Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1897-04-22
UP WILSON'S PEAK.
A Mountain Climb In SierraS
of California Described
BY e. w. Camp.
p. Up Sheridan Accompanie S
the Party. Lunch at
the Snow Line.
An Ex-North Dakotan Enjoys
a Mountain Excursion In
Lower California.

Los ANGELES, April 1O.-You:rsmem-
Der that Chaucer starts his Pilgrim
forth in the month Of April, after the
rains have filed the veins Of plants snd
the sun has warmed the earth. Spring
must be about as early in California al
it was in Kent. For the poet's descr1p.
ton fits the day "a week sgo) on which
We climbed Wilson's peak. 1t rises be.
hind our village to height of more than
SIX Thousand feet; but to accomplish the
vertical mile one must measure out nine
times that distance Of rather steep
ascent, and from our house to the foot
OF this trail is yet another mile. Such
trip means an early start and late re-
turn, 80 o'clock found us trudging.
At the foot OF the trail are kept
several donkeys (burros), which have
been over the road so often that they
never at turn in the path walk oil
inLu space Wniie gazing aJ tne landscape.
You are safer on burro than afoot. The
Oldest one on the mountain is So and the
youngest Is years of age. We hired one
and he happened to be the youngest,
Philip Sheridan by name. He has
little Of the dash OF the great cavalry
man, yet has the making Of an excellent
soldier, for no matter how badly beaten
be will rot run. Having only one burro
one of us took his tnrn hiding and he
rest Of US took turns walking.
The path is for most Of the way cut
into the side of the mountain and winds
n and out along the canyons, with wall
Of granite on one side aud a sheer de-
scent or steep slope on the other. Far
below you hear and sometimes see the
stream finding it's swift though broken
way. On the southern slopes where the
sun beats all day the mountain sides are
bare and grim, but where the land looks
north, or in the shaded gorges. the air is
cool, the ground damp and the under
growth lmpenetrable.
At 9 quarter Of the way up, the trail
reaches the level OF the stream, which
we cross and recross. Here is a very
little reach Of smooth ground with
grass and trees. Here some one, prob
ably an invalid, once built cottage, and
If solitude and pure air were his re-
qulrements be must have recovered, at
any rate he is gone. From this point
the path winds up with more frequent
and unlocked for turns, the brook is left
again and you can look down on the
tops Of trees four or five feet in diameter
which grow beside it The underbrush
Is varied in form and color; dark red
stems of manzanita show in thickets
among the light green OF other growths;
there are white blossoms on some vari-
eties of chapparal and purple on others.
An hours climb from the last crossing
brings US at the half way point again to
the level of the stream. Here is another
cabin, and years ago IN a little plot be-
hind it we're planted fruit trees, but the
orchard has long been abandoned and
nature is kindly obllterating the traces
of human failure. The zigzags become
shorter and sleeper from this point, so
that sometimes the little burro halts.
to be disburdened before be will attempt
an extra heavy grade. In fact he dis
covers that he is treated with considera-
tion and at once begins to impose upon
his rider. Near the top we cross little
rlvulet fed by the melting SHOWS (par-
don this mention of snow, realize how
unpleasant it must be to YOU, and here
we consumed half the contents Of the
lunch box; what remained was hung up
in tree to await our return. The
oranges which were picked in uy yard
that morning were cooled ID the snow
water.
In another hour, five hours from the
bottom. we are at Martins" at the top.
Here on plateau are some fourteen
little shanties with shlngled roofs and
canvas sides, several frame buildings, a
telephone. water.pipes, rapidly melt
ing snow.banks, magnificent view.
One looks over the valley with It's cities
and orchards, fields and vineyards to the
ocean and Santa Catalina island, seventy
five miles away on one side and on the
other across chasms and cliffs, all IN
primevsl wildness, to the higher range,
the citadel OF the sierras, q fortress
marble-white, guarding miles Of gorge
and peak on every side.
One should take this journey leasure-
ly, and spend day or two, or at least Q
night on the summit 90 ss to catch the
effects Of the morning and evening light.
But We had planned hurried trip and