The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1891-04-03
BY MISS MOLLIE Il. CARRurHERs.

BY MISS MOLLIE r. CARRUrHERs.
A summer in the mountains is not COM
plete without camping trip. In this letter
l had intended to tell The TINES where to
find one of the prettiest spots in the Rockies
in which to camp, but "Tontine" perpe-
trated an ungallant scoop" and discovered
Trout Lake to your readers in the descrip-
ton Of his trip from Telluride to Rico. He
found 1t at the very edge Of the stage road,
but he did not camp there, so he left me
something to tell.
In the summer of '89, gratefully accept
ed an invitation to join a party which in
tended to spend fortnight at this locally
famous resort, for was told that camping
at Trout Lake was not like camping any
where else in the world and that 1t was ''the
thing to do, you know" and that is what
one goes to the San Juan country for, to do
as the mOuntaineers do. So to Trout Lake
we went, in sections, as the trains 60 over a
'pass,"a party going Sunday, on horse
back, a wagon load following on Wednes-
day and on Thursday morning the detach-
ment to which belonged setting gaily out
for the happy fishing grounds.
The lake is sixteen miles from Telluride,
by wagon road. BY horseback or ''by
hand" the distance is somewhat less, for in
either case one can take advantage of numer-
Gus ''cut Offs" but who would curtail the
delights of such a trip by any sOrdid con-
sideratiOn for rapid transit? This drive of
six miles down the San Miguel valley and
ten miles up the valley of the South Fork,
is worth taking just for the scenery and it
had been one of the pleasantest dreams in
which we had indulged, but dreams ''go by
cOntraries" tits said.
The first few miles were safely done and
we had made the sharp turn up the South
Fork, cOngratulating ourselves that dinner
time would find us under our tent when our
first accident occurred. Our driver was
nice little lawyers clerk, who may have been
very commentary of law, but was not
much Of a driver. Be driver good or bad,
though, have noticed that this popularity
invariably belongs to him, utter intolerance
OF advice. This one was no exception. l
think at the very same moment we all, the
driver excepted, noticed large rock lying
directly in our track, and each and every
one yentured the mil1est, most respectful
intimatiOn that 1t would not be wise to try
to drive over it, and out of pure resentment,
am convinced, he aimed straight for it and
aimed we'll. The wagon stopped short, the
horses went on and the passengers piled up
in prOmiscuOus heap. The tongue had
broken short off and there were six helpless
people and three hundred pounds of bag
gage to be transported ten miles in tongue
less wagon. But nothing is so bad that it
might not have been worse" and there aCds
house in sight, the cabin on Vance's
ranch (which would not have happened at
many points in the trip, and lawyer in
the party had once been blacksmith, SO
after much tinkering, many trips to Vance's
| and great deal of time, we moved on to-
ward Ames, the only village on the route.
In Ames we passed freighting outfit, a
common sight in Telluride then. 1t con-
sisted of one man, six horses and two heavy
| wagons with white canvass tops. One
wagon, called ''trail," has short tongue
and is hitched close behind the other. The
| freighter was taking empty wagons to Rico
and spending all his spare time looking
after vicious horse in the middle pair.
| Not far beyond Ames trail came down
over the mountain side and joined the road,
| a high mesa. We were told tha. this was
| the route which ''the robbers took" for O
daring bank robbery which had occurred in
| Telluride few weeks before was still q
subject of interest. One of our party had
been with the sheriffs posse i'm pursuit and
we were listening to some thrilling tales
when our attention was attracted by grea
clatter of wheels and shouting close behind
us. We had just gone down steep hill an(
were about to start up another and there al
our very heels was the freighter and hi.
''six" were running away. With ont
agOnizing thought of our disabled tongue
wagon tongue-we began to shrek. Their
was nothing else to do, and at the crtica
moment when we ought to have been over
come by fright, the vicious horse in th'
middle pair fell and the others went dowi
in a providential tangle. After that W,
walked great deal. 1t was easier for Ou
horses, it was good exercise and then tn,
freighter was still in narrowing proximity
And think walker over those roads EN-
joys them best, after all. He can investi
gate every shady ''cut OFF, where the mari
posa lilies nod modest head, he can dream
over the Mystic Fall and take sip from
every tiny stream that chatters to him as
flashes by. But he must needs be Johl
Burroughs to tell what he sees.
But Trout Lake seemed farther ava,
than 1t had in the morning. Dinner tim
had come and gone without remark ant
the walking was not very good. Four of u
did all Of it though, for the cOmmentar,
would ride If his life was the price.
long, long hill and was this the last one
We were trailing along behind the wagon
in dusty silence, when 1t suddenly appeare'
that something was wrong with the load il
front 1t was tOp-heavy, or-Oh heaven
our biggest box of provisions was taking
tumble! The air grew thick with tin cans
looking glass, toilet articles and bakin
powder, and the commentary drove gail
on. From the amount and variety of manu-
factured goods and raw material which tina
box unloaded at our feet and all over tn
hillside one might haye fancied that tn
end board was out of the tariff.
l think other accidents occurred, bu
memory mercifully fOrsakes me here.
remember nothing of the rest of the journe
except that we walked and walked. l be
lieve that we arrived in camp late In tn
afternoon. Our advance corps were all oil
residents. Just at evening the last of on
party arrived, solitary but determine
young lady, who had made the trip O
horseback and alone, except for the chanc
attendance for few miles of CathOli
priest. This devout father, by the way
makes forty and fifty mile trips over thes
hills, at all seasons and In all weathers
having charge of three parishes and a hos
pital or two. And not infrequently on
meets in most unexpected places, a pair Q