The San Francisco call., 1906-10-14
UPHILL AcROS5 A GTUBBLE FIELD

the next seven-tenths OF a mile u was
all down grade for 400 feet Then
came the drop at Ben Johnson's- This
is a sharp run straight downhiu. In
two-tenths of mile you descend 800
feet to sea level Up to this point the
course is usually taken by inexpert-
enced ones at a pretty fast gait. and
for the next two-tenths Of a mile the
grit and staying power OF the contest
ants is sorely tested.
When the sea level IS reached the
course leads through Ben Johnson's
back yard to the barbed wire fence
hill trail. The ascent at this point Is
so steep that it is like climbing a flight
of stairs In fact, some OF the rum
ners have cut out stepping places in
the hard soil the whole length OF the
climb. In two-tenths OF mile the
trail ascends 400 feet. Passing under
the barbed fence there is another sharp
raise of 200 feet in the next three
tenths of mile. Then is reached the
trail that is known as Buffers Pride.
From the two and five-tenths point to
the three and fve-tenths point it Is a
nice, easy, steady raise of 500 feet At
the end of this grade the trail goes
through a gate and a stile and one
enters Coneys Grove.
Too Much for the Amateurs.
Even this is not the end. though a
welcome sight to all members OF the
party except the Indians. The photog-
raphers. with their heavy plates and
cameras, were about all In. and so a
halt was called for a rest in the shade
of the trees.
After half an hour the trail was
taken up again and a course laid for
Lone Tree Coney'S Grove is one thou
sand feet above sea level. and In the
next half mile there was a sharp raise
nj 70
which is four and three-tenths miles
from the starting point and 1900 feet
above sea level. This is the highest
point of the course AS our party came
in sight Of the tree Herrick announced
that there was a cooling stream run
ming down the mountain underneath
the tree There was rush, and a howl
and a scamper for the watering trough.
Coats, collars. hats and cuffs went
flying on the hillside and the inexperf-
enced rejoiced over the cooling stream
The Indians merely sat on a rock and
watched the others, wisely refusing the
proffered water. They knew the pen
atty in the way of perspiration. After
a short rest the trail was resumed. In
the next fifth of a mile there was a
drop of two hundred feet. Then for tho
same distance the course runs level to
the four and seven-tenths point, where
the actual descent commences. From
this point to the FIVE and three-tenths
mark there is drop from the 1150 to
$50 feet above sea level. Here IS what
is known as the Hogs Back. In less
than a tenth of mile there IS a drop
of two hundred feet 1t cannot be
taken on a walk, and one has to trust
to luck and run Last year IN the big
Dipsea race. when it had been raining
hard and the course was nothing but
slippery mud. most Of the contestants
took this two hundred feet with slide
r0II nf haf IN
purpose. but because they could not
help themselves The bottom Of the
Hogs Back trail strikes creek at the
450 mark Here another rest is taken
in the shade of the willow trees. IN
the next tenth Of mile there is raise
of a hundred feet to the main road,
which is reached through a gate at the
five and a half miles point The rest
of the trail to the stile through which
one passes into Willow Camp, dis
tance of one and one-ffth miles, is all
down hill with a drop of a little over
five hundred feet From this the trail
leads through Willow Camp out to the
beach, over a sand bank some twenty
five feet high to tide water, and then a
fifth of mile more 70 the hnishing
line.
This distance of seven miles was COW
cred in four hours, during which time
seventy stops for observation were
made and fully half as many more for
pictures. By the time the wigwam was
reached the tenderfeet thought them
selves fit subjects for hospital. But
the call for all hands to don bathing
suits for dip into salt water renewed
the falling interest in life
But the Indians took the return trail
homeSalone- The others hired bus
and went over by the coast road to
Manzanitas. All hands met on the
train and il was certainly surprising to
OhSorve the cOnditfOn OF the Indians.
They showed not the slightest sign OF
fatigue. and were apparently in as fine
fettle as when they started; and this
after travelling for fourteen miles over
one of the hardest COURSES known IN
athleticsl