New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-05-01
IN SIGHT OF Mt. SHASTA.
DESCRIBING A VISIT TO THE HORSESHOE
BEND OF MCCLOUD RIVER.
A PARADISE FOR HUNTERS AND ANIbrd~S-iM
pREs1vE VIEWS OF THE SOLITARY NOUN
TAIN - TWENTY EIGHT THOUSAND
ACRES OF FOREST IN DANGER

TAIN - TWENTY EIGHT THoo>AND
ACRES OF FOREST IN DANGER
OF DESTRUCTION.
San Francisco April 15.-In order 10 give
the reader some idea OF the sueaHs' '.o
game and the general scenic features uepenue ,
upon the preservation OF the Shasta iores'', ~, u.s.
visit Of the merriest and samiest Vi N~i"O'n-
streams. the McCloud River Starting from San rrs
cisco some evening the train will take him over ."o
great scenic route OF California lie VIII sec o0'
one of the most wonderful feats OF engineenne ''a
the human mind can conceive, for theie - -
the face Of this earth to exceed the sRiiI WIN ~
the Southern Pacific road from san Francisco !" nv
land is carried and around the SLOPES VI ~
shasta Leaving san Francisco at night, nc VIII 'oi'o
by early morning to Rcdding. at the head Oh '"e '
,onto Valley He has been following the course OF
the sacramento and having risen 5o' 1eet "oo'o
sea level finds it a noisy. brawling strea"' "''
fine train crosses and recrOsses constantly "'''"
with leisure note the presence OF mining oP-''u'
along its banks. AT Copey the Indians may DO
snea,ing salmon. both in the Sacramento ana t"e i'
rivers The latter stream joins the sacramento az
Dennett Between this station and Delta, IN eishS
i, ~ railroad and 900 feet OF ascent the Traveller
crosses the Sacramento eighteen times ana soo'
ttronrb twelve tunnels. At Delta the fine trou-ils"
inc ~ these regions begins At Gibson, MY fhiios
from Reddng the train has risen to an elevation Vi
1887 feet and both sides Of the track the river 10
sbut in by the gigantic forests that begin to CLIMB the
shasta foothills. From Gibson to Chromlte
distance CT three miles the road gains 1922 feet OF
altitude and the two poung engines OF huge size
taken from Redding slowly upward. AT Chfo
mite there are old placer mines OF great interest
From here the scenery Increases in interest anu
grandeur The Sacramento is angry swollen
stream shut In by the walls, which grow con-
tnnay closer and more fierce.
Al Castle Creek the traveller has gained 400 feet Oh
height in eight miles bu he has no thought for TINS
tact because at this point the magnificent forms OF
Castle Rocks burst out Of the trees his astonshed
sight startling upheaval Of solid granite, Castle
Rocks rise pc5pendicularly at one bound from inc
narrow valley TO height Of 1000 feet above it, Ihey
are of a steel gray. set in olive-green forests ana
crowned with iurrets ard battlements. Every night
these are storcd and captured By the sum- which aer
shooting golden shafts over the battlements and down
the long gray al sles and filling the towers with mys
uc crimson and purple shadows, leaves It's captive
alone in the hush OF nigh, by the dark brawns river
I'pon these rocky heights the foot Of man ms never
trod Int the Indians know them to be Inhabited by
sprit which they name Aperture, that guards them
from all cncroachment OF man. once an lhuiah
woman. climbing "A rocky ledge In search Oh Derries
was thrown from the foothold and dashed to pieces
hundreds Of feet below This was In the am long
ago. but it was the last attempt to ascend oaS''e
Rocks .
