Bryan daily eagle and pilot. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1909-1918, 1912-06-21

~T WAS a glorious morning. The
rains seemed to have turned their
attentions elsewhere for the time
being. All the mountains stood
clear-cut against the blue, with
tops whitened by snow; the foothills
and the whole valley were wearing the
new green mantle Of spring.
We had taken the early car Tor
Sierra Madre, a car always filed on
days off" with merry collection OF
city folk who love the Wild and who
yearn the week through for the higher
places. the rocky canyons and the
dashing streams, and, for the racing
blood, red cheeks and renewed en-
ergy that such retreats give to those
who seek them, writes II. G. Hurst, In
the Los Angeles Times.
Our objective point was the Big San
Ia Anita. Neither Henry nor !
had ever been In this canyon. We
had seen Its little sister many a time
as we climbed up the Mt. Wilson trail,
but there is always An added zest
In the unknown, in not knowing what
ls ahead around the. next corner In
new town, around the next bend In
the trail, or what the next week. or
month or year holds for US In that
Arger journey called Life. We ques-
toned our nearest fellow-passenger,
Young fellow in complete corduroy.
suit and mountain boots. who looked
as though he had always climbed
mountains. Yes. he had been clear
through the Big Santa Anita. and
thare were some ticklish places in 1t,
but we could make IT all right. He
himself was bound for the west fork
of the, SAN Gabriel by way OF Mt
Nilsson.
II seemed no time at MI before we
were stepping from the car in beau
tiful Sierra Madre, and before the train
crew would have time % turn their
trollhy pole the whole crowd was
streaming up the road toward the foot
of ''the everlasting hills" Most OF
these bearers Of lunches and kodaks
kept on to where the bnrros In their
corrals watched with big brown eyes
at the foot OF the Mt Wilson trail.
Wa turned to our right and followed
a roadway which led down hill, across
silver creek, and Up a long grade
through groves of orange and lemon.
with now and then bungalow show
ing about the green lsares The trees
were loaded with fruit, and man who
did not lnok In the least ike a crouch
was carrying large arnful OF sign
boards and planting; them at frequent
intervals along the edge Of his golden
acres. said boards; threatening dlra
things, 30 the person, who dared to
more than look at the yellow temptar
tons on his treeE
start Up Canyon.
| We cut through an orange grove and
came out on high mesa overlooking
the wash and heard the roaring OF
the stream as In dashed over he'large
bouiders as though deadly eager to
meet with the San Gabriel river out
there in the valley and compare'notes
ON their respective trips through the
mcantains.
A largo party Of boys and gins were
ecrambling down the bank when we
arrived, and as they stopped to take
a picture Of the group we passed them
| and started up the canyon. We real
lied at once that 1t was a time OF high
water and that travel up through thoss
narrow passes would be a vastly diff
ferent affair than in midsummer, wher
the streams are low. Indeed we KEEP
dry from the start only by making al
most impossible leaps from boulder Il
boulder, or by working our wa!
along the walls Of the elf By psecari
Gus handholds.
Finding some better going, we press
, ed on and came at last to scene o
! wonderful beauty. but one which
. seemed to block all farther progress
| nm the canyon Walls OF solid rocl
lowered high in the air on every sid
save that from which we had ar
preached At their base vast poo
was spread like a lake. probably s
feet across, and Of great depth. an,
.. Into this leaped from a cleft in III
cliff the whole river. a beautiful water
fall some Is feet in height. Tw
: mixers had preceded us. and We ga
down and watched them cross tn
shallowest part Of the pool and elm
nm the very crude ladder which lear
ed against the cliff and led to the to
, of the falls. 1t seemed to take Their
|. a long while to cross the stream at tn
, top OF the ladder. and when we 70
lowed them we did not wonder. as W
found ourselves standing on a shel