The Progressive West Virginian. [volume] (Williamson, W. Va.) 1911-1913, 1912-11-07

WOULD De SuperHuOuB 10 say
we slept that night Wouldn't
anybody feel like sleeping after a
good, manly walk Of twelve or
fifteen miles up hill that well
deserves the name, mountain? We
had started about mid-afternoon to
scale the heights preparatory to our
annual two weeks Off" Twas dark
when we reached our chosen spot. In
the San Antonio canyon. and it was 8
o'clock before we had completed all
arrangements for our good nights,
writes Alfred A. Berger in the Los
Angeles Times.
BY the way, did you ever sleep out
under the trees with Gods vast blue
canopy for your roof, and the myriads
Of stars twinkling and blinking at you
through the leaves, for your watch
lights? Did you ever experience a
night in the forest with sweet-scented
pines pertaining the air, and with a
gushing. gurgling, laughing brook to
sing you away to dreamland? 1t is
wonderful beyond mere description.
All night long we dreamed sweet
dreams OF mountains and forests and
things that are grand. We pictured in
our sleep the natural beauties which
surrounded u.s. But when morning
came with Its darting beams Of sun
light casting mysterious shadows
among the towering trees, disclosing
nature in that cool. dewy freshness,
we took our first look upon our camp
ing ground.
The rivulet was more beautiful
even, than we had pictured 1t in our
slumbers. i at rushed and dubbed over
its rocky bed, winding and twisting
down the mountainside, eager to do
its share toward making the mighty
ocean. Just above our camp was a
charming cataract. noisy and pictur-
esque. Still further above was rus
tic foot bridge, and In the background
was the canyon wall with It's growth
of timber and underbrush, the whole
blending together to make a sylvan
picture that would enthuse the most
Unconditional
The Big Event. "a
All the days and nights of our So
journ were not greatly unlike the first.
We all felt happy up there in that
altitude, above 1.-The petty rounds OF
Irritating concerns and duties" And
we learned new lessons OF brotherly
love from the birds and the gray
squirrels that frolicked In the tree
tops.
But the one big event OF our expe.
dition was trip to @Old Baldy'-tha
ancient monument of the sunny south
west. and Hottest peak OF the San
Gabriel range. Eleven and half
thousand feet above the sea he rears
his barren head, high above the line
OF vegetation, rendering himself rich
ly deserving Of the descriptive name
he bears.
Taking provisions and blankets for
q night in the wilderness, we loaded
them onto a pack mule. We also ap.
propriated q pair of donkeys-- burros
is the California pronunciation1-tc
spell US IN our unusual climb
At the limit OF the timber we stop
ped to rest--and incidentally to
humor our 'inner man. with q few
munches Of bread and beans land wa.
ter. All. did beans ever touch the
spot so exactly? Did bread ever sat.
isfy SO completely? Was water ever
sweeter? We had left the stream far
behind now. and the, canteens held
our only hope OF preservation until
we reached the snow line. For Old
Badly is one of those peaks with eter-
nal snow. However. that il only In
the canyons facing the north. The
southern slopes are bare excepting in
winter.
While our "inner man" was enjoy.