The herald., 1894-06-25
Four Pretty and Enterprising
Women Climb Over Shale.
The Severe Hardship and Hunger o.
the Trip.
A Hard Journey to the Summit Before
Climbing Became an Art-Ths
Grit and END
of the Party.

|
trampers are 10Th to give up the glory
that crowns the end OF the journey, and
they wish to be known as tine first sue
cessful pioneers.
Four women who succeeded in reach
ing the top OF the Badly mountain in
the summer of 1889 claim that they were
the first who ever sat ON that desired
spot. II they were not the very first,
certainly no one who has climbed the
peak before or since ever had more re-
msrkable experiences.
Two OF the women, who were from
Alameda county. had been camping
that summer in the San Antonio csfIon,
ii miles from Pomona. On July l4th
they were joined by two other women
and three men, and started for DIPS
camp, at the foot OF Badly, the snow-
covered top Of which may be seen all
the year round from Los Angeles. An
unexpected addition to the party came
in the shape of photographer. The
poor man was also going toward Badly
and asked to join the caravan. How
he ever expected to reach the
miles away from town, he had not one
scrap OF provisions, not oven q cracker.
His sole baggage was his camera. Either
he was a disciple of Tanner or he was of
q very trustful disposition, and on the
lookout for ravens. The party of seven
proved to be the ravens. By them he
was fed during the journey. He had
already a photographer in the crowd,
but by means of this knight of the
camera they were able to have the Pho
tographer photographed.
The trip up Badly and down again
consumed four DAYS. The party re-
manned at Miners camp over night and
slept on pine boughs. without anything
over the boughs or anything over the
slespers' hesds. In these high regions
the air is trihe cool. but it is nothing
ii not bracing, and nobody minded the
blissful security of all out-of doors. Only
one accident happened. The youngest
and prettiest girl in the party had
severe dose of sunburn. One of the in
dispensables in her knspsack was bot
tie of vsseline, and with it she copiously
anointed her face. During the night
she rolled off her pallet of pine hougbs
onto the needle-covereG ground, and in
the morning a shout crested her appear
snce.
The vaseline had made an elegant con-
Meeting medium, and her face looked IS
though she had been tsrred and festh-
cred. The brook seemed an intermina-
BILE distance away, and even its kindly
Offices could not remove all the traces sof
The next morning they started Tor the
summit. Mr.. Dill accompanied them,
and they had as a guide Dewey, the
scout, one of the best known meH in
that part of the country. The start was
made at 4 O'Clock in the morning, alter
very light breakfast OF coffee and
bread. The summit is only five miles
from Miners camp, and they expected
to get back in time for late dinner. SO
they carried one small canteen OF water
and started. The ascent was not easy.
1t ia shale rock all tho way, and one
slips back three feet for every step in
advance. At least it seems so. 1t was
a blazing hot day, although there was
snow under foot. The ascent was made
by way OF the Devils Back bone, which
is ridge of rock with drop on each
side of 1000 feet, and a path 30 narrow
that the calvacade had to 70 single file,
and even then it required something OF
the ekill and dexterlty Of a rope walker,
especially as the wind always blows a
| gale.
The summit was reached at o'clock,
after continuous climb OF nine hours.
How the trampers wished that some one
had established q restaurant there, for
one small cantesn of water for 10 people
is not specially filling. AS all were tired
they rested for an hour, and tried to
forget the emptiness inside. There is q
monume nt of rocks on the summit. The
party added to these and posed on the
rocks while being photographed.
Then they debated as to the choice of
homeward ways. 1t was finally decided
that Dewey should lead the women and
all the men of the party except Strong
down by short way, while the other
two men, taking charge of the horses,
would go down this way they came and
have dinner prepared by the time the
rest OF the crowd reached DilPe cabin.
In this way the women would be spared
the somewhat perilous trip over the
DEVILS Back bone, which they were not
specially anxious to repeat.
The trip was beautifully planned, but
its working was not quite up to expecta-
tions. 1t WAS estimated that the crowd
would arrive at Dill's camp about
o'slock, as it was all down hill, and the
only thing necessary WAS to slide. They
slid. Making themselves as rigid as
possible they alternately bumped,
bounced and scrambled down the side
OF the mountain, which is exceedingly
steep. Owing to the shale sure foot
hold Was most impossible, and if their
shoe. and gloves had not been OF the
heaviest even the flesh would have been
worn off. Then there were streams TO
be crossed, bnt nobody minded wet
ting. No doubt they would have
reached the cabin at the appointed time
if it had not been for besr's track.
Every body knows what BEARS track
is to O hunter. For an instant the guide
caution has turned to the hunters de-
sire, and he even forgot all about the
break tastless troop behind him. Instead
OF following his compass to the cabin he
took the BEARS dainty footprints for a
guide and followed them assiduously over
mountains and through csflons. In this
way he took his weary followers over a
range, which was out Of their way and
quite unnecessary. And. of course, they
did not find the bear. AT least Dewey
| lost the tracks and suddenly recolected
| that his destination was Dill's cabin,
now several miles farther away than
when the descent began. The climb
over the laet range OF hills had to be
done over, and though the four young
women were hale and vigorous and &C.
| customed to mountaineer work, they
ware beginning to show their fatigue.
They were used to climbing, but twelve
l. i IL &c. l..