Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1896-09-24
A Trip to Kings River Canon.

ing guide, BOD Lewis, IelI the LANE III
Kings River Canon. The first part OF
the trail is quite steep, up through the
large pines and red woods, past the sold
iers' camp in Gen. Grant National Park,
till we reached the top of Round Knob,
from which point looking backward the
view is fine. The broad San Joaquin
valley lies before us as map. Nhen
the air is clear we can see the larger
towns in Fresno, Modera, Kings and
Tulare counties, and the railroads ana
canals winding in and out IKE net
work between, and back of all, 80 miles
distant, the dim outline of the Coast
RANCE Mountains The vineyards and
orchards dotted around over the yellow
valley make a fine showing with their
dark green contrasting with the vast eX-
nanse of grain fields, from which the
grain has been harvested.
We moved along steadily and were
pleased to learn when we stopped al noon
that we had travelled twelve miles. Inc
distance into the canon is thirty miles.
Our camping place. Land Slide Meadow,
is well named, for if any land was ever
there. 1t has slid Oft. We rested TWO
hours, and found the ride harder IN the
afternoon, sleeper hills 10 CHINO ana go
down, and in some places the trall was
not only steep and narrow, but rocky
and Siding. The only incident OF note
during the afternoon was meeting TWO
RerkeIev students with their camera,
travelling homeward from the yosemite
through Tehipiti and Kings River Can
ons. They had killed large rattleSnake
and were filling the skin with sanu Wheh
we met tn en- They had taken over two
| hundred views, and kindly added our
partv to their list We were grouped
! on our horses, seven Of us and the Tour
pack animals with the kyacks. We had
! instructed our guide to camp at Horse
| Corral Meadows, making ride OF TWEEN
| tv-four miles that day, but we thought
| he must have gone further ana taken
| the meadows with him when we over
| took him at 8 o'clock. 1t was urea
set of would-b e-mOuntalneerS VINO went
| into camp that night, but the PRIDE we
felt at having accomplished SO much
! soothed us TO rest. Few OF the party
! had ridden before for several years. we
! only fingered around our camp nre OIL
pine cones and knots long enough 10 eat
| supper, and then retired. 1t was quite
! cold and we found ii necessary 10 wrap
| our heads in small shawlS. Our bedroom
| had ONLY one wall an immense rock on
! our right, our wardrobe and chl1ohler
! a large tamaraCk tree at our leet, tne
! lovely star-decked sky our canopy. 10
| one who has always slept In mousse Ihe
| sensation is indeScrlbable. me NasIheSs
! and grandeur of nature as compared WIN
| the iittleness of mankind is overwhelm-
ing. We had an artist and shorthand
| reDorter in the crowd who was lnvalua-
L., ions
down funny incidents. The sketches
wouId make her fortune, should she use
Them to illustrate the trip as written up
for Harper We did not forget the time
honored custom of naming the corners
of our he'd. and of course looked each at
the proper corner We were surprised
TO find the meadow white with frost and
the stake ropes frozen stiff when we rose
next morning. Horse Corralis the high
est camping place along the route and
most beautiful spot A lovely green
meadow several miles in length, sur
rounded by groves of immense tama-
racks, yellow and sugar pines, lifting
their stately heads heavenward, silent
but eloquent witnesses of the majesty
and love of God. So gentle were the
birds and wild game, that the blueJayS
! and chipmunks came almost TO our leet
and ate the crumbs from our table even
while we cleared away. We watched
the hedge hogs gambol as | have seen
rabbits on the plains.
But lovely as it all was we must move
on, and our burroS were soon packed
our horses saddled, and we mounted and
were off, onward and upward for two
| hours. The gentlemen were pleased ana
the ladies proud that they could saddle
their own horses and mount and dis
mount alone. Before we had gone Tar
we met Il RATHER five feet long, which
Miss Edna ComstOCk killed, and our
oblging guide skinned it for her, she
bringing the skin home as a trophy.
When we reached Summit Point, the
highest we reach on the route, we stop
ned and gaZed in amaZement and rap
ture on the scene spread out before us.
| From there on it is down into the canon,
although our guide said we need not DIS
mount and rode ahead with the patient
little pack animals; we ladies walked.
NV faithful pony. Babe, looked at me
as if wondering if | meant her to climb
down such a place. She is valley
horse, but she followed where | led.
The only accident Of the trip occurred
that forenoon. The horse of my broth
er-in-law, being from the valley, jumped
over a bad place and fell; he was walk
inc at the time The horse was not hurt
save a few scratches, but one of the la
dies saw her fall and was unnerved FOR
the day.
We entered the canon shortly after
noon. and decided to camp for that
night at the lower end of the canon, so
forded the river and went to housekeep-
ing. Dinner over, part of the crowd
and friend we found there went fish
ing. and so Jealous were the tisherwo-
men that one fell into the river and soon
returned to hang round the camp fire
till evening 1t is pleasant to think OF
our congenial crowd, and how we sang
our duets, and rounds and the artist
sketched. and the fortunes the palmist
read to us. the stories and jokes we told
and the supper we had at 9 o'clock,
when the pickle was so hot that one girl
knew her mouth would never stop burn
ing. and offered to kindle the fire and
boil the coffee for the rest of the trip
simply by blowing her breath. The
hair rope stretched around our bed
served as a snake guard, but did not
| keep the uOIStS away anu w NV w
have turns ''shooing'' the horses to keep
them off our bed.
The high altitude was given credit
for everything odd and unusual so when
fifty-two mountain trout were eaten for
breakfast by six people, it was owing to
the high altitude We Toasted, read
gathered wild flowers, lovely ones, and
after an early dinner broke camp and
.1,a f,,,.t lap 40
canon, where we camped under Muir
Dome, in meadow owned by Mr.. }. ii.
Zumwalt, of San Jose. The canon is a
J government reservation, and Mr.. L. is
one of the very few who took up land
before the reservation was set apart.
, He. with his son. Dan j. Zumwalt, a
graduate of Stanford University, have
been in the canon all summer, and they
are glad to see people who come from
the outside world, and were very coTr-
a nS