traveller who starts from the
vicinity Of San Francisco. He can go south
into the Santa Cruz redwoods among the
campers and vineyards. Within seyenty-hve
miles of San Francisco is the heart Of these
great redwood forests, which the railroad
only crosses at one point. He can arrange
for far longer and more varied journey
northward along the coast, or somewhat In
land through the first range OF valleys.
Either route carries one across Marin, So
Il ,la..l.f and Iii
counties, 400 miles TO the boundary OF Ore
gon. Thence one might go along the Cas-
cades, or by the shores of the Pacific to
Puget Sound and the tree-clad island of that
huge inland sea. 1t is Il marvellous interest
ing journey, past pioneer cabins and growing
towns, past cool, dark rivers bcrdered with
poisoning aZaleas. past acres of ripe salmon
berries, where the cinnamon bears revel in
the delicious iruit There are great lumber
mills, smoky and grim, standing in ravineS
by The ocean, by iron Wharves over the cliffs.
There are hundreds of loggers at work in
the redwood forests, the last and the greatest
Of the native trees of the United States.
A COMPREHENSIVE JOURNEY.
But the most comprehensive journey to be
made in California, starting from San Fran
cisco, would begin by making a dash for
the Sierras. This route would first cross to
the east shore, then thread the Coast Range
foothills and descend upon the broad Sacra-
ing this, the horseman ascends the long,
equable slopes of the Sierra to the old gold
mining camp districts and the counties that
represent more than the rest OF the State the
California of "'49" His course must then
lie north, exploring the width of the range
frcm valley 10 snow, as far north as Lassen
and Shasta, and making the ascent OF these
two grand mountains. Magnificent is all
this Sierra region, for its forests of pine and
cedar, its lakes. its deep canyons, its water
falls and mountain torrents as yet unphoto-
graphed. Then, if after the ascent of Shasta
the horseman wishes TO complete the sum-
mer IN the saddle with absolute splendor. so
that its rounded circle shall seem in subse-
Quent life supreme inspiration. lie can
cross to the Siskiyou ranges west and thread
the widest ravineS Of the Coast Range,
across Trinity and along the Gualala and
beneath the rbododendron copsas and red
wood forests of Noyo and Navarro.
As / have said, California is still the land
of the horseback traveller whenever one es-
capes from stage and railroad. There are
hundreds of cattle trails in the mountains
where wagons cannot GO. The farther one
goes from the valley the more people he
finds who use the saddle habitually. less for
pleasure than for business. Droyers and
spectators, young farmers. hunters, pros
pectors, all are apt to prefer a saddle horse
to a wagon. AS yet there are no tourists.
no professional pleasure seekers, on the un-
freouented horseback trails | once spent
the best part OF a summer in tile saddle and
rode over some twelve large counties with
out meeting single person who was taking
a similar journey 'for nothing but the fun
of the thing"
In THE SADDLE.
When first rose to the conception of cut
ting loose from the burdens and complex
tiles of city life and living sort of nomadic
existence until had seen The greater part of
Central and Northern California, the thought
was very attractive. To spend summer in
the saddle was scheme worthy OF Thnreau.
But it soon became evident that success de-
pended upon close attention to all the
details. First and most important, the
horse; second, the outfit; third, the route
to be taken. l went to enc OF the ranches
and picked out strong young American
horse, who did excellent service and never
lost a day from sickness or otherwise. in
vested in a Spanish saddle and pair of sad
dle-bags. A leather roll behind the saddle for
a blanket completed the outfit 1t is surprising
with how little baggage man can travel
half across the continent. The less he has
the better it is for his horse and for himself.
He can get some OF his meals at village
hotels or farm houses or pioneer cabins, and
he can sleep under 4 roof nrarly every night
if he chooses. But the best plan is TO have
a stake ro,e and let your horse feed all
night and during the hot part Of the day,
while you lie rolled up in your blanket I'M
der an adjacent tree. A man who has had
training and is master Of woodcraft will
manage to cook his own game. on pinch,
without taking along enough baggage to
load pack mule. But, since no two people
will plan for the same outfit, it is useless 10
discuss this point any further.
SOUTHERN ALAMEDA.
The valley farm where the story of my
journey properly begins is in the heart Of
Southern Alameda, thirty miles from San
Francisco in the midst of orchards, vine-
yards and fields of wheat. 1t was sunrise,
/ remember, when l started and rode toward
the hills, past placid lagoon, where red
sbirted Portuguese buy was padding toward
flock Of ducks in the farther end by
clump OF willows. -Four miles brought me
to the vineyards of the old Mission San
Jose. Here are crumbling adobes all that
are left OF the Spanish mission establishment
of century ago. Hera are groves of
orange. fig and olive and palms tall in the
sun. From the mission a winding canyon
leads into the Stockton Pass and that into
Sunol Valley. East Of this is a broad range
of hills, beyond which the San Joaquin lies,
and the Sierra snow peaks are on the far
eastern horizon.
The foothills of Eastern Alameda are
large enough to be called respectable mount
aims in many States. The forest growth is