Lower Soda Springs afford the best view OF oss'ic
Rocks The springs three miles beyond ara i'of-
feet higher than castle Creek station Inc pace Is d
small but delightful summer resort ana Just DeSonu
n e Mossbrae Falls cascade OF ice-water burSthg
directly from the hillside. There are numbers oil
smaller cascades about IT, and all burst from the deep
hid fountains Of shasta, and be the outlets OF
some enormous hidden glacier. The banks under ana
obont the ca scadc are covered with the richest ferns
and mOsses and tall pines above break the s"i,sn'
into rainbow fragments. The water Is pure "hile
inst beyond at Upper Soda Springs from the SINE NH
side sprouts vigorous stream OF pure cola SODA. ue
ughtfu to the taste Travellers crowd TO drink from
the fountain and bottles are hIieu ana carricu oi "
future
Dut II IS al Chestnut that the first view OF shasta
Is 10 be obtained fairy OF white Heating against
the clear blue above the dark pine tops MOUTH
shasta has one great advantage over every houhl'''
IN switzcrland In that il can be rising In clear
blue sky day after day and month aiter moh'h
throughout the greater part OF the year. Shasta Is
the source O. the Sacramento, the navgable river
~ 700 miles OF the Pacific Coast. which in this It's
MINER conrs, Is clear the Rhine In swizeriand'
No other railroad In the world skirts the base OF an
Isolated snow mountain which takes days travei 10
compass. .
shasta the Magnificent. on whose lower slopes stand
those superb forests whose destruction In the interests
OF lumber dealers have been foreboding Is 'he
highest mountain In California, and went into the carry
histories Of California giant OF leoOo ieet III
altitude Later calculations have reduced ms 'et'
mate 10 nearly 1900 feet bnt With this more thah
able height the mountain Is content ana proudly
tosscs It's trumvate Of peaks above the trailing clouu
hammer that so often sweeps lies beneath its highest
summit rs TO be known the snow banner OF SHASTA
II il not from all points Of view that this triple nature
NJ the shasta peak is evident. seen from aiar ana
from nearly all directions. the snowy height rises out
Of the valleys with grandly upward sweeping slopes
Of richly tmbered foothills. For onetlhrd OF It's
height pines and frs clothe the mountain 1he as II
even so rich robe Insufficient for the expression
Of Its purity Of spirit shasta lifts its soul above this
rich green setting Of it's base, ard throws its main
height 10 900 feet up into the clouds, claiming rom
them the cover Of perpetual snowy purity In reward
for the high and successful aspiration Of It's ascending
spirit Centuries asc u the first upheavings oil Tue
Pacific SLOPE shasta received lis "dadem OF SHOW
and mayer since for a single warm or melting moment
Ia, IN. rugged mountain tired Of its covering or thrVwh
1t aside even at the appeal OF thermoc'eT ~, mo no
degrees In the frosty temperature OF lis high aiti,
tudc night repairs each damage and every Dawn seS
The snowy summit fresh TO catch the color Of the
coming SIM and TO reflect ii over hundreds Of miles OF
valley. long before the INST beam mas shohe upN '"o
To spcah OF an ethereal mountain dream. only using
its rocky base Of earth TO climb toward heaven III
terms Of arithmetic. is hard Yet it will help the readr
to know that Mount shasta could be cut OF above Us
denominations of foothills. an oval eighty miles IN
circumference would be the result thousands Of miles
OF country would be rendered useless for want OF we
and many rivers beside the sacramento would become
barren beds u rock. shasta stands alone IL docs
belong either to the main Sierra Nevada rang y.
TO the coast range. 1t is supposed 10 be Isolated
volcanic mass and is the starting point Of various
chains OF mountains. For an entire day. even y.
passing through By rail from san Francisco TO fUt
land this sublime mountain Is visible. In the morn
ing the traveller first catches the CLEAN OF It's STOW SHOW
summit above the Castle Rocks At Sl>sons, Wict"
the train stops for dinner tho wonder is in fullest
view. and one almost wishes TO knec in worship as ne
gazcs at the head and pine erded base
Of this monarch of mountains. Toward sunset cIVe
ing the last Of the long stretch of shasta Valley o"u
the oregon boundary, the mountain shows ito two
peaks and reflects the rays Of light from each Ia'er
If II be moonlight, the traveller LOOKS his last on
the cleaning white peak as he rcgrefully descenus
Into the Rogue River Valley of oregon over the Siskyo
Mountains
The ascent Of Shasta be made by good climbers
with delay Of two days and at a minimum expense
OF $40. the cost OF horse and guide THIS Is SELDOM
done, however. People spending II few days or weeks
at >esons the village nearest the mountain or campers
lhn fish and N Ncllnud ana lIlNI