The morning call., 1893-11-12
A MOUNTAIN TRIP.
Sketch of a Drive From Sonora to
GrOVeland.

by Edward Highly, age 81; residence 482
Plymouth aVenue.]
1t was in the afternoon of an ideal day
in October that l made my first and asst
trip from Sonora to Groveland. Both
towns are in 'Od Tuolumne" on the Big
Oak Flat route to Yosemite. The distance
between the camps as the crow flies is not
great, but as the face of the intervening
country is about as wriDkled and furrowed
as the hand of Nature could fashion it, the
traveller finds a goodly number of miles
mostly ups and downs-stretching behind
him before be reaches Gr0yeland. The
tourist" has the choice of two routes
the regular stage road through Junction
and Chinese Camp, or by the new suspen-
sion bridge, short cut over a road con-
structed by the SOnoTaDs and Grovelanders
with view to catching the Yosemite
travel. AS in duty bound every patriotic
SOnor urged me to take the new scenic
route, and l, in blissiul ignorance of the
real meaning of that taking adjective, per-
mltted myself TO be persuaded by the &C
cord Of importantly.
AS l have said he day was perfect one.
The sun shone from out fleck less sky
from out an arch so deeply, darkly blue
that 1t seemed as Ii oDe might stretch out
bis hand and touch the azure wall. a soft
breeze, balmy as that which breatbes Vi on
the spice-laden isles of southern seas, was
famed gently down from the higher noun
tain slopes, temperiDg the warm rays of
the sun and rendering the Inhalation of
the VlVlfylng air source OF eXhllaralng
delight a light, purplish haze, harbn-
ger OF Indian summer, lay upon the land
scape, lar and near, giving It Il at indie
scribab BILE mellOwness of tone and delicacy
of coloring that form one of the chief
-.
Seated behind tolerably good horse |
drove down the pretty main street of
Sonora and entered The terra incOgnita
that interviewed between the latter town
and my destination. The first few miles
of my journey developed nothing particu-
larly striking either in the way of scenery
or incident. The country was rugged,
still not unpleasantly rough. The road,
with many q tortuous winding, ran
through densely shaded hooks, crossed
murmuring streams that only awaited the
coming visltatiOns from the skies to
awaken into raging mountain torrents;
up gentle emlnenceS from which the eve
dwelt cOntentedly upon an expanse of
Semi-eultivaied country sglow with the re-
ciprocal hues of alterD ating forest and
field; past neat, homelike cottages en-
bOwrred In fruit Laden orchards-Yeritable
gardens OF Hesperides; by pleasant past
ures of sleek-looking cattle placidly
munching their cuds under the shady oaks,
their faces wearing a look of tactical con-
tentmeDt that have never ceased enyying.
] noticed withal that that fanciful decora-
tor, Jack Frost" had heTalded his adj
vent by crimsoning the leaves OF the vine
yards and variegating the patches of
woodland with his most gorgeous cooring.
AS l JUurDeyed eastward the country
grew rougher. The hills were longer and
sleeper, the turns in the road more abrupt,
the canyons deeper and wilder. From
some of the higher eminences, over which
the road lay, charming views OF mountain
scenery were unfolded. including several
altitudinous. isolated peaks, "buttes," /
believe they are called in mountain par
lance; while away to the eastward an oc-
casioDal glimpse OF snow could be OBJ
tanned. The change In vegetation also
plainly showed that I was rising in the
world. Chaparral and manzanita gave
place to scrubby pines, while farther up
the hillsides loitier specimens of the same
genus lifted their coniferous branches
skyward.
As NV trip had now occupied upward Of
two hours l began to look rather anxiously
for some indication of approach to the
river. Ny Sonora informants had told me
it was s'twelye miles to the bridge and six
more to GrOveland." ] knew that the
river must lie deep in the hills and as it
seemed TO me | had about used up the
twelve miles it was surprising that no
init nation OF the stream was apparent.
/ was fearful that / had lost my way
when a wreiched-looking habltaiion by
the road afforded opportunity for inquiry.
In answer TO my questions slatternly,
vinegar-visaged woman informed me that
j was all right: to keep straight ahead
and that it was TWO and half miles to the
bridge.
Certainly could not have driven more
than hundred yards beyond the house,
and was Illuminating on the unconscion-