The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-09-05
SCOTT MOUNTAIN PEAK.


Perilous Expedition.
Frank Edmonds of the coast and geodetio
survey, says a San Francisco letter in the
New York Recorder, has returned from
posting some heliotropers on Scott mount
ain, in Trinity county, at an elevation of
1900 feet. His experiences on this trip were
hardly outdone by those of his recent as
cent Of Mount Conuess. His expedition,
consisting of himself, Heliotropers P. John
son aud b. Won Karger, with camp equip
age and instruments. started from here on
Aug to assist 10 tbs triangulatlon work of
Capt. Dickins, who is upon Lassic peak,
fifty~five miles away from Mount SCOTT.
The party went to Centreville via Redding,
and thence to the Stoddard ranch, where
they secured the old pioneer J. r. Stoddard
as guide, making the remaining forty miles
with saddle and pack-horses, until the final
climb Of 5000 feet.
The route lay up Coffee creek to its
headwaters, then across to Salmon creek,
and along its course TO Grizzly Gulch
which was followed to its source. Severed
days before the party reached their desd-
nation, prominent peak, much like Scott,
doomed up, and was mistRked for the Ioca-
ton sought. They climbed to Its summit,
only TO discover Scott far TO the westward,
and their position shut off from the home
station, Lassic peak, where Capt Diokins Is
stationed, by the overtepplnR peaks by
which they were surrounded. They Inn
mediately returned to the trail, aud once
more pushed toward Scott. Mr.. Edmonds,
speaking of the trip, says:
"When we we're within six miles of the
summit the trail was at an end and we
were obliged to dismount, divide the packs
between all the animals and lead them
through the brush and all. The ground is
covered with broken pieces of granite, and
the ohapparal cut and scratched the ponies
very badly. At times we found well marked
deer trails, which we followed as far as
possible. At the top Of Grizzly Gulch and
5000 feet beneath toe summit OF SCOTT, the
country suddenly widens into beautiful
meadow, wAtered by Grizzly creek, and
sheltered by sides Of rock, which are almost
perpendicular, aud at least 2, 900 feet high,
Beyond this point it was impossible to lead
the animals, and the whole outfit OF 800
pounds was carried to the top upon our
backs
This ascent was perilous in the extreme
We mad TO climb up the face of the cliff
and only managed to do it by strapping
the loads upon our backs and grasping any
thing we could in our hands. AT times we
had TO craw upon all-fours. and never could
two men go together, owing to the hugo
blocks OF granite displaced, which would
bowl down the declivity and hurl them
selves upon the Jagged peaks l 900 feet
beneath. Once one man lost his pack and
it fell l 800 feet Itcontained his blankets
and he had to go down after it. We started
on the climb at a. m.,, and reached the
summit at $50 p. m, and had one meal all
day. The top eliminates Ia a block of
granite four feet wide by eight long, with a
sheer drop of 200 feet on one side, and on
thar the center was fixed and the men will
have to straddle that rock to work the
heliotrope.
"rhe descent was begun at p. m. and
the guide was nearly lost by stepping upon
an insecure rock. He declined to 60 on and
camped between two fires all night rather
than go down. He bad only one meal in
twenty-four hours He got back to the
horses at p. N. A black bear gave some
OF US scare on the way down and three
more we're seen afterward. 1t required
many trips TO land all the stuff near the top
aud the tents were abandoned, as they were
too heavy TO carry.
THE morning after we reached the sum-.
NIT was very smoky aud no mountains but
Shasta appeared. However, I set the hello
trope by angles. and dir. Diekins, on Las
sio, saw US that morning. Scott Is clad in
perpetual snow and has much scrub timber
The men melt sno Tor water. A thousand
feet below the peak is a basin half q mile
across, wherein the prettiest little lake OF
the dearest, deepest water ! ever saw
nestles. IL Is fed by the melting snow,
reaching from the summit 70 It's edge and
forming almost glacier.
"rhs lake Is che source OF Grizzly oreek
and approaches so near the wall over which
the waters tumble into the meadow 3. 600
feet below the wall looks like a great con-
crete dam. The falls resemble very strongly
the YOSEMITE cascade on a smaller scale
Their first pitch is 200 feet, and then several
breaks and rapids complete the tumble that
lashes the water into frothy foam down in
the other basin. The grass in the meade v is
very fine, but the sun never reaches over
the lofty sides OF that little valley until the
middle Of the day. The trip is one Of thrill
ing excitement, and the country abounds in
magnificent scenery. The particular peak
upon which we set up the instrum snts has
never before been occupied by a surveying
party, and there Is no sign indicate that
anybody or anything ever went there be-
fore. It's q curious thing, too. that Millions
of red adybugs occupy that peak end fly
about like swarms Of mosQuitoes"