The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1913-09-12
EXPERIENCES OF A VAcATIoNisT
F. H.

To the Editor Ocala Banner:
We next planned trip to the sum.
init of Wayah, a mountain $500 feet
/ high, the base of which is nine miles
from Franklin. AS in such cases, the
anticipation and the preparation are
no small part of the trip, the gather
| ing up of wraps and blankets, cups
and spoons and numerous parapherna-
liza went merrily on all day before the
start. AS on the trip to Cullassaja
Falls, we were to be accompanied by
an Angel-Mr. Louis Angel doing pie
bian service as hack driver We had
ordered the team for five o'clock in
the morning, and we were up and
through with breakfast before any of
the ROSTERS had thought about crow
ing for day, and by five We had all our
baggage piled up on the front porch,
and there we sat for two long, dreary
hours for the team to come. Our pa
thence was worn to a fragile. We fl
nally got started, and soon found that
in addition to Angelic, we had canine
company, the neighbours fine pointer
Joe Brown, who without any invita-
ton, insisted and persisted in going
with us. We had good road the nine
miles to the foot of the mountain.
Then came the tug of war. We wend-
ed and wound and climbed our way
up three miles to Cold Springs, flow
ing out of the side of the mountain
from a reservoir of ice somewhere
within. Here we had dinner, and
from this point on, nearly all of us
had to walk while the team made
hair-pin turns to gain elevation. The
road up this side of this mountain
makes two complete WIS, placed hor-
izontally in weaving back and forth.
If it had then made a c, I would have
laid claim to it, as having my brand
on it. In that case / would have had
an elephant on my hands, as this
mountain has the outlines of huge
elephant viewed from Franklin, nine
miles away. Those afoot followed
foot and bride paths almost straight
up. We could go from the point of
one turn to the next and have good
rest before the team would arrive.
We reached the summit about the
middle of the afternoon, but were
greatly disappointed in not having
fair weather. The valleys below were
completely enveloped in a dense fog
or cloud 1t lifted once, just about
five minutes, for us to gaze on the
grandeur spread out before us, when
the fog again closed in on us, and at
times it was so thick you could not
see 100 yards ahead. Several huts
have been built up there, for the use
of camping parties, which are going
there all the summer. We took pos
session of one and soon had a camp
fire going, and it felt comfortable to
sit by it, even if it was the middle Of
J y
huckleberries up there growing on
bushes six feet high. We picked sew
eral quarts, and had feast. We stay
ed up there. until noon of the next
day, hoping the weather would clear
up, but it did not When we got
ready to start back, three of the party,
two of the ladies and myself, decided
! to descend by steep trail leading
down three miles to the foot of the
mountain, while the others went with
the team down the nine-mile wagon
road. This trail is very steep in
some places, and l was glad I was de-
scending instead of ascending. Some
people ride horses up this trail, but
don't see how it is possible. I am
not going to undertake it. We made
the trip Ieisurely, and it took us some.
thing over two hours. At one time
we thought we were on the wrong
trail, and lost, but finally came out on
the main road, and the team and the
rest of the party arrived soon after.
My next and last stunt in the way
of diversion was dismal failure, also
| a painful one was persuaded
against my better judgment to join
in horseback ride. was assured
that the liveryman would furnish ex-